New York (AFP)
James Gorman, the CEO of the prestigious American investment bank Morgan Stanley, tested positive at Covid-19 in mid-March but has recovered, a spokesman told AFP on Thursday.
It is in a video message of ten minutes, broadcast internally Thursday, that Mr. Gorman, 61, announced this news to the employees of the firm, whose head office is located in Times Square in the heart of Manhattan. .
The point on his state of health is mentioned almost at the very end of the video, in which the leader discusses the current economic situation, the financial markets and the coronavirus pandemic, detailed the spokesman.
Mr. Gorman, an Australian national and head of the sixth American bank for a decade, had experienced symptoms similar to those of the classic flu in mid-March.
He immediately quarantined himself in his Manhattan apartment and had a test for Covid-19, which turned out to be positive, said the spokesman.
"His symptoms were not severe," the source said. Consequently, "he continued to work from home like most of the employees" of the bank, it was added.
Mr. Gorman notably continued to facilitate the weekly meeting of the operational committee from a distance and participated in the virtual meetings of the board of directors.
The latter, who appoints and dismisses the CEO, was immediately informed of James Gorman's state of health, his will and his ability to continue working normally.
The bank, however, had not deemed it necessary to communicate because it believed, according to the spokesman, that his boss was quite capable of directing operations on a daily basis.
"If his condition had worsened, if he had not been able to run the company, we would have communicated," said the spokesman, adding that other employees have tested positive at Covid -19 and that most were recovering.
Mr. Gorman is now well recovered and received the green light from the doctors a week ago. However, he continues to work from home.
He is the first major Wall Street leader to release his positive Covid-19 diagnosis to the public.
Peregrine "Peg" Broadbent, 56, the chief financial officer of Jefferies, died in late March of an infection with the new coronavirus. The investment house had only communicated about his illness at the time of his death.
The famous floor of the New York Stock Exchange has been temporarily closed to stem the spread of the disease, after the discovery of cases of infections.
© 2020 AFP