“People like Jeff, who accomplish so much but never forget where they came from…these were the kind of people that were at the top of the list for Jim Greenleaf,” said Connor. “Jeff’s been serious about giving his time, talent and treasure to our alma mater.”
In his remarks, Connor praised Bosland for having a remarkable career and that his success has been driven, in a large part, by his ability to take on real challenges and leadership positions in some of the most important financial institutions in the world.
In the industry for nearly three decades, Bosland held multiple senior management positions at JPMorgan Chase, including head of US Public Finance, a number-one ranked franchise by IFR in 2011, and, most recently, as global head of Client Treasury Services. Earlier in his career in banking and fixed income sales and trading, he managed U.S. Interest Rate Swaps Derivatives Trading at Bankers Trust Company and Deutsche Bank, where he also led the U.S. Agencies Debt trading business.
Connor noted that even with all of Bosland’s professional success, the dedicated alumnus has always made Lehigh “a serious, personal priority.” Recently appointed to the Lehigh University Board of Trustees, Bosland serves on the Finance and Development and Alumni Relations Committees.
Connor quipped, “He is now a trustee at Lehigh, which means he works 15 hours a day for Cerberus and 12 for Lehigh.”
Bosland is also a member of the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and, with his wife Debra ’22P, a member of the Lehigh University Parents’ Council.
In accepting the award, Bosland shared that he was a first-generation college student, and he would not have been able to attend Lehigh without the generous scholarships that he received.
“Why do I stay so active at Lehigh? Because it gave me so much,” said Bosland who majored in finance.
He reminisced of Greenleaf’s passion and how his former professor built the Wall Street and New York Lehigh networks.
“We owe him a lot,” said Bosland who encouraged everyone to become more involved with their alma mater and mentioned opportunities such as being a panelist at the Lehigh Wall Street Council Financial Services Forum, joining Lehigh Connects or becoming a student mentor.
“There are so many different things you can do to get involved … join an advisory council, sponsor interns and hire Lehigh grads. Honestly, they won’t let you down. I have been doing it for a long, long time,” said Bosland. “From my perspective, there is nothing more rewarding than working with young people.”
In addition to Bosland’s hands-on contributions, he and Debbie have philanthropically supported Lehigh’s scholarship and financial aid program, capital projects, athletics, the College of Business, and other initiatives.
The Greenleaf Ripple
Professor James A. Greenleaf’s mission of increasing Lehigh’s presence on Wall Street is strongly championed by LWSC members who provide support and opportunities for alumni, faculty, and students alike. Greenleaf, the late professor emeritus of finance and law who passed away in July 2015, was unabashed in his efforts to make alumni connections to increase internship opportunities and promote more hiring of Lehigh graduates in the industry.
“He urged his former students to hire Lehigh undergraduates, and he made a special effort to get firms to pay more attention to Lehigh students in the financial services area,” said Connor.
