Google CEO to MicroHoo: We'll Bank on Frank
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has named legendary Bubble 1.0 i-banker Frank Quattrone as an adviser to help reverse engineer the Yahoo-AOL and MSN- MySpace entanglements, according to the NYT blog DealBook .
For eagle-eyed readers of press releases, the news should come as no surprise. As Dealbook noted, Eric Schmidt gave a testimonial for the recently launched financial services venture last month:
“The launch of Qatalyst is an important development for the technology industry,” said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google. “Frank and his team bring unparalleled industry knowledge, a unique 25-year market perspective and candid, insightful judgment that CEOs greatly value on important strategic initiatives. I look forward to working with him again and am very enthusiastic about Qatalyst’s prospects for success.”
Quattrone has advised tech companies globally since 1981 while building technology banking departments for Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse. He was also the superstar banker who faced 18 months in jail but won his appeal in a U.S. court in Manhattan.
Qatalyst Group is a technology-focused merchant banking boutique based in San Francisco. Qatalyst Partners, its investment banking business, will provide high-end M&A and corporate finance advice to technology companies globally.
Qatalyst Capital Partners, its investing business, will make selective principal
investments, typically alongside leading venture capital and private equity firms.