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Black History NJ: Carla Harris

Montclair resident Carla Harris is an author, a highly sought-after public speaker and accomplished gospel singer. Harris earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in economics from Harvard University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and has since won numerous awards and been recognized many times for her achievements.

She has risen to great heights in the corporate world since beginning her career with Morgan Stanley in 1987 in the Mergers & Acquisitions department. She spent more than a decade as a senior member of the equity syndicate desk and executed numerous high profile initial public offerings prior to her current role as Vice Chairman, Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley.


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She was named in Fortune Magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America,” Essence Magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World,” Ebony’s list of “15 Corporate Women at the Top” and was named “Woman of the Year 2004” by the Harvard Black Men’s Forum. In addition, she received the Women’s Professional Achievement Award from Harvard in 2005.

In 2009, Harris authored Expect to Win and, in 2014, followed it up with Strategize to Win, which she wrote was “a direct response to the people I met and the questions they asked while I was on the road talking about Expect to Win.” In August 2013, Harris was appointed by President Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.

Photo of Carla Harris

Aside from her accomplishments in the business world, Harris began singing as a 9-year-old in her elementary school’s talent show. She then began to direct her attention to choral music and gospel choirs as a teenager. At Harvard, she joined the Radcliffe Chorale Society, the oldest women’s singing group at the University, and has released several albums and performed four sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall since then.

Harris makes time to help others and serves on a number of non-profit boards, has funded the Carla Harris Scholarship at both Harvard and Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida, and mentioned her work helping others during her acceptance speech when she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s 2015 class.

“This professional platform as a banker has also given me the ability to count it as a privilege and an honor to be able to serve others philanthropically with my time, my talent and my treasure. You see ladies and gentleman, there is no greater honor than any of us could have than to give of one’s self for another,” she said in her speech at the 8th Annual New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.


Hero (Top) Feature Image: © Carla Harris / Carlaspearls.com
Additional Images (in Order) Courtesy:
Carla Harris / Facebook

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