Mercer Reynolds
By Pamela Babcock

hat should have been a joyous first day as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein ended in shock and sadness for former Cincinnati investor Mercer Reynolds (BSBA '67). His homeland was rocked by the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil just hours after he assumed his new post in Bern Sept. 11.

It all began quietly enough. At 10 a.m. Swiss time (4 a.m. in the United States), Reynolds presented his "letter of credence" to Switzerland's President Moritz Leuenberger. The formal occasion was followed by a luncheon celebration and, as is customary for new ambassadors, the afternoon off.

But a U.S. ambassador is never really off duty. "In the middle of the afternoon," Reynolds recalled, "I received a call from my office that would set the tone for much of my coming work in Switzerland."

The news was grim. Two airliners had already slammed into the World Trade Center. Reynolds jumped into his black, armored BMW 7 series and sped back to the office. The embassy was put on high alert, and U.S. Marines guarding the embassy donned combat gear in anticipation of possible action for one of the few times in the history of the embassy. The building closed for two days, except for essential personnel. Passersby left bouquets as a show of sympathy and solidarity.

"We moved quickly to impress upon the Swiss that the United States would react judiciously, and that we valued our friendship with Switzerland very much at that terrible moment. At the same time, we reassured the American community in Switzerland that it could count on the embassy to work for their safety and well-being," recalled Reynolds of those dark days.

Now, he has the task of looking after the estimated 30,000 U.S. citizens in Switzerland, which has a population of 7.5 million people and is one of the world's biggest financial centers. Fighting terrorism is on the forefront of his mind.

"Every morning, I wake up thinking about what I can do as head of the mission here to make the world a safer place," Reynolds said. "Switzerland has a very strong banking industry, with about 35 percent of the transnational wealth housed here. So one thing they can do - and they have done in close cooperation with our embassy - is seize assets of suspected terrorists and block the flow of money that comes through Switzerland. Right now, they have frozen over $25 million from about 70 accounts."

Like other modern-day European ambassadors, Reynolds faces a growing number of challenges in his diplomatic post, which prior to Sept. 11 would have been much different.

"Although globalism and improved business ties are important, our job is much more focused on the future of preventing terrorist attacks against the civilized world." For Reynolds and his team at the American Embassy, that might mean working with host country partners to locate terrorist cells that may be operating in the country. Or it could include teaming up with U.S. cabinet leaders and their Swiss counterparts to help bring about a global code of conduct for pharmaceutical industry leaders whose business necessitates working with very dangerous pathogens, such as anthrax or small pox, but which must be very carefully guarded against misuse.

Reynolds, a Chattanooga native who received his MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, has been a longtime supporter of the University. He has served on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and supported the development of the Sonya Hayes Stone Black Cultural Center.

In 1979, Reynolds co-founded Reynolds, DeWitt & Co., a Cincinnati investment firm that he co-chaired until 2001. From 1980 to 1985, Reynolds was co-chairman of Spectrum 7 Energy Corp., a Midland, Texas, oil and gas exploration company.

His interest in foreign affairs led him to serve on the advisory board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and on the Bridging the Rift Foundation, located on the Jordan/Israel border.

Reynolds is married to Gabrielle Reynolds, and the couple has five children. He once said his goal was to have all of his children become Tar Heels. Already four of them - Katherine Reynolds McMillan, J. Mercer Reynolds, Timothy Lincoln Reynolds and James Davison Reynolds - have made that wish come true. Daughter Gabrielle is a junior in high school.

Reynolds says a strong business foundation, which he received at UNC-Chapel Hill, has helped him prepare for his ever-changing role.

"I knew nothing about fighting terrorism; I'm a businessman. But I guess what prepared me was a desire to move the ball forward, to not accept 'no' for an answer," Reynolds said. "I tend to try to find solutions. You don't need to be a full-time career foreign-service person to know how to accomplish that. You just need a good, solid business background and a willingness to take some risks."