In Brief: Chase Executive Joins Credit Lyonnais Unit

Credit Lyonnais Securities Inc., the U.S. investment banking arm of Paris-based Credit Lyonnais, has hired Gregory Taft Gerard as a managing director to head its mergers and acquisitions efforts.

Mr. Gerard joins Credit Lyonnais from Chase Manhattan Corp.'s Chase Securities Inc., where he handled M&A for transportation and consumer and capital goods clients.

Until now Credit Lyonnais Securities has had two M&A professionals focusing on providing information to the M&A group in Paris. Mr. Gerard, 38, will be responsible for turning the New York operation into a full- fledged M&A group aimed at originating and executing deals in North America.

Mr. Gerard said he will probably expand his staff to five or 10 professionals this year. He said he intends to focus on the same industries that are emphasized in the bank's other U.S. operations, including cable, telecommunications, energy, lodging, health care, transportation, and real estate.

In other news, Credit Lyonnais Securities hired three research analysts for its equities group.

Christina Rizopoulos Valuari will be a managing director in charge of U.S. research, specializing in media technologies; Richard R. Read will cover cable, telecommunications, and media; and Brad L. Beago will cover oil and gas.

Credit Lyonnais has $250 billion of assets and operations in 70 countries.

-Compiled by J. Alex Tarquinio

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