Emily Portney, global head of asset servicing at BNY, was the recipient of Global Custodian’s Lifetime Achievement award at the 2025 Leaders in Custody event last night.
Over the course of a distinguished career spanning three decades, Portney has become one of the most respected and influential leaders in financial services.
Portney currently serves as global head of BNY’s asset servicing business, a core pillar of the bank’s institutional offering, delivering custody, fund administration, private market infrastructure, and data solutions to a global roster of asset owners, traditional and alternative managers, insurers, and broker-dealers.
A member of BNY’s executive committee, Portney plays a strategic role in shaping the firm’s future across increasingly complex and interconnected markets.
Prior to her current role, Portney served as chief financial officer of BNY, where she led the firm’s global finance strategy, including capital management, tax, treasury, and corporate development. She also previously oversaw client relationship management and service delivery for asset servicing globally, as well as managing the Americas business.
Portney joined BNY in 2018 following a senior leadership role at Barclays International, where she served as CFO, overseeing the corporate and investment bank, private bank, and cards and payments units.
Earlier in her career, she spent over 20 years at JP Morgan in a range of senior roles, developing a deep understanding of institutional markets and building a track record of results.
Portney currently serves on the board of MarketAxess and is a strong advocate for leadership diversity and innovation in financial services. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from Duke University.
Portney now joins an esteemed group of industry leaders who have received the Lifetime Achievement award, including State Street’s Ronald O’Hanley, BNY’s Todd Gibbons, JP Morgan’s Teresa Heitsenrether, Citi’s Okan Pekin, BNP Paribas’ Patrick Colle, and Standard Chartered’s Margaret Harwood-Jones.
Although Portney was unable to attend the ceremony in person, she shared her thanks in a recorded message: