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Robert C. Gay
Robert C. Gay
Robert C. Gay
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Robert Christopher "Bob" Gay (born September 1, 1951) has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2012. He has been a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy since March 2018.[1] Prior to becoming a general authority, Gay was the managing director, co-founder, and chief executive officer of Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC), a private equity firm headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with offices in Florida, Massachusetts, and Utah.[2]

Key Information

Early life and family

[edit]

Gay was born in Los Angeles, California, to Frank William Gay, an American executive who oversaw several entities for Howard Hughes, and Mary Elizabeth Thain Gay. As a young man, Gay served as an LDS Church missionary in Spain. He married Lynette Nielsen and they are the parents of seven children. He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Utah.

Career

[edit]

Gay was the managing director, co-founder, and CEO of HGGC. Under his leadership the company invested more than $1.1 billion.[3][4]

Prior to this, he was a managing director for sixteen years at Bain Capital.[5] Prior to working at Bain, Gay was an executive vice president of General Electric Credit Corporation Capital Markets Group, a vice president in the Merchant Banking Group at Kidder Peabody, and an engagement manager at the international consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

In 2001, Gay joined with Steve Young and Rich Lawson in co-founding Sorenson Capital. Later, with the founding of HGGC, Lawson and Young were key in setting up the company.[6] In 2011, Gay was the commencement keynote speaker at Utah Valley University.[7]

Poverty relief work

[edit]

Gay has been actively involved in poverty relief and humanitarian aid in developing countries, serving as a co-founder (primarily with his wife, Lynette) of the Brigham Young University Center for Economic Self Reliance.[8] Gay has been a major contributor to this center, now named the Melvin J. Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance.[9] He has served on the board of trustees and as an advisor of the Forever Young Foundation, founded by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. He has also served as an advisory board member of Ascend Alliance, and is the founder of the Komart Foundation in Ghana. Gay taught economics at Harvard University for two years, where he also received a Ph.D. in business economics in 1982. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with an AB from the University of Utah.

In 2001, Gay co-founded Unitus (renamed to Unitus Labs in 2011), a global micro-credit company. Unitus received the Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist award naming three times, which recognizes the top 45 social capital companies in the United States.

LDS Church service

[edit]

In the late 1970s, Gay served on the high council of the Boston Stake, while Richard L. Bushman was stake president. This is where he first met Mitt Romney.[10]

From 2004 to 2007, Gay was president of the church's Ghana Accra Mission, with responsibilities including the oversight of missionary work in all parts of Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Gay was appointed an area seventy in April 2008.[11] Gay also served previously as a counselor in a bishopric.[12]

On March 31, 2012, he was called as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. In September 2012, Gay was named as chairman of the Perpetual Education Fund.[13] During the church's April 2018 general conference, Gay was appointed to the Presidency of the Seventy. This assignment, along with that of Carl B. Cook, was the result of Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares being called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles[1] In 2019, he toured India as part of an LDS Church delegation led by M. Russell Ballard.[14]

References

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Robert C. Gay

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Robert C. Gay is an American business executive, philanthropist, and religious leader known for his extensive career in private equity, his humanitarian initiatives focused on poverty alleviation and , and his decade-long service as a in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born on August 31, 1951, in , , Gay earned a in with an emphasis in statistics from the in 1976 and a PhD in from in 1982, where he also served as a and instructor in . After beginning his professional career as a management consultant at , he transitioned into in 1986, working at and Kidder Peabody's group. From 1989 to 2004, Gay was a managing director at , where he led the industrial products group and oversaw the firm's expansion into ; he later co-founded Sorenson Capital and served as managing director, co-founder, and CEO of Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC) until 2012, while also holding roles such as executive vice president at . Currently, he is the chair and founder of Kensington Capital Holdings, a private single-family office, and serves as executive director and investment committee member at HGGC, alongside advisory positions at firms like KSV Global. In his religious service within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gay served as a full-time in , a high priests group leader, and president of the Ghana Accra Mission from 2004 to 2007, overseeing operations in , , and . He was sustained as an Area Seventy in the Southeast Area and, on March 31, 2012, as a Seventy, a position he held until his release to emeritus status on October 1, 2021; during this time, he served in the Presidency of the Seventy, as president of the Asia North Area, and as a member of the Executive Council, while also chairing the Services and Perpetual Education Fund committees. Married to Lynette Nielsen since April 1974, the couple has seven children. Gay's humanitarian efforts emphasize economic self-reliance and protection for vulnerable populations, particularly in and ; he co-founded Unitus in 2000, a global organization that grew into one of the world's largest providers of services and was recognized as one of the top 45 companies in the U.S. He also established or co-founded organizations such as Engage Now for clean water and medical clinics, Unitus Labs for innovative social enterprises, Ending Modern Slavery to combat child trafficking, the Forever Young Foundation for at-risk youth, and Ensign Global University in to provide accessible higher education. Additionally, Gay has contributed to academic and social impact initiatives, including co-founding the Ballard Center for Social Impact at and serving on the advisory board of the University of Utah's Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Robert C. Gay was born on September 1, 1951, in , , to Frank William "Bill" Gay, a business executive who held senior positions at and other entities under , and Mary Thain Gay. Gay grew up in a close-knit family environment deeply rooted in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where his father's exemplary and left a lasting imprint on his personal development. Frank Gay, who displayed a framed quote in his office from Chateaubriand stating, "In the days of service all things are founded, in the days of special privilege they deteriorate, and in the days of vanity they are destroyed," frequently imparted lessons on diligence and service to his son, reinforcing values of . This upbringing emphasized hard work alongside spiritual commitment, shaping Gay's early understanding of balancing professional responsibility with religious devotion. Gay's early exposure to the church came through his family's active involvement, including his as a and regular attendance at meetings, which laid the foundation for his lifelong faith. In April 1974, he married Lynette Nielsen in the , and the couple raised seven children while prioritizing family as a central pillar supporting their shared humanitarian and ecclesiastical pursuits.

