Robert C. Gay

Robert C. Gay
Born	(1951-09-01) September 1, 1951 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Businessman, religious leader
Years active	1970s–present
Known for	General authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; co-founder and CEO of Huntsman Gay Global Capital

Robert Christopher "Bob" Gay (born September 1, 1951) has served as a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2012 and has been part of the church's Presidency of the Seventy since March 2018. Prior to his full-time religious duties, Gay was the managing director, co-founder, and CEO of Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC), a private equity firm based in Palo Alto, California with additional offices located in Florida, Massachusetts, and Utah.

Early life and family

Robert Gay was born in Los Angeles to Frank William Gay, an executive who oversaw operations for Howard Hughes, and Mary Elizabeth Thain Gay. He completed a mission for the LDS Church in Spain. Gay earned a degree in economics from the University of Utah. He is married to Lynette Nielsen, and together they have seven children.

Career

As a co-founder of HGGC, Gay held the roles of managing director and CEO, managing investments totaling over $1.1 billion. Before establishing HGGC, he dedicated sixteen years as a managing director at Bain Capital. His career also includes serving as executive vice president at General Electric Credit Corporation Capital Markets Group, vice president within the Merchant Banking Group at Kidder Peabody, and engagement manager at consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

In 2001, Gay co-founded Sorenson Capital with partners Steve Young and Rich Lawson; both Lawson and Young later contributed significantly to the founding of HGGC. He was honored as the keynote speaker for the commencement ceremony at Utah Valley University in 2011.

Poverty relief work

Gay has played an active role in humanitarian initiatives and poverty alleviation efforts in developing nations. Together with his wife Lynette, he co-established the Brigham Young University Center for Economic Self Reliance, now known as the Melvin J. Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance. His service includes board membership and advisory roles with the Forever Young Foundation—founded by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young—and participation on the advisory board of Ascend Alliance. Additionally, he founded the Komart Foundation in Ghana. Academically, Gay taught economics at Harvard University for two years after earning a Ph.D. in business economics in 1982. He graduated with an AB from the University of Utah, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

In 2001, he co-founded Unitus (which was renamed Unitus Labs in 2011), a global microfinance organization recognized multiple times by Fast Company/Monitor Group as one of the leading social capital companies in the United States.

LDS Church service

During the late 1970s, Gay served on the high council of the Boston Stake, where he first encountered Mitt Romney.

From 2004 until 2007, he presided over the church’s Ghana Accra Mission, directing missionary efforts throughout Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. In April 2008, he was sustained as an area seventy, having previously held a position as a counselor within a bishopric.

On March 31, 2012, Gay was called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy. Later that year, in September 2012, he assumed leadership as chairman of the Perpetual Education Fund. At the LDS Church’s April 2018 general conference, he was appointed to the Presidency of the Seventy following vacancies created by Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares being called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 2019, Gay participated in an LDS Church delegation visit to India led by M. Russell Ballard.

External links

• Elder Robert C. Gay: General Authorities and General Officers
• Huntsman Gay Global Capital official website