Michael Zaoui

Michael Zaoui is a Founding Partner of Zaoui & Co, founded in 2013 to advise select clients on mergers, acquisitions and other strategic and financial transactions, as well as major investment decisions. He also sits on several corporate boards across Europe.

Michael is a former Vice Chairman of the Institutional Securities Group of Morgan Stanley, a position he held from 2006 until his retirement from the Firm in June 2008, after a long and distinguished career in investment banking. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1986 in New York, was promoted to Managing Director in 1993, ran European Mergers & Acquisitions from 1997 and was named Chairman of the business in 2001 until his retirement. In 2003 he also became a member of the newly formed Strategic Engagement Group within the Investment Banking Division, a select group of Firm-wide top dealmakers.  



Michael has advised numerous clients on a broad range of transactions across industries principally in Europe. Prior to his time at Morgan Stanley he spent a few years in management consulting with the Mac Group in London, from 1983 to 1986. He started his career with Banque Rothschild in Paris in 1978 as a young professional in corporate banking.

He graduated from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris in 1976.  He also studied at the London School of Economics in 1978, earned a Masters  in Law from the Université de Paris in 1979 and a pre-doctoral degree [Diplome d'Etudes Superieures Specialisées] from the Université Panthéon-Sorbonne in 1981. He received an MBA from Harvard University in 1983.

He is a member of the Dean’s Council and the International Council of the Belfer Center at Harvard Kennedy School, and a member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School. He serves as Independent Director of International Power in the UK and of Gruppo L'Espresso in Italy; he is also a Director of several privately held companies; a Founding Member of La Fondation France-Israël; a member of the Council of the Serpentine Gallery; and a member of the Chairman's Council of the Southbank Centre. He was recently appointed as Governor of the Southbank Centre Board Ltd and as Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur de la France in the UK.

He is married with two children, lives in London and supports a variety of educational and charitable organizations.