Lazard Puts Future in M&A with New CEO

In a signal of confidence for the future of mergers-and-acquisitions (M&A), Lazard Ltd. (NYSE: LAZ) appointed Kenneth Jacobs as its chairman and chief executive officer following the unexpected death of famed dealmaker Bruce Wasserstein.

Jacobs, a 21-year company veteran, was most recently CEO of Lazard North America and has a history of leading M&A advisory teams.

“Jacobs is clearly qualified for the position because he has run the North American operations of the company,” Dick Bove, vice president and equity research analyst at Rochdale Securities LLC told Bloomberg Television. “It should be positive for Lazard.”