Marc Ganzi
{{short description|American businessman and polo player}}
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| name = Marc Ganzi
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| nationality = American
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| education = Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
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| occupation = Businessman
Philanthropist
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| spouse = Melissa Ganzi
| children = Grant Ganzi, Riley Ganzi
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Marc Ganzi is an American businessman. He is the president and CEO of DigitalBridge, and is the founder and former CEO of Digital Bridge Holdings and Global Tower Partners. He is also a polo player.
Early life
He received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[https://archive.today/20130729081316/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=8461672&privcapId=8446779 Bloomberg BusinessWeek][http://www.gtpsites.com/team-gtp/senior-management.aspx Global Tower Partners biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719224908/http://www.gtpsites.com/team-gtp/senior-management.aspx |date=2013-07-19 }} He interned in the White House for Stephen M. Studdert, special advisor to President George H. W. Bush in 1989. In 1990, Ganzi served as an assistant Commercial Attaché in Madrid for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service Department.{{cite web|url=https://www.americanconference.com/speakers/mr-marc-ganzi/|title=Mr. Marc Ganzi|website=American Conference|access-date=December 18, 2021}}
Career
After graduation, Ganzi bought distressed real estate for Resolution Trust Corporation.{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/digitalbridge-rides-wave-of-investment-in-data-centers-cell-towers-11637503201|title=DigitalBridge Rides Wave of Investment in Data Centers, Cell Towers|website=Wall Street Journal|date=November 21, 2021|author=Miriam Gottfried|access-date=December 18, 2021}}
He worked at Deutsche Bank, where he oversaw investments in the radio tower sector.
In 1993, he co-founded AD Development Corporation, a real estate development company in the Mid-Atlantic states, where he worked until 1994. He co-founded Apex Site Management, which was purchased by SpectraSite, and he served as group president for a year. In 1998, Ganzi founded Eureka Broadband, an application service provider and high-speed Internet access corporation.{{cite web|url=https://thepenngazette.com/playing-at-high-speed/|title=Playing at High Speed|website=Pennsylvania Gazette|date=April 24, 2017|access-date=December 19, 2021}} From 2000 to 2002, he was a partner in DB Capital Partners in New York City.
In 2003, he founded Global Tower Partners, a telecommunications company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.Shu-Ching Jean Chen, [https://www.forbes.com/2007/07/02/macquarie-global-tower-markets-equity-cx_jc_0702markets2.html Macquarie Buys U.S. Wireless Tower Company], Forbes, 07/02/2007 He served as its chief executive officer and built the company into the largest privately held operator of U.S. cell towers. The company was purchased by Macquarie Group ({{ASX|MQG}}) in 2007, and, in 2013, American Tower Corporation ({{NYSE|AMT}}) acquired GTP for $4.8 billion.{{cite news|url=https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/american-tower-to-buy-smaller-rival-gtp-for-4-8b|first=Phil|last=Goldstein|title=American Tower to buy smaller rival GTP for $4.8B|date=September 6, 2013|website=Fierce Wireless}}
In 2013, Ganzi and Ben Jenkins founded Digital Bridge Holdings, an investor and operator of mobile and internet connectivity companies.{{cite web|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/investing/colony-capital-s-ceo-elect-marc-ganzi-explains-its-pivot-digital|title=Colony Capital's CEO-Elect Marc Ganzi Explains Its Pivot to Digital|website=Data Center Knowledge|date=January 23, 2020|author=Bill Stoller|access-date=December 18, 2021}} Digital Bridge Holdings was acquired by Colony Capital in 2019, where Ganzi took over as CEO-elect.{{cite web|url=https://www.finsmes.com/2019/07/colony-capital-buys-digital-bridge-holdings-for-325m.html|title=Colony Capital Buys Digital Bridge Holdings, for $325M|website=FinSMEs|date=July 26, 2019|access-date=December 18, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005723/en/Colony-Capital-Announces-Rebrand-as-DigitalBridge|title=Colony Capital Announces Rebrand as DigitalBridge|website=BusinessWire|date=June 8, 2020|access-date=December 18, 2021}} On July 1, 2020, he became CEO and president of Colony Capital. In 2021, the company rebranded to become DigitalBridge, a digital infrastructure investment firm, and he remained in those respective positions.
In 2024, hours after DigitalBridge's acquisition of Verizon Wireless's cellular towers, the nation experienced wipespread outages. Further inflating issues in recovery and resource coordination after Hurricane Helene. {{Cite web |last=Correal |first=Annie |title=Verizon Cellphone Users Report Outages Across the U.S. |website=The New York Times |date=30 September 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/business/verizon-outages-us.html }}{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Jaspreet |title=Verizon in $3.3 bln mobile tower deal with infrastructure firm Vertical Bridge |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/verizon-nears-deal-sell-towers-vertical-bridge-bloomberg-news-reports-2024-09-30/ }}
Personal life
He is married to Melissa Ganzi, who is also a polo player.Nadia Sorocka, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130925002925/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-05-29/news/fl-wf-ganzi-0529-20130529_1_sentebale-land-rover-prince-harry-grand-champions-polo-club Ganzi has a royal game as Prince Harry's teammate], Sun-Sentinel, May 29, 2013 She has played polo with William, Prince of Wales and King Charles III. They have two children together, son Grant and daughter Riley, who are also polo players. They reside in Wellington, Florida.
References
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Category:People from Wellington, Florida
Category:Wharton School alumni
Category:American technology chief executives