Meet the New Trustees

Jeffrey N. “Jeff” Bannon ’77

New York, New York

Jeff Bannon ’77 arrived at Exeter as an upper. He was a day student from Atkinson, New Hampshire. His grandfather and great-grandfather attended PEA. Bannon’s activities included the Dramatic Association Club (Godspell, Camelot, Side by Side by Sondheim), Debate Club, Student Council, choir and Glee Club. He was a co-founder of the Barbershop Quartet and received multiple prizes in music. He earned his B.A. from Dartmouth College, where he majored in drama and economics. He is the founder, CEO and president of BusinessTalk Inc., providing communication skills training for attorneys at top law firms and executives at top financial service firms. He has served as an Exeter Alumni Association director since 2024 and is now a vice president of the EAA.

Zemin “Will” Li ’90; P’25, P’28

Hong Kong and Boston

Will Li ’90 entered the Academy as a lower from Boston and lived in Browning North. His campus activities included the math team, soccer and winter track. Throughout his three years at Exeter he worked in the Elm Street Dining Hall as a dishwasher, earning a promotion to crew chief in his upper year. He received his A.B. magna cum laude in economics and East Asian Studies from Harvard College and went on to earn his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Li is the founder and chief investment officer of Ocean Arete Limited, a hedge fund firm focused on global macro strategy. Li serves as a co-vice chair of the Exeter Asia Council and is an active member of the PEA mentor program.

Marshall A. Smith ’87

New York, New York

Marshall Smith ’87 entered Exeter as an upper from Morristown, New Jersey. He lived in Webster North and was a dorm proctor. His activities included football, basketball, winter track and lacrosse, where he was captain. He earned his B.A. in economics and English from Amherst College and his J.D. from Georgetown University. Smith is a partner and chair of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs with a focus on expanding the firm’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical client base. He is also a member of the board of directors of Rethink Food, a nonprofit working to provide low- or no-cost meals to needy New York City families.

Seisei Tatebe-Goddu ’01

New York, New York

Seisei Tatebe-Goddu ’01 arrived at Exeter as a lower and lived in McConnell Hall. Her activities included Concert Choir, Environmental Action Committee, Gay Straight Alliance and Building with Books. She earned a B.A. from McGill University, majoring in environment and development, and an M.A. from Columbia University with a focus on international affairs. Tatebe-Goddu began her career as a mediator. In 2008, she founded Tandem Consulting Group, where she and her team provide strategy and organizational development consulting, training, coaching and facilitation to a wide array of clients across four continents. Tatebe-Goddu is an investor in a Latin America-focused climate tech fund, Savia Ventures. She is a member of the Exeter Women’s Leadership Circle and a vice president of the Exeter Alumni Association board of directors.