Lazard Welcomes Michele Colocci as Vice Chairman, Investment Banking and Managing Director, Healthcare

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lazard, Inc. (NYSE: LAZ) today announced Michele Colocci is joining the firm on 3rd June 2024 as Vice Chairman, Investment Banking and Managing Director, Healthcare. Based in London, Mr. Colocci’s appointment accelerates the growth of Lazard’s best-in-class global healthcare franchise, led by David Gluckman, and further reinforces its leading position in Europe, which is headed by Jean-Louis Girodolle and Cyrus Kapadia.

Mr. Colocci is a globally recognized advisor with a particular focus on healthcare, having worked with biopharma clients across EMEA, the US, and Japan. With three decades of investment banking expertise, he most recently served as Managing Director and Chairman of M&A at Morgan Stanley, where among other previous leadership roles, he also served as Global Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking and as Deputy Head of European Investment Banking. He previously also held the role of Global Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at JPMorgan. Michele began his career as a management consultant at Bain & Co. and is a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Business School.

“Michele’s experience as a trusted advisor to clients will be tremendously valuable as we continue to invest in our significant European business,” said Peter R. Orszag, Chief Executive Officer of Lazard. “His expertise will help advance the expansion of our preeminent healthcare business, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Lazard.”

“Lazard is at an exciting inflection point in its growth plans, and I am honored to be joining the firm at this time,” said Michele Colocci. “Advisors continually strive to differentiate themselves for the clarity, independence and relevance of their advice to clients as they seek to manage risk, innovate and grow — Lazard has long focused its franchise around these elements and I very much look forward to joining that effort.”

Lazard’s leading EMEA business represented close to 40% of total financial advisory revenues as of 31st March 2024, reflecting the strength of the team and depth of relationships built over close to two centuries. Lazard is also one of the leading advisors in healthcare, with recently announced and closed transactions including: Vertex’s $4.9 billion acquisition of Alpine Immune Sciences; Galderma’s IPO, CymaBay Therapeutic’s $4.3 billion acquisition by Gilead; Sanofi’s $2.4 billion acquisition of Inhibrx; ImmunoGen’s $10.1 billion acquisition by AbbVie; Abcam’s $5.7 billion sale to Danaher; Biogen’s $7.3 billion acquisition of Reata Pharmaceuticals; and CVS Health's $10.6 billion acquisition of Oak Street Health.

About Lazard

Founded in 1848, Lazard is one of the world's preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, with operations in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Lazard provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and capital solutions, restructuring and liability management, geopolitics, and other strategic matters, as well as asset management and investment solutions to institutions, corporations, governments, partnerships, family offices, and high net worth individuals. For more information, please visit www.lazard.com.

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