James A. Runde

James A. Runde is an American investment banker, author and corporate director specializing in strategic and financial advice. As a 50 year veteran of Morgan Stanley, he is now an Advisory Director and a former Vice Chairman. Runde is one of America's longest-serving investment bankers at a single institution and was honored by Morgan Stanley for his length of service as well as ongoing contributions to the firm. Over the course of his 50 year career, he has served as a trusted advisor to many of the world's leading companies, with a focus on the transportation and infrastructure industries. He has been a member of the board of directors of The Kroger Co., one of the nation's largest grocery retail chains and also served on the board of directors of Burlington Resources, a major U.S. oil and gas company. In addition, he served as a trustee of The Morgan Library & Museum along with Annette de la Renta.

Runde's debut book entitled "Unequaled: Tips for Building a Successful Career through Emotional Intelligence" was published by John C.Wiley & Sons, Inc. Drawing from the author's extensive business experience and adapted from his presentations to major corporations and universities, Unequaled is a guide to getting ahead and achieving professional goals, with a particular focus on soft skills or emotional intelligence. Unequaled has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, Business Insider and Knowledge@Wharton.

Runde serves on the Business Advisory Committee of the Northwestern University Transportation Center, a leading interdisciplinary education and research institution dedicated to the long-term improvement of domestic and international systems for the movements of materials, people, energy and information.

In terms of public service, Runde was selected to serve on a blue ribbon panel along with Speaker Newt Gingrich, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Senator Bob Kerrey to develop a national strategic plan to defeat Alzheimer's disease.