Sarah Beshar is a senior executive, corporate advisor and strategist respected for strong operational, financial and legal skills. Throughout her career, she has advised senior executives and Boards of Fortune 500 companies. She is recognized within corporate and financial sectors globally for her capital markets, corporate finance, governance, compliance and international securities expertise.
In 2017, Ms. Beshar was appointed a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Invesco Ltd. As the fourth largest global asset manager with over $1.2 Trillion in assets under management, Invesco provides retail and institutional investors in over 150 countries investment capabilities across multiple asset classes. Currently, she serves on the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Governance Committees. In 2018, Ms. Beshar was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Perth USAsia Centre, Australia’s preeminent foreign policy and trade think tank.
In 2016, Ms. Beshar completed a successful thirty-year career at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, a global, $1B firm. While serving as the relationship partner for the firm’s largest client, she also managed large teams in executing and distributing investment products offered to the institutional and retail customer base of financial institutions.
Ms. Beshar led countless IPOs, public and private debt and equity transactions (including spin-offs) for financial institutions globally and for US corporate clients. Ms. Beshar managed the $23B IPO for General Motors, one of the largest IPOs in the world and a significant victory for the U.S. government after bailing out GM during the financial crisis.
She has a breadth of experience across multiple industries including professional services, automotive, consumer durables, energy, financial and retail. Ms. Beshar has worked for multinational clients across the United States, Asia and Europe. She is known for working effectively with regulators and government entities including the SEC, NYSE, the Department of the Treasury and the UK’s FCA. Ms. Beshar also served as Chief Operating Officer of the Global Capital Markets Group leading 100 lawyers and legal assistants across multiple offices. As a former member of senior management, she understands how to generate revenue and tightly manage expenses.
In recognition of her legal and business expertise, Chambers Global ranks her as a Leading Lawyer and Diversity Magazine included Ms. Beshar in its “Woman Worth Watching”. Ms. Beshar was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Western Australia in Perth in 2015. She has served as a Trustee of both the University of Western Australia in America and Magdalen College at Oxford University in America. She is a member of the Corporate Board of the Lincoln Center and the Board of Trustees of Episcopal Charities, as well as a Conservation Fellow at the Whitney Museum.
Ms. Beshar received an Honors Degree from Magdalen College at Oxford University as the inaugural Sir Robert Menzies Scholar, a national scholarship awarded to an Australian who exhibits academic excellence, leadership and athletic achievement. She earned a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Jurisprudence, both with Honors First Class distinction, from the University of Western Australia. She is a member of the New York State Bar and holds United States, United Kingdom and Australian citizenships. Ms. Beshar and her husband have three children and live in New York.