Anthony Ianno EE’85

Running for: Alumni Trustee

Campaign Statement

I feel fortunate in having graduated from Cooper Union in 1985 with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electrical Engineering.  Part of the reason that drove my decision to attend Cooper Union was its reputation.  An equal part was the financial decision – I could get an excellent education from a top rated university with limited financial impact to me or my family. 

My experience at Cooper Union was outstanding.  Not only did I get to learn from respected professors, but I found the collaboration from other students outstanding.  We were challenged every day, and although the curriculum was highly competitive, I never felt competition from my fellow students.  Conversely, I felt that we were all in it together and that the sense of teamwork helped us all get through the grind, and as a result have a strong attachment to many friends I made at Cooper to this day.

This education and community, helped set the groundwork for a successful career in the power industry, first with Con Edison, and later at some of the world’s most respected financial institutions, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Royal Bank of Canada. Now I am able to draw on my education and experience to give strategic and financial advice to Boards of Directors throughout the Power, Utility & Infrastructure industry. 

Along the way, I have come to truly enjoy the experience of giving back to the community.  Frankly, this was one of the lessons that Cooper Union failed to deliver when I was in school.  Back then, there was a sense of entitlement; a view that Cooper Union was lucky to have us.  We were never delivered a message that we were privileged to be given this educational gift, and that we had an obligation to give back so that future generations could share the gift – but today I feel that obligation which is why I’d like to use my education and experience to help Cooper grow and achieve many important goals.  ..

Over the years, I have stayed connected to the Cooper Community.  I have mentored some of the students and graduates that were looking for career advice or guidance on transitioning into the financial services industry.  I have participated in the Cooper Union on Wall Street Affinity Group.  I provided advice when solicited to friends in the administration and on the Board.  I even was lucky enough to have scrimmages between by daughter’s junior basketball team and the Cooper Union Women’s Basketball Team.   Through it all I have been very impressed by the changes that have been made and the commitment to returning to full tuition scholarships.

As a potential Trustee, I think that I can make valuable contributions to the Board.  I was previously on the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Montessori School of NY (MMS), held the position of Treasurer and was a member of the Finance and Investment Committees.  While I was Treasurer, the school undertook the successful integration and renovation of the adjoining building which provided the educational facilities required to properly educate pre-K through sixth grade students. I am proud that we were able to accomplish that while providing the financial discipline and oversight that limited the impact to tuition and financial aid to the MMS community.

I appreciate this nomination as Alumni Trustee, and if elected, would look forward to leveraging my experience working on and advising Boards every day in my work life, as well as the education and teamwork sills that I developed at Cooper Union to help the Board deliver on the school’s mission with alignment with the objectives of the CUAA.

Biography

Anthony Ianno is the Global Head of Power, Utilities & Infrastructure at RBC Capital Markets in New York. He has responsibility for coordinating RBC’s investment banking coverage for power, utility and infrastructure clients, and specializes in advising clients in Mergers & Acquisitions, Equity Finance, Debt Finance and Municipal Finance. 

In this role, Anthony has advised many Boards of Directors and management teams with respect to strategy and finance.  Over his 25 plus years in investment banking, Anthony has advised on numerous mergers, spins or strategic separations, and shareholder relations.  He has successfully raised billions of dollars for his clients through numerous debt and equity transactions. 

Previously, Anthony was a Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s Global Power and a Managing Director in JPMorgan’s Natural Resources Investment Banking group.  Before moving into a career in banking, Anthony worked as an engineer for Con Edison, where he did numerous assignments in power plants, sub-stations and electrical distribution.

Other than a brief assignment in London, Anthony is a life-long New Yorker.   He is an avid fan of NY sports teams, a season ticket holder for the Knicks and an avid theatre and movie goer.  He has participated in a fund raising capacity for many of his favorite charities, has been an active coach for youth sports in New York City, particularly for his daughter Eleanor and her friends, and has mentored many junior professionals and Cooper Union graduates.

Anthony was previously on the Board of the Metropolitan Montessori School of NY, where he served as a Trustee and Treasurer, and provided financial supervision of the school’s $12 million addition and remodeling which was completed in 2017.  https://www.mmsny.org/about-us/ourbuilding/   

Anthony received his M.B.A. in Finance from the Stern School at New York University and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.  Anthony resides on the Upper West Side with his wife, Claire and his daughter, Eleanor.

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