Distinguished Alumni Award
Sandra Davis 04BBA
A business trailblazer, Sandra Davis has used her leadership position at Goldman Sachs to help chart new paths for women and underrepresented finance graduates following in her footsteps.
As co-head of global client marketing and communications for the Investment Banking Division in the firm's New York office, Davis helps to amplify thought leadership content and franchise activity for clients around the world.
While her 17-year career has involved intense professional demands, Davis helped create a job-sharing position that paved the way for a more flexible solution at Goldman Sachs. "Sandy is an advocate and a leader in the finance industry," says Amy Kristof-Brown, the Henry B. Tippie Dean of the UI Henry B. Tippie College of Business.
Davis completed her bachelor's degree at Iowa, with a double major in finance and marketing and a minor in Spanish. She was a member of the Hawkinson Institute for Finance, the Tippie College's undergraduate investment banking program, and maintains a close connection to her alma mater. She serves on its Finance Advisory Council, where she's championed diversity initiatives—and she also mentors and recruits students and speaks at campus events.
After graduation, Davis spent several years in Goldman Sachs' Equity Capital Markets group, guiding companies through their initial public offerings. She moved to her current role in 2015 and always has made it a priority to meet with Tippie College students.
Brian Richman, a Tippie College professor and director of the Hawkinson Institute of Business Finance, says, "There is a generation of Iowa alumni who owe, in part, the successful starts of their careers to Sandy."
About Distinguished Alumni Awards
Since 1963, the University of Iowa has annually recognized accomplished alumni and friends with Distinguished Alumni Awards. Awards are presented in seven categories: Achievement, Service, Hickerson Recognition, Faculty, Staff, Recent Graduate, and Friend of the University.