Steven Fulop, the three-term mayor of Jersey City, has been named president and chief executive officer of The Partnership for New York City, a hugely influential job that will require him to relocate across the Hudson.
He will replace Kathryn Wylde, who is retiring after nearly 25 years with the organization, including fourteen years in the top post. Founded in 1979 by then-Chase Manhattan Bank Chairman David Rockefeller, The Partnership helped New York City recover from a 1970s fiscal crisis as an economic growth and job creation engine fun by business leaders interested in growing the city’s economy.
Fulop, 47, is due to leave office at the end of the year, after serving in the local office for two decades, and will then serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. He enlisted after the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, which he witnessed while working on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs. He served a tour of duty in Iraq.
He sought the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey in the June primary.
Wylde was paid over $1.5 million annually in 2023.
The appointment follows an extensive national search led by Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, and Robert Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer, with the guidance of Steve Swartz, CEO of Hearst and former chair of the Partnership. The search committee, supported by Heidrick & Struggles, reviewed more than thirty candidates before voting unanimously to recommend Fulop. The decision was later confirmed by the Partnership’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
“Steven brings the expertise and leadership that this moment demands,” said Bourla and Speyer. “Our members look forward to working with him to ensure New York City continues to thrive.”
Fulop’s tenure in Jersey City has been defined by rapid growth and reform. Since taking office in 2013, he has transformed the city into one of New Jersey’s most dynamic urban centers, adding over $1.4 billion to the tax rolls and leading breakthrough initiatives in housing, infrastructure, and culture.
He expanded development beyond the city’s waterfront to areas such as Journal Square, McGinley Square, and Bergen-Lafayette, while advancing major mixed-income housing projects like Bayfront and Holland Gardens.
His administration launched Citi Bike, improved more than two dozen city parks, renovated the historic Loew’s Jersey Theatre, and established a nationally recognized Arts and Culture Trust Fund that has distributed millions of dollars in grants.
“The Partnership for New York City has been the cornerstone of the city’s civic life for nearly half a century, and it’s a tremendous honor to be named its next President and CEO,” Fulop stated. “The Partnership’s members are the engines behind New York’s economy, employing more than one million people, and uniquely positioned to build a stronger, more prosperous city.
The New York Post first reported Fulop’s likely selection.