Academic achievements

Robert C. Gay earned a degree in economics with an emphasis in statistics from the in 1976. He graduated with high academic distinction, being elected to , the nation's oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors society recognizing excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Following his undergraduate studies, Gay pursued advanced graduate education at , where he completed a Ph.D. in in 1982. His doctoral research focused on financial markets, culminating in the dissertation titled "The Structure of Security Returns in an Imperfect Market." This program equipped him with rigorous training in economic theory and quantitative analysis, laying a foundation for his subsequent contributions to business and .

Professional career

Early business roles

Following his receipt of a PhD in from in 1982, Robert C. Gay served as a and instructor in at Harvard for two years. He then entered the professional world of finance and consulting. Gay's first major business role was as an engagement manager at in the early 1980s, where he focused on strategic advisory services for corporations, honing analytical skills in complex problem-solving and organizational strategy. Gay then advanced to executive vice president of the Capital Markets Group at Credit Corporation around 1986, overseeing financial services, credit operations, and international financing arrangements that further developed his capabilities in analytical finance and cross-border deal-making. He subsequently transitioned to at Kidder, Peabody & Co., serving as a vice president in the merchant banking group and handling mergers, acquisitions, and leveraged buyouts, which built his expertise in deal structuring and financial negotiations.

Bain Capital tenure

Robert C. Gay joined in 1989 as a managing director, serving in that role for 15 years until 2004. During this period, he rose to become one of the firm's senior partners, where he played a pivotal role in shaping its investment strategy and operations. As head of the Industrial Products Group, he oversaw a diverse portfolio of investments across sectors including technology, healthcare, and consumer products, with the firm managing assets that grew substantially under its expanding funds. His early experience in at and Kidder Peabody provided a strong foundation for his contributions at Bain, enabling him to focus on high-impact opportunities. A notable example in healthcare was Bain Capital's financing of Nutraceutical International Corporation in 1993, where Gay served as a director and helped guide the company's growth in nutritional supplements and wellness products. His leadership extended to and other growth-oriented industries, contributing to Bain's reputation for value creation through operational improvements and strategic acquisitions. While specific portfolio sizes under his direct are not publicly detailed, Bain Capital's funds during this era exceeded hundreds of millions in commitments, reflecting the scale of opportunities he helped pursue. A key aspect of Gay's tenure involved driving 's international expansion, particularly into European markets. As overseer of Bain Capital Europe, he spearheaded the establishment of offices in and , facilitating investments and partnerships across the continent and positioning the firm as a global player. This effort marked a significant step in transforming Bain from a U.S.-focused startup founded in into a leading powerhouse by the early . Although Asian market expansions were less prominent during his time, his work laid groundwork for broader global reach. Throughout his years at Bain, Gay cultivated an extensive professional network, including ties to influential business leaders such as , which fostered future collaborations in private equity and beyond. These relationships underscored his ability to bridge deal-making with long-term strategic alliances, enhancing Bain's competitive edge in a rapidly evolving industry.

Investment firm foundations

Following his experience at , Robert C. Gay helped organize two prominent , drawing on his expertise in deal structuring and international operations to build innovative investment platforms. In 2001, Gay helped organize Sorenson Capital, a middle-market , alongside figures including and Rich Lawson, and served on its advisory board. The firm targeted high-potential companies, with a particular emphasis on B2B software and sectors, providing capital and strategic support to scale operations domestically. Gay further expanded his entrepreneurial efforts in 2007 by co-founding Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC) with , Rich Lawson, and . The firm raised $1.1 billion for its inaugural fund, positioning itself as a middle-market player with a global orientation. Under Gay's leadership as managing director and CEO, HGGC pursued investments in established companies across sectors such as technology, business services, , and consumer products, fostering long-term value through operational partnerships and strategic growth initiatives. In 2012, Gay stepped down from his day-to-day CEO responsibilities at HGGC to prioritize ecclesiastical commitments within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while maintaining an advisory role as co-founder, , and member of the firm's investment committee. This transition allowed him to influence subsequent funds and portfolio decisions on a part-time basis, contributing to HGGC's evolution into a firm managing over $8 billion in as of 2025.

