Mac Gardner, the head of global wealth management Americas at Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., is to leave the company Jan. 31.
Mr. Gardner was also the head of Merrill's global bank group and played a key role in its purchase of First Republic Bank in September.
His departure was announced in an internal memo from Robert McCann, the president of global wealth management at Merrill. Mr. McCann did not give a reason for Mr. Gardner's departure, and Merrill would not comment on the point. No successor was named.
"Mac has been a valued colleague and has made significant contributions to several areas of Merrill Lynch throughout his career," Mr. McCann wrote in the memo. "Mac has been instrumental in helping us strengthen our GWM business and had a significant impact on attracting and retaining talent."
Mr. Gardner was named head of the global wealth management group's Americas region in 2004, and in 2005 he became head of the global bank group. He joined the company in 1983.
