Edward C. Forst

Background

Edward C. Forst was born in 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. He is the son of Donald S. Forst. His professional life developed in the United States financial-services sector before expanding into higher-education administration, commercial real estate, private equity, and federal public service.

Education

Forst earned an AB degree, graduating cum laude in economics from Harvard University in 1982. Harvard, founded in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States and combines liberal-arts education with advanced research across a broad range of disciplines.

He received a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1988. Wharton, founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, is known for professional education in finance, management, and business administration.

Career

Forst began his career at Bankers Trust Company, where he worked in financial services and became a managing director involved in loan sales and trading, credit decisions, and corporate-loan activities. Bankers Trust was a major American banking institution whose investment-banking and capital-markets businesses were later acquired by Deutsche Bank.

He joined Goldman Sachs in 1994 and became a managing director in 1996 and a partner in 1998. His responsibilities included global loan syndications, leveraged finance, credit markets, and senior administrative leadership. He served as chief of staff of the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Division and the Equities Division, became executive vice president and chief administrative officer in 2004, and later co-headed Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Goldman Sachs is a global investment-banking and securities firm whose businesses include investment management, securities, and financial markets.

In 2008, during the global financial crisis, Forst left Goldman Sachs to become Harvard University's first executive vice president and principal operating officer. He oversaw nonacademic operations, including finance, administration, and real estate, and served on the Harvard Management Company board. He also advised the U.S. Treasury Secretary on the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the federal response to the financial crisis. Harvard University is a major private research university whose administrative and endowment operations support its academic mission.

Forst returned to Goldman Sachs in 2009 as senior strategy officer and later resumed leadership of the firm's investment-management business. He retired from Goldman Sachs in 2011 after serving on its management committee and holding senior roles in investment management and administration.

He became president and chief executive officer of Cushman & Wakefield in January 2014. Cushman & Wakefield is a global commercial real-estate services company operating in property services, investment management, and advisory work. Forst led the company during a period of international expansion and remained in the position until 2015.

Forst subsequently served as chairman and a member of the investment committee of Lion Capital, a London-based private-equity firm focused on consumer brands. On December 24, 2025, he was sworn in as Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration. The GSA, established in 1949, provides centralized federal services in real estate, procurement, technology, and administrative support; as administrator, Forst oversees the agency's nationwide operations.

Achievements

• Forst helped lead Goldman Sachs's global credit-markets and investment-management businesses and served on the firm's senior management committee.

• As Harvard University's executive vice president and principal operating officer during the 2008–2009 financial crisis, Forst oversaw major nonacademic operations and participated in the governance of the university's endowment.

• Forst advised the U.S. Treasury Secretary on the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program during the federal response to the global financial crisis.

• As president and chief executive officer of Cushman & Wakefield, Forst led a global commercial-real-estate company during an international expansion period.

Views

Forst's documented management philosophy emphasizes disciplined execution, efficiency, sound risk management, rigorous accountability, and investment in people. In public statements, he has also stressed that government resources should be measured carefully and used to produce clear value for taxpayers.

Membership

Forst has participated in professional, academic, cultural, and scientific organizations. His memberships and board service have included the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the Bond Market Association, the Harvard Management Company, and university and cultural institutions.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is an independent marine-science research organization. SIFMA represents securities firms, banks, and asset managers in the American financial markets, while its predecessor, the Bond Market Association, represented participants in the fixed-income industry.

• Corporation member and trustee.

  Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution , United States

  2002

• Treasurer and vice chairman.

  Bond Market Association , United States

  2003 - 2006

• Chairman and co-chairman.

  Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association , United States

  2006

• Board member.

  Harvard Management Company , United States

  2008

• Co-chairman.

  Harvard University Committee on Student Excellence and Opportunity , United States

Personality

Forst has publicly emphasized disciplined execution, operational efficiency, risk management, accountability, and careful stewardship of financial resources. These principles have recurred in his descriptions of both private-sector management and public administration.

Quotes from others about the person

• Brian T. Foley, mayor of Indian River Shores, described Forst's decision to fulfill local jury duty while beginning his federal service as evidence of civic responsibility.

Connections

Forst is the son of Donald S. Forst. He married Susan Kelly Ryan on December 4, 1993, and they have four children.

Father:

Donald S. Forst

Wife:

Susan Kelly Ryan

Married Edward C. Forst on December 4, 1993.

References

• U.S. General Services Administration leadership biography Documents Forst's service as the 24th Administrator of the General Services Administration and summarizes his experience in finance, real estate, public service, and executive management.
• U.S. General Services Administration nomination testimony Contains Forst's statement to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs concerning his nomination and management principles.
  2025
• U.S. General Services Administration sworn-in announcement Documents Forst's swearing-in as Administrator of the General Services Administration on December 24, 2025.
  2025
• Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. annual report Documents Forst's executive positions at Goldman Sachs, including Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, chief of staff roles, and co-head of Global Credit Markets.
  2004
• Goldman Sachs management disclosure Provides additional documentation of Forst's Goldman Sachs executive responsibilities.
  2005
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Form 990 Lists Forst as a trustee of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
  2007
• East Hampton Healthcare Foundation biography Summarizes Forst's education, financial-services career, Harvard administration, Treasury advisory work, real-estate leadership, private-equity activities, and nonprofit board service.