Lazard announces new leadership in Brazil

NEW YORK and SAO PAULO, June 4, 2019 – Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) announced today that it has named Jean Pierre Zarouk as Chairman, Lazard Brazil Investment Banking, and that Antonio Pereira has joined the firm as a Managing Director and CEO, Lazard Brazil Investment Banking. The moves, effective immediately, position Lazard Brazil for the next stage of growth, with a continued focus on high quality advice for clients.

“Brazil is one of the cornerstones of our South America investment banking network, and Jean Pierre has built a strong team and network of client relationships in the region,” said Peter Orszag, Chief Executive Officer of Lazard Financial Advisory. “We welcome Antonio to Lazard to further bolster our franchise.”

Mr. Pereira joins Lazard from Goldman Sachs, where he was Head of Investment Banking in Brazil since 2016, and had been Co-Head of Investment Banking for the three years prior. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York in 1996, transferring to Brazil in 1999, where he has served as a leading advisor across various sectors and held several management roles. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering at Tufts University.

Mr. Zarouk first joined the firm in 2004 as founder and co-head of the joint venture Signatura Lazard, which became a full-fledged Lazard office in 2012. Under his leadership, Lazard has advised on a number of Brazil’s most relevant strategic transactions, including the merger of Norsa and Renosa, creating Coca-Cola Solar; the sale of Casas Bahia to GPA, creating ViaVarejo; the acquisition of Aesop by Natura; the sale of 99 to Didi; the merger of Vivo with Telesp; the acquisition of Santelisa Vale by Louis Dreyfus, creating Biosev; the sale of The Body Shop by L’Oreal to Natura; the debt restructurings of OGX and OOG.