Marisa Drew
Managing Director, Investment Banking Division,
Credit Suisse
(London, UK)
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Marisa Drew is a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse, based in London and is Co-Head of European Global Markets Solutions Group and Co-Head of the European Leveraged Finance Origination (LFO) Group. In addition to managing the LFO business, she has relationship account coverage of a number of European Media accounts.
Ms. Drew is also a member of the EMEA Chairman's Board, the European Investment Banking Committee and her division’s Operating Committee. She sits on the Managing Director Promotions Committee, she is the senior banker in charge of Wharton recruiting and she is also the CS representative of the Competitors' Diversity Forum, which she founded. In June 2008, Ms Drew was the recipient of the Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) annual award for achievement. In October 2007, Ms. Drew was recognised by Financial News in it’s ‘FN 100 Women in Finance’ publication as one of the most influential women in European Finance. Ms. Drew is also a member of the C200, an organisation made up of the top Women in business globally and Pi Capital, a private investing club. Marisa is a member of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers.
Ms. Drew joined Credit Suisse in 2003 to establish the LFO Group to complement the already successful European Financial Sponsors coverage effort. Since this time, her Group has grown more than fivefold in size and has the leading market share in Europe. Credit Suisse's European Leveraged Finance business is the recipient of numerous accolades including 'Leveraged Finance House of the Year' from Euromoney in 2007.
Ms. Drew has been in the investment banking business for over 20 years. Prior to joining Credit Suisse First Boston, Ms. Drew was a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch, responsible for the origination and execution of Leveraged Finance transactions and restructurings for corporates and financial sponsors. She was with Merrill Lynch in Leveraged Finance for 11 years, focusing on a variety of industries, including TMT, energy, cyclicals, consumer and retail. In late 1997, Ms. Drew began to concentrate on European clients. She moved to London in 1999 and was instrumental in the formation of Merrill Lynch's European Leveraged Finance Group.
Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Ms. Drew worked with a private equity firm, the Trump Group, and the investment banking firm Kidder Peabody. She received a B.A. in Finance and Marketing with distinction from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and an M.B.A. with distinction from the Wharton School.
At her prior firm, Ms. Drew also sat on the European Origination Committee, she headed up MBA recruiting for Europe, she founded and led the steering committee for Women in Investment Banking and also acted as the Chairman of Merrill Lynch's Diversity Leadership Council.