Bank of America recently hired investment banker Richard Hardegree to serve as the firm's vice chair of mergers and acquisitions. The appointment comes amid a broader acceleration in global dealmaking, with announced transaction volumes hitting approximately $2 trillion this year, a 32% jump compared to the same period last year. As first reported by Reuters, an internal company memo confirmed that Hardegree will report directly to Eamon Brabazon and Ivan Farman, Bank of America's co-heads of global M&A investment banking.
Hardegree transitions to the firm directly from UBS, where he managed major advisory portfolios as an investment banker. His arrival follows a targeted recruitment push by Bank of America earlier this year, which brought in four veteran bankers from rival institutions. The firm has been aggressively pulling top-tier advisory talent from competitors to capitalize on a market defined by artificial intelligence technology investments and a more balanced regulatory regime in the U.S.
In his new role, Hardegree is tasked with expanding Bank of America's market share in high-value technology dealmaking and capturing a larger portion of rebounding global advisory fees. He will oversee strategic execution across the global M&A division as Wall Street banks ramp up cross-border transaction advisory services. A Bank of America spokesperson confirmed the leadership appointment and the authenticity of the internal memo.
