John A Thain CEO Merrill Lynch

NEW YORK, November 14, 2007 — Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MER) today announced that John A. Thain, chief executive officer, director and member of Management Committee of NYSE Euronext, Inc. and former president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs Group, has been appointed chairman and chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch, effective December 1.

Mr. Thain, 52, joined the NYSE on January 15, 2004, serving as chief executive officer and a director. Prior to joining the NYSE, he served as president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. since July 2003 and was previously president and co-chief operating officer from May 1999 through June 2003; he had been a director since 1998. He was president and co-chief operating officer of the Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. in 1999. From 1994 to 1999, he served as chief financial officer and head of operations, technology and finance. From 1995 to 1997, he was also co-chief executive officer for European operations.

Mr. Thain is a member of the MIT Corporation, the Dean's Advisory Council — MIT/Sloan School of Management, INSEAD - U.S. National Advisory Board, the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's International Capital Markets Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the board of Managers of the New York Botanical Garden, a member of the board of directors of the French-American Foundation, a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a general trustee of Howard University.

Mr. Thain received an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1979, and a B.S. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977.

http://www.ml.com/index.asp?id=7695_7696_8149_74412_84736_85585 (accessed on 8.3.2008)