Lazard Expands Investment Banking with Two MD Hires from Bank of America

Lazard has hired two managing directors, Bill Young and Jean Greene, from Bank of America. Young was previously co-head of North American industrials investment banking, and Greene previously worked at Lazard before joining Bank of America in 2019. Both will be based in New York and focused on diversified industrials. The hirings reflect Lazard's ambition to grow under CEO Peter Orszag as part of its Lazard 2030 plan.

Lazard Inc. has expanded its investment banking franchise in North America with the hiring of two managing directors, Bill Young and Jean Greene, from Bank of America. Both executives will be based in New York and focused on diversified industrials, reflecting the bank's ambition to grow under CEO Peter Orszag as part of its Lazard 2030 plan Lazard Said to Hire Two Managing Directors From Bank of ...^[1].

Bill Young, who joined Bank of America from Credit Suisse in 2021, was named co-head of North American industrials investment banking in 2023. He has experience in deals such as Carlyle Group Inc.'s sale of Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLC to Veritas Capital. Jean Greene previously worked at Lazard before joining Bank of America in 2019, focusing primarily on industrial clients. During her time at Lazard, she worked on deals like Tyco International's sale to Johnson Controls and Anheuser-Busch InBev's acquisition of SAB Miller Lazard Said to Hire Two Managing Directors From Bank of ...^[1].

These hires are part of Lazard's broader strategy to meet the evolving demands of its clients and capture market share. The firm has also recently hired Jesper Jensen from Rothschild & Co. to bolster its franchise in the Nordics and Klaus Hessberger from JPMorgan to co-head its financial sponsors group Lazard Said to Hire Two Managing Directors From Bank of ...^[1].

Lazard's expansion efforts are not limited to North America. The firm is also doubling down on its Middle East strategy, with plans to increase its regional presence by deploying six bankers to its Abu Dhabi office and has already assembled a dozen dealmakers in Riyadh. This expansion underscores Lazard's ambition to capture market share and grow its footprint in the Middle East, which has seen billions of dollars invested abroad in various sectors Lazard Aims to Double Revenue, Expands in Middle East^[2].

The Middle East's emergence as a significant growth opportunity for financial firms is driven by substantial investments in sectors such as real estate, private equity, and infrastructure, as well as its status as one of the busiest markets for initial public offerings (IPOs) globally. Other firms such as Cantor Fitzgerald LP and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. are also building out their presence in the region Lazard Looks to Middle East in Orszag’s Plan to Boost Revenue^[3].

Peter Orszag, CEO of Lazard, has outlined a seven-year plan to double the firm's revenue and increase its total shareholder return by an average of 10% to 15% a year through 2030. To achieve this, he has emphasized the importance of hiring more bankers and ensuring each managing director becomes more productive Lazard Looks to Middle East in Orszag’s Plan to Boost Revenue^[3].

References:
Lazard Said to Hire Two Managing Directors From Bank of ...^[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-09/lazard-said-to-hire-two-managing-directors-from-bank-of-america
Lazard Aims to Double Revenue, Expands in Middle East^[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/lazard-aims-double-revenue-expands-middle-east-2509/
Lazard Looks to Middle East in Orszag’s Plan to Boost Revenue^[3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-09/lazard-looks-to-middle-east-in-orszag-s-plan-to-boost-revenue