JA Worldwide Board of Governors Spotlight: Phil Evans
May 24, 2021
This month, we spoke with JA Worldwide Board of Governors member Phil Evans, who also chairs the Development Committee. Phil came to the United States from Italy as a young boy with his parents, and was thrown into the English language when, on his first day, he had to present to his elementary-school class in a round of “show and tell.”. Today, Phil works as a Managing Director at BlackRock in New York City. Learn more in our interview below.
JA Worldwide: Please tell me a little about your life. Where did you grow up?
Phil Evans: I was born in Paris, but at one month old, my family moved to Bologna, Italy. We moved permanently to the U.S. when I was seven years old. I attended high school and university in Virginia.
JA: What did you dream of doing for your career when you were a kid?
Phil: I had an uncle who designed gear boxes for Ferrari. One day, by complete coincidence, we ran into Enzo Ferrari on the street in Modena. From that moment on, I wanted to drive Formula 1 cars.
JA: How is your life today different from how you envisioned yourself when you were young (besides driving Formula 1 cars, of course)?
Phil: I was extremely fortunate to have a nurturing and global family (my father was English and my mother is Italian), and I traveled a lot as a kid. It wasn’t until it came time to get serious about life and figure out my path that I really started thinking about the future. I chose financial services as a career because I figured it would give me the best opportunity to remain global. I believe that fate plays a role in what happens to us. I’ve been immensely fortunate thus far in my life.
JA: What skills did you have when you were young that have served you in your career?
Phil: I’m naturally outgoing, which by itself is not a ticket to success. But as a kid I was curious about anything and everything that came my way. I was also exposed to a variety of interesting people, and that formed me. My parents were college professors, and my grandfather ran a small bank in Bologna. It gave me the chance to gain varied perspectives.
JA: Let’s talk about your educational path. You attended William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, for your undergraduate education. What made you choose that school?
Phil: Well, my parents taught at the University of Virginia [in Charlottesville, Virginia], and a bit of distance when I turned 18 was a good thing. It was time to get out of town. I chose W&M for its liberal arts focus, as I loved history and economics as well.
JA: Did you know what you wanted to study when you got to W&M? Did your plan change over the years you were there?
Phil: My plan was always to study economics. I mixed in a lot of history, Italian literature, and the obligatory math and science requirements needed for a liberal arts degree. My senior thesis was on the Medici Bank.
JA: Has your career trajectory changed from what you envisioned doing when you started at W&M?
Phil: To be honest, I was a bit carefree when it came time to go to work. A bunch of banks and the usual large conglomerate companies (like IBM, GE, etc.) were part of the campus recruiting process at W&M. I hit the bid pretty quickly on a formal bank training program, and to this day the credit background I received early in my career has served me extremely well.
JA: What did you do between your time at W&M and when you started the MBA program at Duke University? Did you go directly to business school or did you work before getting your MBA?
Phil: I was a mid-career MBA student, and had no desire to quit working while I earned the degree. Also, I was living in Italy at the time and had a growing family. Duke had developed a solid global program that met on four different continents over two years. It was a complete grind but rewarding as well.
JA: What led to your decision to pursue an MBA?
Phil: At the time, the company I was working for asked me what I felt I needed to grow. I suggested the additional education, and they were gracious enough to agree, and fund the program.
JA: I’d love to hear more about your career. What did you do before your started working for BlackRock?
Phil: Before joining BlackRock I worked for 16 years for BNY Mellon, the first seven years of which were spent in Milan serving as country manager for Italy, Greece, and Switzerland. That period truly defined my career. I came back to NY in 2001 and then spend an additional 9 years working for the bank before joining BlackRock.
JA: Why did you decide to work in finance?
Phil: Probably because I had seen my grandfather work in the field, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. The field is blessed with a high percentage of bright people who work hard. Honestly, my other road was a PhD and teaching career, but watching the politics that can unfold at universities chased me away from that. I still plan to teach something/somewhere after my road in this field comes to an end.
JA: You’re a Managing Director at BlackRock. What does that entail? Can you describe your job?
Phil: BlackRock has large and complex operational partnerships with financial institutions. We view these firms as natural extensions of our firm and its 5,000 operations and technology focused employees. I set strategy, negotiate multi-year deals, and then ensure that the engagements proceed as planned. I spend a significant amount of time engaging with our boards, regulators, and fund governing bodies as these strategies are set and deployed.
JA: What excites you about your job? What excites you about working for BlackRock?
Phil: My job is truly global. I deal with banks all over the world, from China to Brazil and everywhere in between. I have teams located in Singapore, New York, Edinburgh, Wilmington, Charlotte, San Francisco, and New Delhi. Every day brings different challenges, and it’s common to be in “build mode” with partners on various continents.
With respect to BlackRock, I think it comes down to one word—culture. The firm is still run by its founders, and while we have achieved a sizeable market position, it still has a small company feel. We are intensely focused on our clients, and in my 11 years at the company I have never experienced a change of direction that was not extremely well thought out and explained. I love the fact we’ve expanded to over 30 countries.
JA: Let’s talk a little about your work with JA. In your own words, what does a JA Worldwide Board of Governors member do?
Phil: Governors provide guidance to ensure that the strategy and associated execution set by the JA Worldwide leadership team is the best it can be. We provide advice, ideas, and connectivity to hopefully enhance the overall experience of the youth we serve. This is truly a labor of love for us, and I am confident speaking for all the Governors on this point.
JA: Were you in JA when you were a child or teenager?
Phil: I am a proud alum of JA. I participated in eighth grade for one year.
JA: How did you become involved with JA as an adult?
Phil: I had the pleasure of meeting our board Chairman Francesco Vanni d’Archirafi at a dinner after joining BlackRock. Once we shared stories about our home country, the discussion turned to JA. One thing led to another, and the rest, as they saw, is history.
JA: Why do you continue to work with JA?
Phil: This is the easiest question of all. Our youth around the world are underserved with respect to education, especially in developing countries. But without preparing them for a better future, I honestly believe the future could be bleak. JA’s mission and goal of impacting 100 million kids inspires me, as I know it does all of us.
Also, JA is run by an amazing group of dedicated people. It always comes down to people for me, and I have the honor of interacting with Asheesh, Brandie, and many others, who wake up every day with an express goal of further the mission and improving our planet.
JA: Now for the fun stuff: What do you like to do outside of work?
Phil: I have a few hobbies I truly enjoy. First, cooking. When your mother is Bolognese, it’s part of your DNA. Risotto is a specialty, and of late I have become a bit obsessed with smoking meat and fish. I play golf quite inconsistently, and I remain an incredibly mediocre blues guitarist. But above all else, I just love to travel with my wife of 31 years and our two adult daughters.
JA: Thank you for speaking with us, Phil!
JA Worldwide is honored to have Phil Evans serve on our Board of Governors.