“Nothing in life just happens, you have to have the stamina to meet the obstacles
and overcome them.” – Golda Meir

For over 35 years, Marcy Syms has actively participated in several CEO successions in both a public and private capacity and been a social entrepreneur. Marcy was involved with the growth, expansion, governance and marketing of a family business and as a social entrepreneur has helped pave the way for social innovation and transformation in education and other fields.

President of the Sy Syms Foundation and former CEO of Syms Corp, Marcy Syms is an independent director of private and public companies, profit and not for profit and was one of the youngest women to be named President of a publicly traded NYSE company. Marcy has a keen eye toward the delicate balancing act of preserving the privacy of a family business and the financial rewards of taking a private company public.

A member of the New York Women’s Forum, an organization of pre-eminent women making a difference, a founding member of Womensphere, a board member of both Veteran Feminists of America and the ERA Coalition and a past director of RiteAid and Benco Dental, Marcy Syms was an early adopter of public radio and television and has served on the board of National Public Radio since 2015. Marcy has always been part of the conversation… now Marcy Syms is changing the conversation and using her hands-on expertise to help others address the challenges of succession planning.

The Sy Syms Foundation is no longer accepting new applications.