Tom Aust
Tom retired in 2023 from a 35+ year career in finance, and an earlier legal career. He is now enjoying the freedom to pursue deferred home maintenance projects, and long-suppressed research interests. He recently took up boxing, and he and his wife Laura are exhibiting doting grandparent syndrome with their first grandchild.
From 1990 to 2023, Tom was a fixed income securities analyst following telecommunications, media, and technology sectors for State Street Global Advisors, GE Asset Management, JPMorgan Investment Management, Citigroup Investments, Chase Securities, Citicorp Securities, and Lehman Brothers. Tom secured an introduction to Lehman Brothers in 1989, following a recommendation from Eli Noam, at the time a Commissioner on the NY Public Service Commission.
Before working on Wall Street, Tom served as a special assistant to Commissioner Noam at the New York PSC from 1988 to 1990, working primarily on telecommunications issues. Commissioner Noam was heavily involved in NARUC activities, as well as continuing his presence in academic circles. Commissioner Noam insisted that his special assistant should join him in attending the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference at Airlie House in 1988, which established a 30-year routine of attending TPRC. Prior to joining the NY PSC, Tom was a consultant to venture capital and telecom firms and researched deregulation of the telecom industry.
Tom first became acquainted with Eli Noam during Tom's first week of Columbia Business School in 1984. Professor Noam requested that he come to his office immediately after class and proceeded to press Tom on his experience with regulatory capture while working for the Federal Government. Tom became a frequent visitor and occasional contributor to CITI during his time at CBS and continued to attend and participate in events at CITI throughout his career.
Before attending Columbia, Tom spent his early career in Washington, D.C. where he was Assistant Legislative Counsel at the Interstate Commerce Commission during the legislative debates and drafting of railroad and trucking deregulation. Following successful passage of the Staggers Rail Act and the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, Tom worked on the implementation of the legislation as an Attorney Advisor to Commissioner Robert Gresham, and to Commissioner Heather Gradison. Prior to joining the ICC, Tom worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman John J. Cavanaugh of Nebraska.
Tom was an adjunct assistant professor at the Stern School of Business in NYC teaching financial analysis of entertainment, media and technology companies.
Tom holds a B.A. in Government from Beloit College, a J.D. from Creighton University, and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
Research interests include corporate governance, corporate life cycles and long-term sustainability, economic history, landscape architecture, and creating oral histories.