Donna Sims Wilson

President
M.R. Beal & Co
Chicago, III

Donna Sims Wilson gives the average “multitasker” a run for their money. In addition to being the president of an investment bank, Sims Wilson also serves on a foreign corporate board, several industry and charitable boards and is a devoted wife and mother.

The Renaissance woman is able to juggle it all by keeping an extremely organized schedule. “I travel every week, but constantly ask myself, ‘Can someone else cover it? Am I being as efficient as possible with my time?’ ” says Sims Wilson.

She was introduced to the business industry at the age of 19 while participating in a Summer on Wall Street Program. “I had never heard of Wall Street until the year before, so exposure to the Salomon Brothers’ trading floor for two summers was a life-changing experience,” says Sims Wilson. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Yale University and holds NASD Series 7, 24 and 63 professional licenses.

Throughout her career, she has attained more than 25 years of experience in equity sales and corporate and mortgage finance. She was a founder and managing director of Loop Capital Markets and also served as vice president at Bear Stearns, a division of J.P. Morgan. In her current role as president of M.R. Beal, Sims Wilson is responsible for the firm’s revenue growth with corporations, public pension plans and institutional asset management firms.

Sims Wilson is also dedicated to helping others advance. Although she has never lived there, she has diligently worked in West Africa for 20 years to help develop capital market systems. She also testified before the House Financial Services Committee in 2006 to seek diversity in financial services for racial minorities and women. In the future, Sims Wilson plans to continue taking care of business, one investment at a time.