Kim Posnett is not one for wasting time. The global co-head of investment banking joined Goldman Sachs fresh out of graduate school in 2005, rose to managing director seven years later, and was promoted to her current role at the start of 2025, where she now drives the growth and overall strategy of the $1.8 trillion firm's investment bank. She is also a member of Goldman's management committee and vice chair of the firmwide client franchise committee, which oversees relationships between the firm and its global clients.
Since taking on the new role last year, Posnett is off to a strong start. Investment banking fees increased 21% year over year to $9.34 billion in 2025, primarily due to higher net revenues in advisory, which, in turn, reflect a significant increase in mergers and acquisitions. The firm advised on more than $1.6 trillion of announced M&A transaction volume. Those impressive results continued into 2026. In the first quarter, investment banking fees were $2.84 billion, 48% higher than the first quarter of 2025. Advisory revenues of $1.49 billion were up 89% year over year.
"Kim has helped shape some of the most consequential transactions in the market, including the historic Alphabet and SpaceX equity transactions this year," said Alison Mass, chairman of investment banking, Goldman Sachs. "But what truly defines her leadership is her ability to inspire others to think bigger, move faster and achieve more than they thought possible. Kim has a unique combination of strategic vision, relentless execution and genuine care for people."
When it comes to thinking bigger and moving faster, Posnett is focused on integrating AI into the investment bank and developing talent—and how those two things are related. "AI is an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we work, how we develop talent, how we deliver advice, and how we equip clients to navigate increasingly complex decisions," she said.
A major challenge, she noted, is attracting, retaining and developing talent in a world that is changing incredibly quickly. "For decades, investment banking relied on apprenticeship. Expertise was developed through experience and close proximity to senior practitioners," she said. "AI is reshaping that paradigm and creating an opportunity to make expertise more accessible, helping teams learn faster, operate more efficiently, and spend more time on high-value client engagement. I believe we are still in the early stages of that transformation, which makes this an incredibly important moment for our industry."
Outside of work, Posnett serves on the board of Every Mother Counts, or EMC, whose mission is to achieve quality maternity care by giving grants and working with partners and thought leaders to increase maternal health awareness. She is active in fundraising and engagement for the organization, including helping to support the launch of EMC's podcast hosted by Christy Turlington-Burns and Kelly Corrigan, which highlights the need for safe maternal and post-partum healthcare.
