Raymond W. Smith
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Raymond W. Smith is the Chairman of Rothschild North America, and the Chairman of Arlington Capital Partners.
He holds a B.S. degree from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.B.A degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Temple University, New York University, Drexel and Stephens Institute of Technology.
Prior to joining Arlington and Rothschild, Ray was Chairman of Verizon, then Bell Atlantic, from which he retired after ten years as the corporation's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. During that time, he re-fashioned Bell Atlantic into the largest communications firm in the country, positioning the company globally in the expanding markets of the future. In the November 1998 issue, Fortune Magazine listed Bell Atlantic as the number-one communications company in terms of increased shareholder value over the previous ten years. It was seventeenth out of the top 1000 companies.
Under Ray's leadership, Bell Atlantic acquired NYNEX in 1997 and announced the acquisition of GTE in 1998, two of the largest transactions in business history. In addition, it completed over 100 acquisitions and joint ventures, many under Ray's leadership. In total, Bell Atlantic executed 29 international investments and joint ventures, 37 wireless acquisitions as well as investments in software integration, network integration and outsourcing.
Ray was named "CEO of the Year" by CNBC, "Top Manager" by BusinessWeek and "Chief Executive of the Year" by the International Television Association. He has been recognized by the Harvard Business Review as a pioneer in the transformation of corporate cultures.
Prior to becoming chairman and chief executive officer of Bell Atlantic, he held the titles of president and chief financial officer. Prior to the formation of Bell Atlantic, Ray served as Director of Budget and Finance at AT&T and Chief Executive Officer of Bell of Pennsylvania and Diamond State Telephone (Delaware).
Over the years, Ray has served on the boards of Bell Atlantic, the Carnegie Corporation, Westinghouse, CBS, Corestates Financial, First Union (now Wachovia), US Airways, and others. He is also Chairman of Verizon Ventures and Five Arrows Investments. He has served on a trustee or advisory boards of the Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Library of Congress and is a current trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation.
He has also served on the board of the Royal Shakespeare Company; he is a playwright and author, having directed and produced scores of productions.
