Lewis Runnion is a member of the dedicated team within Bank of America Merrill Lynch which focuses on military service members, family support, and transition of veterans and their families back into the civilian sector. The BAML Military Affairs team focuses on the issues veterans face related to financial wellness, education, employment, physical/mental wellness and housing. Lewis engages daily with government agencies, and partners with non-profit organizations that fill gaps and support active duty service members, veterans and their families. In addition, Mr. Runnion serves in an advisory role to the Bank of America senior leadership for matters that involve active duty/veteran initiatives which include financial regulatory compliance, marketing, hiring, philanthropy and service member transition. Since 2012, Lewis has helped to build and execute programs that are responsible for employing over 10,000 veterans and their spouses and invested over $7mm in community programs that impact veterans across the country.
External to the bank, Mr. Runnion is an adviser for the Military Service Initiatives at the George Bush Institute, a think tank focusing on issues important to veterans and their families. He is a co-founder of Veterans on Wall Street. a Housing Policy Council’s Service Member Working Group and has been a featured panelist/speaker regarding veterans for the Veterans Administration, Congressional Black Caucus, Professional Golf Association, Housing Policy Council, Center for a New American Security and sits on the board of directors of the Infinite Hero Foundation, among others.
Lewis joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in February 2008 and in doing so brought his 12 years of financial services industry and management experience to the firm. Prior to taking on the Public Policy role, Mr. Runnion managed a group of ultra high net worth clients and was responsible for business development and engagement with select clients and businesses across the country.
Prior to beginning his financial services career, Lewis served as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer in the United States Army, attaining his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps. Following his honorable discharge from active duty Army, Lewis spent an additional five years in the United States Army Reserve.