), ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Gr adu ate ▁School ▁of ▁Business ▁Administration . ▁ ▁Career ▁He ▁started ▁his ▁career ▁at ▁Bank ers ▁Trust ▁Co . ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁served ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁government ▁under ▁mayor ▁John ▁L inds ay ▁as ▁a ▁financial ▁official ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁then ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁Morgan ▁Gu ar ant y ▁Trust ▁Company . ▁ ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁chairman ▁and ▁CE O ▁of ▁M & T ▁Bank ▁and ▁its ▁subs idi ary , ▁Man ufact ur ers ▁and ▁Trad ers ▁Trust ▁Company ▁( M & T ▁Bank ) ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁Buff alo ▁School ▁of ▁Management ▁named ▁Wil mers ▁Ni ag ara ▁Front ier ▁Executive ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Buff alo ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Com merce ▁named ▁him ▁Western ▁New ▁York er ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁He ▁received ▁honor ary ▁degrees ▁from ▁Can is ius ▁College ▁( 1 9 8 8 ), ▁Ni ag ara ▁University ▁( 1 9 9 1 ) ▁and ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁Buff alo ▁( 2 0 0 4 ). ▁He ▁was ▁c ited ▁by ▁The ▁Buff alo ▁News ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁as ▁a ▁Cit izen ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁Wil mers ▁retired ▁as ▁CE O ▁in ▁ 2 0 0