Carrie Gray is Vice President of Global Research Communications & Media Relations at Merrill Lynch, one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies, with offices in 37 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $1.6 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a broad range of asset classes and serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Merrill Lynch owns approximately half of BlackRock, one of the world's largest publicly traded investment management companies, with more than $1 trillion in assets under management.

Based in New York, Carrie focuses on both external and internal communications as part of Merrill Lynch's global Media Relations team, working closely with compliance, executive management and top-tier press. In addition, she oversees Merrill Lynch's PR agencies in Latin America.

Carrie has a strong and diverse background in communications and media relations. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, she was a director at HWH Public Relations/New Media, where she managed accounts in the areas of education, corporate governance, healthcare, and consumer and technology products, pitched new business for the agency and ran the company's highly touted internship program. Previously, she served at Hofstra University as assistant director of public relations, writing speeches, producing recruitment collateral, and working with the local and national media.

Since 1996, Carrie has served Pro Bono as the public relations director for the New York Open Judo Championships, an annual international judo competition held each March at the New York Athletic Club featuring Olympic and World Champions. For this labor of love, she was the recipient of the Public Relations Leadership Award from the New York Athletic Club. She is dedicated to volunteering with New York Cares, American Cancer Society and UJA Federation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Hofstra University in New York and is a graduate of Westover School in Connecticut.