Former Wall Street CEO Scott L. Bok Talks About His New Memoir
On April 30, 2025, Scott L. Bok, the former CEO and Chairman of Greenhill & Co., visited the Boston University Questrom School of Business to discuss his recently published memoir, Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy, and Timing with students. Co-sponsored by the Frederick S. Pardee International History Institute (IHI) and BU Finance & Investment Club, this event was moderated by Pardee School Professor John D. Woodward, Jr., who is also the director of IHI .
Mr. Bok, an investment banker and a long-time CEO of Greenhill & Co. specializing in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), shared historical accounts about how the financial landscape of Wall Street has transformed since the beginning of his expansive career of four decades. His latest book delves deeper into the dramatic journey of Greenhill & Co., through the years, which witnessed major fiscal events triggered by the dot-com crash and COVID-19.
This first-hand perspective of Mr. Bok takes readers inside the boardrooms where key deals were struck and dealmakers struggled for power. It also doubles as a “coming-of-age” story of a young man coming to Wall Street and making it to the top. For young readers about to enter the turbulent world of the Financial District, Surviving Wall Street makes for an inspiring story that could guide their path to success.
Scott L. Bok’s Wall Street career primarily revolved around advising clients on M&A. Besides Greenhill & Co., he was the CEO of a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company), partner in a private equity fund, and a board member of multiple corporate and nonprofit organizations including the University of Pennsylvania and the American Museum of Natural History.
Prof. John D. Woodward, Jr., Professor of the Practice of International Relations served as a CIA officer for twenty years. He was an operations officer in the Clandestine Service and a technical intelligence officer in the Directorate of Science and Technology, with his assignments including operational and leadership roles in Washington D.C., Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.