MAKER Michael Hennessy: Motivated by Challenge

Michael Hennessy is an ally. The Chief Administrative Officer for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is known as an advocate for women, a champion of diversity and an authentic leader dedicated to identifying and developing strong talent. He has sponsored several senior women—even hiring coaches to ensure their success. He mentors employees, formally and informally, never shying away from an opportunity to help a colleague. Michael feels strongly that everyone can contribute to workplace diversity, something he says is “in Morgan Stanley’s DNA.”

Being in a position to help influence colleagues and corporate culture is not something he takes lightly. “We work in an incredibly complicated business. It’s large, dynamic and challenging, and none of us can do this alone. That’s why it’s so important to do whatever you can to help make the people around you stronger, more capable team members—by developing their skills and recognizing their talents through career advancement.” 

These efforts have not gone unnoticed. Michael has been named a Morgan Stanley MAKER, Class of 2024, joining a community of advocates, innovators and groundbreakers for women’s advancement, all nominated by their peers. They say his “incredible workload and responsibilities” don’t stop him from “always doing whatever is in his power to facilitate the success of others.”

His advocacy for women goes well beyond the workplace. An offshore sailing and racing enthusiast, Michael took it upon himself to advance women in his male-dominated sport. When he needed a captain in 2018, he invited Cole Brauer to join his racing program. She helped him throughout the next four years, both preparing and delivering their boat and also racing as his co-skipper in numerous competitions. He’s since sold his boat, but Michael delighted this year in seeing Cole place second in the Global Solo Challenge 2024 as the race’s youngest skipper and only female sailor to go around the world unassisted. “She’s a true inspiration,” he says.

PROBLEM SOLVER

Michael likens what he’s learned solo racing to how he approaches his work, particularly in his previous role as Head of Operational Risk for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. “In sailing, you have to understand the risks, how to mitigate them and to accept and face the risks you can’t mitigate.”   

Racing has taught him “self-reliance, independence and perseverance,” he says. “You learn how to focus on a problem and solve it so you can keep going, day after day.”

Challenges clearly motivate Michael. He seeks opportunities “to solve problems, learn something new and explore the unknown.” Even more so, he’s motivated to have a positive impact on people, especially his colleagues.

So embedded is his desire to help others that, early on, he almost went into the medical field. He chose financial services instead when he realized he’d also be impacting people’s lives in a positive, long-lasting way. “Your health is crucial to your well-being and your ability to pursue your dreams, but your wealth is the enabler,” says Michael. 

RISK MANAGER

Michael landed in finance as a rotational analyst after graduating from Yale with a degree in economics and political science. After moving through different areas of PaineWebber—including equity research, investment banking and wealth management—he took a position in operations and worked for a woman who “taught me the value of hard work and the lesson that almost every problem can be solved through effort,” he says.

He went on to earn his MBA at Columbia and land a leadership position at Citibank. In 2009, when Morgan Stanley formed a joint venture with Citi’s Smith Barney wealth management division, Michael became co-head of the integration office at Morgan Stanley, where he led the largest integration in the history of American financial services.

Today, after 15 years at the firm, Michael appreciates Morgan Stanley’s depth of talent, from which he continues to curate exceptional teams by casting as wide a net as possible in search of a diversity of views, experiences and skill sets. He strives to “surround myself with people who are smarter, more capable, and more talented than me,” and that includes the many women on his team. “When you find team members who complement each other, holistically, you create a winning combination.”

Michael focuses his volunteerism on organizations that contribute to childhood development, including confidence building, teamwork and leadership. This includes Rocking the Boat, an organization that provides afterschool development for at-risk youth in the Bronx. He also serves on the boards of the New England Sailing and Science Foundation, the 50 Vanderbilt Foundation, and L’Association Class40. He is a team captain for Morgan Stanley’s recruiting at Yale, where he encourages women and a diverse cross-section of students to consider careers in finance.

“What is it like to work for Morgan Stanley?” is a question he’s often asked. “I tell them, ‘This is a firm that respects your talent regardless of your background and helps nurture your skills and abilities to bring out the best in you, making you the best possible person you can be.’”