Bio

Melissa James is Vice Chairman and Chief Risk Officer of Lending for Morgan Stanley Global Capital Markets. She provides risk management oversight and capital planning for all Global Capital Market lending businesses. James has held a number of leadership positions at Morgan Stanley, including Global Head of the Loan Products Group, where she managed a book of corporate loan commitments. She also chaired the firm’s Capital Commitment Committee and before that, was responsible for managing relationships with some of the firm’s largest industrial clients. A guiding presence at Morgan Stanley for over 25 years, James has been recognized by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “Top 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street,” as well as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America.” She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.