Morgan Stanley Private Equity Hires Gary S. Matthews as Managing Director and Operating Partner

Morgan Stanley announced today that Gary S. Matthews will join the Firm as a Managing Director and Operating Partner for Morgan Stanley Private Equity, the Firm’s global private equity business. In this role, Mr. Matthews will assist the private equity team in identifying companies for leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures, sponsored recapitalizations, joint ventures and other direct investments, and will help oversee the management and strategies for those businesses.

Mr. Matthews brings leadership experience across a number of industries. He has led several private equity backed companies and public company business units, including Simmons Bedding Company, Sleep Innovations, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb and Derby Cycle Corporation. He also served as Managing Director UK for Diageo/Guinness Limited from 1998 to 1999, as President and CEO of Guinness Import Company from 1996 to 1997 and held senior management positions at PepsiCo and McKinsey & Company. Mr. Matthews began his career at Procter & Gamble. He holds a B.A., cum laude, from Princeton University and an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School.

“Gary is a proven CEO in both the public and private equity arenas, and has generated top and bottom line growth for more than two decades by transforming internally focused companies into market driven organizations,” said Stephen Trevor, Co-Head of both Morgan Stanley Private Equity and the Firm’s Merchant Banking division. “Operating partners are critical to our strategy of building a world-class private equity franchise and we are pleased to welcome Gary to the team.”

“Gary embodies the traits we look for in an operating partner,” said Alan Jones, Co-Head of Morgan Stanley Private Equity. “He has a successful track record of attracting top-flight management talent and building and motivating teams to create winning cultures with successful business strategies that yield positive financial results.”