Biography

Rob Leary is a member of our Advisory Board. Mr. Leary served as a consultant to Olayan Group, an international investor and a diverse commercial and industrial group with global operations, from August 2019 to August 2020. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Olayan Group from May 2017 until July 2019. Prior to joining the Olayan Group, he served as CEO of Nuveen, a U.S.-based investment management firm that was acquired in 2014 by TIAA-CREF (Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association–College Retirement Equities Fund), now known as TIAA. Mr. Leary joined TIAA-CREF in 2013 and was instrumental in the acquisition and invigoration of Nuveen as well as its integration with TIAA’s pre-existing asset management business. Mr. Leary began his career as an associate at the law firm of White & Case in New York and in 1989 opened that firm’s office in Saudi Arabia. He then moved into the financial services arena with leadership roles at J.P. Morgan & Co. and AIG Financial Products, and as CEO of ING Investment Management Americas and ING Insurance U.S. Mr. Leary currently serves on the board of Citizens Financial Group, a regional banking and financial services organization listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and on the board of Intact Financial Corporation, a major insurer publicly listed in Canada. He also serves on the board of the non-profit National Forest Foundation, an organization that helps conserve and protect U.S. national forests. Mr. Leary holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Union College and a law degree from Fordham University.