Remembering Michael Bray: A Dedicated Leader and Friend to JA
September 30, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Michael Bray, a longtime supporter, board member, and dear friend of JA. Michael’s extraordinary kindness, generosity, and brilliant mind enriched our organization for more than two decades.
Michael was a distinguished lawyer and expert partner at Grimaldi Alliance, where he advised leading corporations on international transactions, corporate governance, and regulatory matters. His professional expertise, combined with a strong personal commitment to ethics and innovation, made him a respected figure in global law and business.
At JA, Michael’s leadership was equally remarkable. From 2002 to 2015, he served on the board of JA Europe, offering guidance and governance that strengthened our presence across the region. In 2012, he joined the JA Worldwide Board of Governors, where he continued his service for more than a decade. For the last five years, Michael was honored as JA Worldwide’s first-ever Emeritus Governor—a testament to his lasting impact and exemplary dedication.
In 2021, we had the chance to spotlight Michael’s journey with JA as he stepped into this historic role. His reflections captured both his passion for youth empowerment and his belief in the transformative power of education:
January 13, 2021
Michael Bray has a history of reinventing himself. Having sat on the JA Worldwide Board of Governors since its inception in 2011, in October, Michael became the first to have the title “Governor Emeritus” for JA Worldwide.
With a storied career as a banking lawyer, Michael initially pursued the legal profession not because of any family connection to the law, but because he was inspired by a 1960s TV show The Main Chance, which dramatized the mercurial transformation of a young commercial lawyer (David Main, played by British actor John Stride) upon moving to a busy London law practice. Raised in Surrey in southeast London, Michael returned to the city of his birth to study law at the University of Liverpool in the late 1960s. Given his analytical mind, he excelled in legal studies and joined a small (by today’s standards) London law firm, Coward Chance, in 1972. With only 60 lawyers on its staff in a city that had not yet become an international banking center, Michael worked in contract and banking law with foreign governments and the oil and gas industry. With neither the internet nor the cell phone in daily use, Michael traveled the world negotiating contracts and drafting complex loan agreements behind the Iron Curtain and in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. “In those days,” he said, “you were making it up as you go along.” And it paid off—he became a partner in Coward Chance at age 29.
In 1987, Coward Chance merged with another London commercial firm to become Clifford Chance and, in 2000, Michael helped to lead them through further mergers with American and German law firms to become a truly global firm . By the time Michael retired in 2015, Clifford Chance was operating in 32 countries with hundreds of partners.
Working in a global firm meant continuing to make global connections. JA Worldwide Board of Governors Chair Francesco Vanni d’Archirafi was not only one of those connections but also worked for one of Clifford Chance’s biggest clients, Citibank. The two men became friends through work, and it was Francesco, JA Europe’s Board Chair at the time, who introduced Michael to JA in 2000. “I have always thought that equipping people for the workplace is really important,” Michael said of why he became involved with JA. In addition to getting “caught up in the passion and the excitement and the enthusiasm of the people in the organization,” Michael became involved with JA because he believes connecting young people with those who can share and teach valuable life skills, especially finance and entrepreneurial skills, is vital. “I feel it now more than ever,” he said. “I have always thought school curriculums, by and large, do not really equip young people successfully for the workplace, not just in the UK but in most countries across the world, and that’s why JA programs are so important.”
When Francesco stepped down from the JA Europe board, Michael took on his role of Board Chair. Upon the official establishment of JA Worldwide, then-Board Chair Ralph de la Vega tapped Michael to help write member agreements for JA member countries, as well as to help form the governance structure. Michael went on to join the JA Worldwide Board of Governors, where he helped to set up and run the Governance and Nominations Committee. In 2020, Michael retired from the committee and now serves as the first Governor Emeritus for JA Worldwide.
With a history of reinventing himself, Michael expects to do so again as he explores and creates the Governor Emeritus role. He will work to preserve the history and the story of the organization, as well as serve as a sounding board and provide help on specific issues for board members and executives. In addition to attending board meetings, Michael pledges to “Be present, be engaged, be interested,” and look for areas where he can support and be of service to the organization that captured his imagination more than two decades ago and the many wonderful people who form part of the JA global community.
JA Worldwide is honored to have had Michael Bray serve on our Board of Governors and to continue to do so as our first Governor Emeritus.
Francesco Vanni d’Archirafi, JA Worldwide Emeritus Board Member, former JA Worldwide Board Chair, and former Chair of the JA Europe Board of Directors, shared his reaction to the news of Michael’s passing. “Michael was not only a valued colleague but also a trusted friend. Over the many years we served together on the boards of both JA Europe and JA Worldwide, I came to deeply admire his wisdom, his fairness, and his unwavering sense of purpose. He brought clarity and perspective to every discussion, earning the respect of everyone around the table. His legacy is measured not only in the growth and strength of JA, but also in the countless lives of young people he helped shape through his leadership and belief in our mission.”
Our CEO, Asheesh Advani, reflected that Michael’s presence on our board was felt not only in the strategies he helped shape but also in the way he carried himself with warmth, humility, and a genuine desire to build a brighter future for young people everywhere. “Michael was more than a board member; he was a true partner in our mission. His wisdom sharpened our strategy, his generosity fueled our growth, and his kindness inspired everyone who had the privilege of working with him. We will miss him deeply, but his legacy lives on in the millions of young people whose futures he helped shape.”
Karen Reddington, Chair of the JA Worldwide Board of Governors and a long-time colleague of Michael’s, agreed: “Michael embodied the very best of what it means to be a leader—principled, visionary, and compassionate. He never lost sight of why we do this work: to give young people everywhere the skillset and mindset to thrive. We are profoundly grateful for his years of service and for the example he set for all of us.”
Michael Bray’s passing is a tremendous loss for JA Worldwide and the broader global community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. His impact will be remembered not only in boardrooms and classrooms but also in the enduring spirit of JA’s mission to inspire and prepare young people for a lifetime of success.