Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation Appoints Melissa Román Burch Executive Director

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 22, 2025--

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation (SASF) today announced that Melissa Román Burch will become its Executive Director effective January 2026.

Melissa Román Burch is a dynamic leader with more than 20 years of experience in both the private and public sectors, known for her expertise in real estate, economic development, and urban innovation. She most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), where she oversaw a 64-million-square-foot urban real estate portfolio spanning industrial complexes, ports and waterfront infrastructure, mixed-use commercial hubs, and innovation campuses.

At NYCEDC, Burch spearheaded major economic development transactions, initiated public-private investments, and positioned city assets to catalyze growth in life sciences, advanced manufacturing, technology, and clean energy. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Lendlease and Forest City, where she delivered landmark projects such as the Pacific Park Brooklyn redevelopment anchored by the Barclays Center Arena, the Union Theological Seminary campus transformation, and the Cornell Tech applied sciences campus designed to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry.

A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, Burch is an active civic leader and a current or former trustee of numerous nonprofit organizations.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman and Director of the Foundation, said: "Melissa’s ability to lead transformative projects and deliver lasting impact aligns perfectly with the mission of my Foundation. I am excited to partner with her as we build out new initiatives and set SASF up to be a major philanthropic force in the decades ahead.”

Burch added: “Steve’s exceptional vision and commitment to investing in education, culture, innovation and civic life have resulted in transformative impact across continents. I am honored to be named Executive Director of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation and to work with our partners to deepen the effectiveness of our investments, strengthen the organizations we support, and expand the Foundation’s reach.”

About the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation (SASF)

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation has been the primary vehicle for Schwarzman’s philanthropic giving, which totals over $1 billion in his lifetime so far. Schwarzman is one of the largest donors in the world to educational institutions across levels and has also supported cultural organizations, civic groups as well as individuals in need. His major donations often seek to tackle complex global challenges with transformative solutions.

The Foundation has made landmark gifts to leading institutions, including a $350 million gift to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to establish the Schwarzman College of Computing, integrating computing and artificial intelligence across all academic disciplines while addressing the ethical and societal implications of technology. It has funded the creation of the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at Oxford with a gift of £185 million to help redefine the study of the humanities for the 21st century, including through new performing arts and exhibition venues and an Institute for Ethics in AI. At Yale University, the Foundation’s $150 million gift created the Schwarzman Center, a state-of-the-art student life and cultural center designed to serve as a gathering place for the entire university community, enhancing student engagement and fostering dialogue across disciplines.

In addition to SASF’s initiatives, Schwarzman launched Schwarzman Scholars in 2013, a highly selective one-year Master’s degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, designed to prepare future leaders to address global challenges through a deeper understanding of China and international affairs. Founded with a $100 million personal donation from Schwarzman, the program has to date brought together more than 1,300 students from the U.S., China and around the world to build life-long cultural relationships. Schwarzman Scholars is the largest single initiative undertaken to date with a $600 million campaign funded by a group of global donors.

Schwarzman also supports the arts, preservation, and the legacy of craftsmanship. He has supported museums, cultural institutions, and historic preservation efforts. Most recently, he funded the complete restoration of Miramar, one of the most iconic Gilded Age mansions and gardens in Newport, Rhode Island. Miramar houses the Schwarzman Collection, regarded by leading experts as the finest collection of 18th-century French decorative arts in private hands in the United States, and one of best in the world. The estate will be donated to SASF upon Schwarzman’s death and opened to the public, ensuring perpetual public access and long-term preservation.

Through these and other initiatives, the Foundation has become a global leader in strategic philanthropy, supporting projects that combine visionary scale with long-term benefit.

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SOURCE: Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation

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PUB: 12/22/2025 09:00 AM/DISC: 12/22/2025 09:00 AM

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