Digital Asset Portfolio Enablement & Governance Lead - Executive Director

Morgan Stanley•Purchase, NY

34d

About The Position

Digital Assets Strategy Enablement & Governance Lead – Executive Director Wealth Management Platforms Purchase, NY The role of the Executive Director on the Platforms Digital Assets team will serve as the orchestration and governance lead to drive delivery of the firm’s digital asset initiatives across technology, product, risk, compliance, legal, operations, and the field. Reporting into the business and product organization, this role is designed for a leader who can translate strategy into execution – establishing the right forums, decisioning, controls, and operating cadence – while actively unblocking teams and accelerating outcomes. About Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries. Morgan Stanley is committed to helping its employees build meaningful careers and we strive to be a place for people to learn, achieve and grow. Department Overview In the Wealth Management division, we help people, businesses and institutions build, preserve, and manage wealth so they can pursue their financial goals Wealth Management (WM) Platforms manages industry-leading platforms, across all WM channels and client segments, to provide a unified digital experience, unlock growth, and deliver efficiencies for Advisors, Clients, and Institutions. WM Platforms consists of nine sub-teams including: Field Experience & Platforms, Digital Client Experience & Platforms, Workplace Platforms, Automation & Workflow Solutions, Digital Trading & Investing, UX Design & Research, Strategy & Execution. Business Control & Support, and the Chief Operating Office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Finance, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in financial services transformation, platform delivery, or strategic program leadership.
Digital assets, market infrastructure, or wealth platforms experience strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to lead dedicated teams and cross-functional execution in regulated environments.
Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication: can synthesize complexity into clear decisions and next steps.
Strong familiarity with digital asset constructs (custody, wallets, tokenization, stablecoins, blockchain networks, on/off chain data, settlement models) and the related risk/control landscape.
Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Hands-on orientation to move work forward.

Nice To Haves

Proven ability to build compelling presentations to executives and large audiences, translating complex topics into practical conversations.
Knowledge of digital asset products and infrastructure and how to stand up an operating model in a regulated wealth environment.
Strong track record of running decision-oriented governance, managing interdependencies across Tech/Risk/Legal/Operations, and driving outcomes through influence.

Responsibilities

Orchestrate Delivery Across Digital Asset Portfolio: Lead cross-functional execution for multiple digital asset workstreams, e.g., custody and wallet infrastructure, client experience, etc., ensuring teams move from concept to production
Translate executive priorities into a structured roadmap with clear milestones, dependencies, and measurable outcomes
Proactively identify and resolve blockers across technology, vendors, data, security, risk sign-offs, and operating model readiness
Support Fit-for-Purpose Governance that Enables Speed: Design and provide oversight for governance forums (SteerCo, architecture review, risk/compliance, etc.) that are decision-oriented with clear agendas, owners, and outcomes
Define the operating model for digital assets in Platforms, including roles/responsibilities, RACI, intake/prioritization, escalation paths, and decisioning
Ensure governance is lightweight but rigorous, enabling delivery while meeting control expectations
Embed Risk, Regulatory, and Control-by-Design: Partner with Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Controls to ensure initiatives are designed to meet evolving regulatory requirements and internal policies
Own the traceability of key decisions, approvals, and control artifacts without creating bureaucracy
Organizational Enablement: Field and Home Office Training, Curriculum, and Presentations Support creation of advisor-ready and home office curriculum (modular content, job aids, playbooks, FAQs, scenario-based learning) covering digital asset fundamentals, firm-approved use cases / products, client suitability considerations, risk disclosures, operational flows, and what can / cannot be said
Develop and maintain a field communications cadence tied to launches and policy updates, e.g., quarterly enablement series, launch toolkits, “what changed” updates
Deliver live and virtual presentations to the field (regional meetings, advisor townhalls, leader forums) translating complex topics into practical, client-relevant narratives
Equip field leadership with presentations and speaking points, and coach internal champions to scale delivery
Create mechanisms to capture field feedback and feed insights back into product, platforms, and governance prioritization
Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership: Partner with product leads and platform engineering to ensure initiatives meet business needs and are scalable, secure, and supportable
Coordinate with Wealth business stakeholders (advisors, client service, operations, finance) to ensure readiness for launch, training, and adoption
Lead through influence and collaboration – bringing teams together, setting a clear cadence, and holding stakeholders accountable to commitments