Biography-Gilbert W. Sanborn
I am a resident of San Rafael, California, having moved here in 2016 from the East Coast.

I have had a 40+year career on Wall Street in investment banking, including roles at Citibank, First Boston, Lehman Brothers and Barclays. During the last 30 years, I focused on restructuring troubled companies and, in recent years, sovereign-related credits out of the Euro-crisis.

Since witnessing the attacks on the World Trade Center from the next building, I have devoted a significant part of my life supporting those who put themselves in harm’s way on my behalf, which led to my appointment as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA), first in Connecticut, and now in California. The principal theme of my work has been to bridge the civilian military divide. In addition to promoting the support of Soldiers, I focus on national security issues and the role of the Army, including public speaking engagements. I have also spoken on the need for a national economic security policy at West Point, the Army War College, the NDU and the Marine War College.

Since moving to California, I have been giving talks to civic groups on national security issues and am now on round 5 with several groups who asked me to expand on topics I addressed in the first round. I am also working to develop a coalition of groups in San Francisco to sponsor an expert speaker series on national security and Veteran topics.
Pertinent to the Council, I have had a lifelong interest in Asia, beginning with China in high school, which led me to major in Chinese studies and Economics at the University of Michigan. Given my timing in the early 70s, I saw more opportunity in business than with China and subsequently earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

I am married and have two children from a prior marriage.