Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Resurrecting the Street: Overcoming the Greatest Operational Crisis in History

Summary: In Resurrecting the Street, author Jeff Ingber analyzes the financial story behind 9/11 – weaving in interviews, first-hand accounts and well-researched facts and data. The financial crisis was ultimately resolved through the willpower and wisdom of groups of disparate individuals, accompanied by an unprecedented climate of cooperation among fierce competitors. This story, which is an important aspect of the overall 9/11 narrative, has never been told. 

From the author: The events of 9/11 presented the financial industry with the greatest operational crisis in its history. Key officials were killed; others could not be located. Primary and backup sites were unavailable or inadequate. Massive amounts of critical data were lost, and there was a crushing inability to communicate, locate or verify information. It was not known for a time which firms could participate in the markets, nor was it clear to what extent certain markets had been damaged and when they should reopen. Nor could the human impact of the 9/11 events be divorced from the business issues. Those grappling to restore the markets had to cope with their own feelings of anxiety, shock and loss, and to deal with a uniquely horrific blend of personal and professional difficulties. Resurrecting the Street tells the largely unknown and heroic story of the regeneration of the U.S. markets, day by day, immediately following 9/11.

About the author: Jeff Ingber is a native New Yorker and a graduate of Queens College and NYU Law School. He has worked in the financial industry for over three decades, including positions with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. Jeff currently is a Managing Director with Citigroup.