Michael Marks (financier)

Michael John Paul Marks (born 28 December 1941) is a British businessman, best known as executive chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe (1995 – 2003)^[1] and before that CEO and then chairman of City of London stockbroker Smith New Court (1985 to 1995) until its acquisition by Merrill Lynch in 1995.^[2]

Michael Marks CBE
Born	28 December 1941
Nationality	British
Occupation	Financier
Known for	Leading Smith New Court (1987-1995) and Merrill Lynch Europe (1995-2003)

Career

Marks’ career began at City of London stockjobbing firm Smith Brothers (later Smith New Court) in 1958, where he started as a messenger and then “blue button”, working his way up to the position of director in 1975.^[3]

In 1987, Marks became CEO of what had then become Smith New Court^[4] when NM Rothschild had taken a stake. In 1995, he took over from Sir Michael Richardson as executive chairman of the firm,^[5] overseeing its sale to Merrill Lynch that same year.^[6]

Marks left Merrill Lynch in 2003 to set up a new boutique investment house with other ex-Merrill Lynch colleagues.^[7] In a nod to their earlier days, the new venture was called NewSmith Capital Partners.^[8] Marks, along with co-founder Stephen Zimmermann, retired from NewSmith in 2014.^[9]

Marks was also a non-executive director of the London Stock Exchange between 1994 and 2004.^[10] During that time, Merrill Lynch advised the London Stock Exchange on its ill-fated merger with Deutsche Börse in 2000; but it stepped down from that role after that proposed transaction unravelled.^[11]

Marks was appointed a CBE for services to the financial services industry in the 1999 New Year Honours list.