Gregg Lemkau
Gregg Lemkau | |
|---|---|
| Born | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investment banker |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners; Chairman of DFO Management; former Goldman Sachs executive |
| Spouse | Kate Lemkau |
| Children | 4 |
Gregg Lemkau is a prominent American entrepreneur currently serving as co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant banking firm specializing in advisory and investment services for family- and founder-led enterprises. Additionally, he holds the position of Chairman at DFO Management, previously known as MSD Capital, which manages investments for Michael Dell and his family associated with Dell Technologies. Lemkau's extensive career includes leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, where he spent 28 years and ultimately led MSD Partners.
Early life and education
Originating from Boston, Lemkau was raised in a family deeply rooted in finance: his father Curt dedicated 25 years to Merrill Lynch & Co., his sister Kristin heads the wealth management division at J.P. Morgan Chase, and his brother Chip serves as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. He completed his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College in 1991, where he was the goalkeeper for the soccer team. After briefly contemplating a professional soccer career in Zimbabwe, he transitioned to working as a paralegal at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom before shifting focus to investment banking.
Professional career
At age 22, Lemkau began his career at Goldman Sachs in 1992 as an analyst. He later relocated to San Francisco to expand the firm's technology mergers and acquisitions division.
He was promoted to managing director in 2001, followed by partner and co-head of healthcare banking in 2002. By 2007, he had assumed the role of COO for investment banking and moved to London in 2008 to co-lead technology, media, and telecom investment banking. In 2013, he was appointed co-head of global M&A, and by 2017, he became co-head of global investment banking.
Recognized on Wall Street as a top mergers expert, Lemkau has advised on numerous high-profile transactions involving clients such as Elon Musk, Travis Kalanick, Marc Benioff, and Daniel Ek. He also spearheaded Goldman Sachs' investments in companies like Facebook and Spotify.
After nearly three decades with Goldman Sachs, Lemkau departed in 2020 to take on the CEO role at MSD Partners, overseeing Michael Dell’s family wealth with institutional assets exceeding $15 billion. His prior collaborations with Dell include facilitating the privatization of Dell Technologies in 2013 and its subsequent public offering in 2018.
In 2023, MSD Partners combined forces with BDT & Company—a merchant bank led by Byron Trott—to create BDT & MSD. This merger more than doubled MSD’s asset base, with Trott and Lemkau jointly leading as co-CEOs.
Personal life
Lemkau is married to Kate, and together they have four children.
He contributes his expertise as a member of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees and the Rockefeller University Board of Trustees, as well as serving on the Advisory Board for Team Rubicon. Previously, he was part of the board for Grassroot Soccer, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Africa.
In 2015, Gregg and Kate Lemkau gifted $2 million to Dartmouth College to establish an endowment supporting the Bobby Clark Head Coach position for Men’s Soccer.