By: Donald V. Watkins
Copyrighted and Published on June 5, 2023
On May 24, 2017, I published an article on former Birmingham, Alabama city council member Marcus Lundy, Jr. He is an incredibly gifted, talented, focused, and successful business leader. Marcus is also a wonderful human being. I admire and respect Marcus a lot.
When I published my 2017 article on Marcus, I knew it was time for him to leave the city council and move on to the big stage of global business. On the big stage, Marcus could favorably impact a growing network of strategic business alliance partners, as well as the African-American community, through direct economic empowerment in the private sector.
Yesterday, Marcus and I caught up with each other by phone for the first time in 6 years. I checked in with him to see how he was doing. I was very pleased to learn that Marcus had continued his personal and professional growth in a big way since we last talked 6 years ago.
Today, Marcus serves as Vice President and Global Head of Supplier Sustainability and Supplier Diversity for Capital Group Companies. Capital Group ranks among the world’s oldest and largest investment management organizations, with over $2.2 trillion in assets under management (as December 31, 2022).
Like JPMorgan Asset Management, with $2.4 trillion under management in 2022, and Goldman Sachs, with $2.5 trillion under management in 2022, Capital Group is in the "Big-Boy" league of asset managers. Marcus has earned the right to play in this league of international financial giants.
Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1931, Capital Group is privately owned. The firm has more than 9,000 employees working in 32 offices around the globe in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Prior to joining Capital Group in February of 2022, Marcus served as Senior Vice President, Supplier Diversity at Regions Bank. Earlier in his career, Marcus held senior executive leadership roles at Wells Fargo Advisors, Wachovia Securities, and AmSouth Investments.
In 1998, Marcus earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. He further studied at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, completing the Emerging Leaders program in 2015. In 2022, Marcus attained a master’s in Management and Leadership from Campbellsville University.
Marcus served as a former Birmingham City Council Member from 2013 to 2017.
I am very proud of Marcus Lundy, Jr.! He is on a personal and professional growth trajectory that will reach or exceed his ultimate goals in international business.
Reprinted below is the original May 24, 2017, article I published on Marcus Lundy, Jr.
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Thank You, Marcus Lundy, Jr.
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on May 24, 2017
On Tuesday, my friend and protégé, Marcus Lundy Jr., announced that he would not seek re-election to his Birmingham, Alabama, city council seat. The announcement took many city residents, public officials, and local political observers by surprise.
I met Marcus over 25 years ago. We met while I was serving as the special legal counsel to Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington, Jr., the city’s first black mayor.
In 1992, our discussions focused on Marcus’ interest in participating in the political process as an elected official. That year, Alabama was on the verge of electing its first black congressman since the Reconstruction era. I used this exciting event as an opportunity to mentor Marcus on the "in” and “outs” of Alabama politics and on how to serve a political constituency group responsively and responsibly.
Based upon Marcus’ intellectual acumen, integrity, and leadership ability, I could tell that this graduate of West End High School and Alabama A&M University was a rising star. He was already preparing himself for an executive management career in the financial services and information technology industries. At the time, very few blacks were pursuing executive careers in these highly competitive industries.
Marcus questioned me extensively about my service as an elected official from 1979 to 1983. He knew that I was the youngest councilman elected to serve on the Montgomery city council. I defeated a popular incumbent and four other challengers by garnering 70% of the votes cast in my district. I served only one-term even though I could have easily won re-election.
I advised Marcus that the best way to have the maximum positive impact as a public official is to serve only one term. This self-imposed term limitation frees up the officeholder to place the public interest ahead of his/her personal interest in getting re-elected. It also minimizes the ability of major campaign donors to “buy” the heart and soul of a public official during a re-election campaign.
I suggested to Marcus that he secure his family’s financial future prior to running for public office. He did just that in the banking and technology industries where Marcus has served as a vice president of education and workforce development at the Birmingham Business Alliance, as founder and president of Cardinal Resource Group, and as a senior management executive at Wells Fargo Advisors, Wachovia Securities, AmSouth Investments, BE&K, NorthStar Communications, ViaTech Staffing, and CSX Railroad.
On October 8, 2013, Marcus was elected to the Birmingham City Council. He represents neighborhoods in the Pratt City Community and parts of the Ensley, Smithfield and North Birmingham Communities. As a Birmingham city council member, Marcus chairs the Economic Development, Budget and Finance Committee and is a member of the Administration/Technology, Governmental Affairs, and Environmental Justice Committees.
When Marcus was elected in 2013, I knew that he would only serve one four-year term in office. During this period, Marcus’ public service to his district and the city of Birmingham has been outstanding. Marcus led the council in transparency, accountability, and high ethical standards. Several city officials are currently under state and federal grand jury investigation, but Marcus Lundy, Jr., is not one of them.
Several months ago, Marcus reminded me that he would not be seeking re-election. He made this decision official on Tuesday.
Marcus’ career in the banking and financial services industry is wide open for his upward mobility. His management-level credentials have been earned in one of the toughest and most regulated financial industries in the world. They are impressive and impeccable.
I expect to see Marcus Lundy, Jr., acquire, own, and operate a Birmingham-area bank within the next 5 to 10 years. If and when he does, Marcus will become only the second black person in the history of Alabama to own a full-service, state chartered, FDIC-insured bank. The first black person acquired his state-issued bank charter -- for Alamerica Bank in Birmingham -- in January 2000.
I am proud of Marcus Lundy, Jr., for his dedicated service to the city of Birmingham. He is an exceptional leader and wonderful role model for his family and community.
I expect Marcus to continue climbing the mountain of success. His best and greatest contributions to society have yet to be rendered.
Thank you, Marcus Lundy, Jr., for a job well done.
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Marcus Lundy, Jr., is a rising superstar in the world of global business. Marcus will continue to make forward-thinking Americans of interracial goodwill very proud of him. We wish Marcus nothing but continued success!