Ron Shelp
Author of Fallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank Greenberg and the History of AIG- Former AIG executive responsible for government relations and international affairs
- Entrepreneur and New York civic leader
- Art collector and supporter of the dramatic arts and debating societies
- Speaker and news commentator
As the author of Fallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank Greenberg and the History of AIG, Ron Shelp is perhaps the leading expert on “the company America loves to hate.” Over the past several years, he has spoken to business groups throughout the U.S. and Europe about AIG’s role in the global financial meltdown and the subsequent twists and turns that have kept the company in the headlines. Shelp’s media appearances have included CNN, BBC, CNBC, Fox, NPR, and other news outlets. His March 4th Op-Ed in the Asian Wall Street Journal was the most emailed article on the site.
For 12 years Shelp held a number of senior positions at AIG reporting directly to the company’s legendary CEO, Hank Greenberg. He became worldwide head of government relations, led AIG’s corporate communications and advertising, and eventually evolved into a global troubleshooter dealing with issues ranging from AIG’s re-entry into China, to the Iranian revolution in 1979, to nationalization in India. He served on the board of American International Underwriters Corporation (AIUC) and other AIG subsidiary boards.
Shelp left AIG to join the Management Committee of Celanese Corporation. He later served as President and CEO of both the New York City Partnership (now Partnership for New York City) and the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Shelp is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves or has served on the boards of numerous arts and education organizations, including the American Folk Art Museum, Atlantic Theater Company, Art Connects, the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs, and Impact Coalition, a national organization that advances the lives of inner city students by engaging them in the art of public debate.
Ron and his wife, June, have an extensive collection of art from the South, the subject of the book Testimony: Vernacular Art of the African American South, which has exhibited throughout the country. They have given pieces to numerous museums such as the Newark Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Shelp, a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, has also written Beyond Industrialization: Ascendancy of the Global Service Economy (Praeger 1981), the seminal book on trade in services. He received his baccalaureate from the University of Georgia, and pursued doctoral studies at the London School of Economics.
Today, Ron Shelp works as an entrepreneur and continues to offer invaluable solutions to the problems leaders and managers at all levels face today. He comments regularly about Hank Greenberg and AIG on Greenberg Watch, his blog on Forbes.com, and is a favorite resource for journalists looking for insights into AIG.
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