Crystal McCrary
An award-winning filmmaker, television producer and author. She began her career practicing entertainment law with the New York City firm Paul Weiss before leaving to pursue a full-time career in writing, producing, and directing. Since that time, she has published two New York Times Best Selling novels HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE and GOTHAM DIARIES and written the critically acclaimed non-fiction book INSPIRATION: Profiles of Black Women Changing the World. She also produced the Fox Faith film DIRTY LAUNDRY and for six seasons, served as executive producer for the NAACP Image Award nominated BET series LEADING WOMEN and LEADING MEN which profiled men and women of color who have impacted the world socially, politically, and culturally. She also co-created, and executive produced the three-part documentary series INSIDE BLACK CULTURE and created, produced, and directed the Nickelodeon Sports series LITTLE BALLERS and LITTLE BALLERS INDIANA. Additionally, Ms. McCrary directed five short films on the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and directed a short film about the life and career of Kenneth C. Frazier, Executive Chairman, and former CEO of Merck.
Most recently, Crystal co-founded "Get To Yes Productions" to create women powered content at the intersection of pop culture, sports, the arts and human interest. Currently they have several scripted and non-scripted projects in development.
Ms. McCrary has appeared on numerous networks from CNN to MSNBC as a cultural, legal and political pundit as well as co- hosted ABC’s The View. She currently sits on the boards of the Horace Mann School, Film at Lincoln Center, The Paley Center for Media and Life Camp, Inc.
Ms. McCrary has received numerous honors and distinctions including being honored by The Children’s Defense Fund, Precious Dreams Foundation, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and Urban Tech.
Ms. McCrary lives in New York City with her husband, financier and philanthropist, Ray McGuire. They have three children.
Ms. McCrary received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from American University and New York University
Raymond McGuire
With a career spanning nearly four decades, Raymond J. McGuire has distinguished himself as a leader in the financial world as well as a philanthropist with a deep commitment to giving back and creating opportunity in the worlds of finance, art and education.
In April 2023, Mr. McGuire was named the President of Lazard. Prior to joining Lazard, Mr. McGuire held a 13-year term as Citigroup’s Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, the longest tenure for this position in the history of Wall Street. Afterwards he became the Vice Chairman of Citigroup and Chairman of Citi’s Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory business.
Previously, Mr. McGuire was the Global Co-Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley; Managing Director in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.; and one of the original members of Wasserstein Perella & Co., Inc. where he became a Partner/Managing Director in 1991. He started his career in 1984 in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of The First Boston Corporation.
Mr. McGuire has done extensive board service on both corporate and not-for-profit boards. He is currently a member of the corporate boards of the Hess Corporation, Vornado Realty Trust and KKR & Co., Inc.
Mr. McGuire holds leadership roles on several not-for-profit boards including: the American Museum of Natural History (Treasurer), the Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums (Co-Chair), the Hotchkiss School (Vice President), the New York Public Library (Vice Chairman, Chair-Executive Committee), the Regional Plan Association (Chairman), the Studio Museum in Harlem (Chairman), and the Whitney Museum of American Art (Executive Committee).
He received his M.B.A. and J.D. from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School (1984), and an A.B., cum laude, from Harvard College (1979). He also attended the University of Nice, France while on a Rotary Fellowship (1980). He has had legal experience at the law firms of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as well as Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler. He received a L.H.D. from Pratt Institute (2011) and a L.H.D from Dominican College (2017).
Mr. McGuire resides in New York City with his wife, Crystal McCrary McGuire. They have three children.
