Enquirer News Update - Updated 6:40 p.m.
Bankers recall fateful schedule change
By Jeff McKinney
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When Jim Russell, Fifth Third’s director of equity research and products, and other Fifth third workers scheduled a conference call last Sept. 11, they inadvertently triggered a decision that saved some people’s lives that horrible day.
That’s because the Morgan Stanley representatives working with Fifth Third decided to move the call to a midtown Manhattan location, instead making it from Morgan Stanley’s headquarters in the World Trade Center. About 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees were in the South Tower, the first to collapse.
"We may have saved their lives," said Mr. Russell Wednesday as he watched brokers on a trading floor at Fifth Third Securities shortly before the stock market opened.
Last year’s attacks affected Mr. Russell and others at Fifth Third personally. He and his colleagues worked with 12 to 15 Wall Street executives who died that day.
"I can tell you that our traders, and me personally, knew people that were killed," Mr. Russell said. "We certainly were very concerned about all of them as human beings and professionals."
