From trusted leader to alumni champion: Meet Andrea Smith

CEO Brian Moynihan, former Bank of America Chairman and CEO Hugh McColl and Andrea Smith.

A leader with decades of experience, Andrea Smith’s 34-year career at Bank of America is a model for how to build and maintain influence, drive action and create positive impact. Her work has been defined by leadership, innovation and community engagement, and in retirement she has stepped in to take on the role of chair of the Bank of America Alumni Network.

A company leader with a key strategic and operational portfolio

Andrea grew up in Oklahoma as the oldest of three children. She learned at a young age the power of leaning in and giving back to those in need—lessons shaped by how small gestures can make a big difference, from visiting nursing home residents who never had a visitor, to delivering meals on wheels, sharing lunch with strangers, and opening her home to friends in need. 

An economics major at Southern Methodist University, Andrea began her career at legacy First Republic Bank in Texas in 1988 at just 21 years old, shortly before it was acquired by NCNB (ultimately becoming Bank of America). She retired from Bank of America almost 34 years later as chief administrative officer (CAO) and a member of the executive management team.

In her final role, Andrea was responsible for company-wide strategic, business and operational functions that were central to delivering Responsible Growth, including driving revenue, managing expenses, strategic planning and business integration across markets. Prior to her CAO role, Andrea led Global Human Resources, managing a workforce of 285,000 teammates. Her career has also encompassed key finance, strategy and operations responsibilities in Global Corporate & Investment Banking and Global Risk Management.

A trailblazer at work and in the community

With a central role running an enterprise the size of Bank of America, Andrea was also deeply involved in making the company a Great Place to Work, advancing economic opportunity in our community and helping the company earn recognition for how it drives Responsible Growth.

Andrea’s leadership during the challenges of the pandemic shaped how Bank of America responded to the needs of teammates and clients as the crisis unfolded. She managed planning across all of the lines of business, markets and geographies, and made key decisions about working from home with health and safety measures for front line teammates.

Andrea and her team helped shift employees in facilities around the world to working from home, setting them up with technology so they could continue to serve clients. For those who needed to remain in the office, the team implemented cleaning and safety measures, arranged transportation and provided meals to employees, contractors and nonprofit organizations – even securing masks that allowed for lip reading for hearing impaired teammates.

As a member of the Mecklenburg County’s COVID-19 Business Leaders Roundtable and as co-chair for the NC Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force, Andrea advised local and state officials on business continuity and coronavirus health and human services needs. Andrea’s team also processed applications for the Paycheck Protection Program, extending loans to small business owners and retraining employees to help. Partly because of this work, Fortune recognized Bank of America on its “Change the World” list.

In her prior role as head of Global Human Resources, Andrea oversaw the development and growth of our Life Event Services team and provided leadership and counsel to support inclusion for all teammates. She represented our company at Davos, participating in critical conversations focused on solutions, including how to ensure opportunity for all and how to stop human trafficking. She is the first woman non-PGA professional woman appointed to the PGA of America Board of Directors, focused on improving accessibility and increasing women’s participation in the game. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur, launched in 2019 with Bank of America as a presenting sponsor, marked only the second time women were allowed to compete on the course.

Deeply invested in helping her Charlotte community thrive, Andrea and her family are committed to volunteering and giving back. As a family, they support a range of local nonprofits, including Crisis Assistance Ministries, Carolina Youth Coalition, Renaissance West and Beds 4 Kids, among others.

Deeply invested in helping her Charlotte community thrive, Andrea and her family are committed to volunteering and giving back. As a family they have become involved with many local non-profits, including Crisis Assistance Ministries, Carolina Youth Coalition, Renessaince West Community Initiative and Beds 4 Kids, to name a few. Andrea received the Outstanding Mother of the Year Award by the National Mother’s Day Committee for championing working mothers. In 2021, Smith was the recipient of the Citizen of the Carolinas award, and in 2023, she was named a Laureate of the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame, an honor awarded to leaders for their integrity, leadership, and contribution to North Carolina’s economic landscape. Just recently, Andrea received the Award Against Indifference from the ECHO Foundation, recognizing her unwavering commitment to making positive and lasting impacts in the community. The Echo Foundation honors visionary global and local leaders whose courage and compassion embody their mission to advance human dignity and justice.

Andrea Smith and her family 

Alumni Network is key to making and maintaining vital connections

As chair of our Alumni Network, Andrea helps lead the strategy with internal Bank of America leadership to grow the network and maintain a vibrant platform where thousands of former teammates in local U.S. and international markets are able to make meaningful connections. A recent refresh of the online presence reflects an investment in the alumni experience and an understanding of the value of ongoing connections.

“The Bank of America Alumni Network reflects the same high‑quality experience our teammates know and trust. It connects people across every part of the firm, leverages the power of each relationship, and reinforces that our support doesn’t end when someone leaves the bank. At its core, the network prioritizes continued engagement and meaningful connection—supporting alumni as they grow, contribute, and find their continued purpose beyond their time at the bank. When we do that work together, we have the power to collectively make a bigger impact in our communities.”

— Andrea Smith, Alumni Network Chair