Gavin MacDonald, Head of M&A for Morgan Stanley, Dies at 47

This kind of thing always sucks for his family. But it is not like they are not going to be taken care of during this time of economic uncertainty like most Americans. I have a problem with most of the bankers right now like most people because they are the ones who put us in this situation. Sure us as people should of known what was going on and done something about it, but people like these guys were the ones with the purse strings.

By Chris Dolmetsch

Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Gavin MacDonald, the head of Morgan Stanley’s global mergers and acquisitions department, died on Dec. 5 following a heart attack at his London office. He was 47.

MacDonald was rushed to the hospital after he was stricken at his desk in the Canary Wharf office and died Friday night, the New York Times reported. Michael Wang, a London-based spokesman for the firm, confirmed the death to Bloomberg News though he declined to comment further.

MacDonald was an “extremely decent, universally liked, funny, selfless and deeply valued man” who will be “greatly missed,” Chief Executive Officer John Mack wrote in an e-mail to employees.

Morgan Stanley’s revenue from mergers and acquisitions dropped 32 percent to $1.2 billion in the first nine months of the 2008 fiscal year, as the global credit crisis raised the cost of financing takeovers. Worldwide M&A fell about 36 percent to $2.5 trillion.

MacDonald replaced Paul Taubman as head of global mergers and acquisitions after Morgan Stanley named Taubman and Cordell Spencer to lead investment banking in July 2007. Taubman and Spencer were appointed to the positions to replace Walid Chammah, who was promoted to chief of European operations.

25 Years at Firm

MacDonald, a founding member of Morgan Stanley’s European mergers and acquisitions department, joined the firm in 1983 as a financial analyst after earning a law degree from Cambridge University.

He was named a managing director and senior banker in European mergers and acquisitions in 1997, and in 2004 was named vice chairman of investment banking, with responsibility for developing business in industries including beverages, consumer products and luxury goods.

In January 2006, MacDonald was named head of European mergers and acquisitions after Paulo Pereira resigned to join a new investment banking firm started by former colleagues.

During the 25 years he spent at Morgan Stanley, MacDonald advised clients that included a buyout group led by Bain Capital Partners LLC, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Vornado Realty Trust on the acquisition of Toys “R” Us Inc. in 2005.