Humanitarian efforts

Microfinance initiatives

In 2000, Robert C. Gay co-founded Unitus, a dedicated to accelerating the growth of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to provide to low-income individuals in developing regions. Drawing on his private equity background from and later HGGC, Gay applied business principles to scale microfinance operations globally, emphasizing high-impact investments in underserved markets. Unitus's core strategies centered on identifying and supporting promising MFIs through catalytic capital, including , loans, and equity investments, to enable rapid expansion while maintaining financial sustainability. A key focus was delivering low-interest microloans—typically averaging under $300—to women entrepreneurs, who comprised the majority of clients, empowering them to start or grow small businesses such as or retail ventures. The organization also integrated and operational best practices, such as digital tracking systems for loan disbursement and repayment, to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in remote areas. By 2010, these efforts had scaled Unitus's partner MFIs to serve over 12 million clients across nine countries, including , , , and , significantly advancing alleviation. Unitus's impact was recognized with the /Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008, honoring its innovative approach to through scalable models. Gay personally invested in the initiative and served on its , providing strategic leadership that guided its growth until the transition, when Unitus was renamed Unitus Labs to broaden its focus beyond acceleration.

African development projects

In the early 2000s, Robert C. Gay co-founded Engage Now Africa with his wife, Lynette Gay, initially in in 2002 before expanding operations to , focusing on empowering rural communities through targeted poverty alleviation efforts. The foundation provides vocational training, adult literacy programs, and loans to promote among vulnerable populations, including women and individuals with , in regions such as northern . Gay's hands-on involvement in African villages began prior to 2004 and continued afterward, encompassing direct interventions like constructing schools and medical clinics, improving access to , and supporting agricultural initiatives to enhance and income generation in multiple rural communities across and [Sierra Leone](/page/Sierra Leone). These efforts also included water projects to address clean water access, reducing health risks and enabling greater community productivity. In 2024, Engage Now Africa partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to open a 50-bed mother and child hospital in Sumbrungu-Agusi, . Through close collaboration with local leaders and organizations, Engage Now has implemented programs that emphasize community ownership, successfully lifting thousands from by fostering economic independence and measurable improvements in household incomes via micro-loans and skill-building initiatives. These local applications drew on economic models refined through Gay's earlier work with Unitus, a global organization he co-founded, adapting scalable strategies to fit ian contexts for long-term impact. His tenure as president of the Mission from 2004 to 2007 provided logistical support that facilitated these on-the-ground projects. The foundation later expanded to and , continuing to build self-sustaining local entities.

Other initiatives

Gay co-founded Ending Modern Slavery to combat child trafficking, focusing on prevention and rescue in vulnerable regions of and . He also established the Forever Young Foundation to support at-risk youth through mentorship and development programs. Additionally, in , he founded Ensign Global University to provide accessible higher education and promote economic self-reliance. These efforts build on his work through Unitus Labs, which invests in innovative social enterprises addressing poverty.

Service in the LDS Church

Early ecclesiastical roles

Robert C. Gay served as a full-time for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in from 1971 to 1973, as part of the first group of missionaries called specifically to that country. This experience during his young adulthood laid a foundational influence on his lifelong commitment to church service and humanitarian efforts abroad. Following his mission, Gay held various local church callings in and , including as a 's counselor, high councilor, high priests group leader, ward Young Men president, ward mission leader, and Sunday School gospel doctrine teacher. In the of prior to his , and later in , , during his education and early family years, these roles involved overseeing programs, supporting ward missions, and providing spiritual guidance to local congregations. His service as a in these areas further deepened his engagement with community welfare and priesthood leadership at the ward level. Gay's early ecclesiastical involvement intertwined with humanitarian volunteerism, rooted in his family's devout LDS faith practices that emphasized service to those in need. In the early 2000s, prior to broader church leadership assignments, he and his wife co-founded organizations such as , which provided literacy, , and micro-credit loans in , and Unitus, a global initiative aiding over 12 million people in across more than 50 developing countries. These efforts were inspired by church teachings on , including the 2001 announcement of the Perpetual Education Fund, which influenced Gay's personal giving and focus on educational and economic empowerment in underserved regions.

Mission leadership

In 2004, Robert C. Gay was called as president of the , serving from July 2004 to June 2007 and overseeing missionary efforts across , , and . His prior humanitarian experience in African villages provided essential preparation for this role, enabling him to integrate with proselytizing activities. During his tenure, he supervised more than 200 missionaries from nearly 30 nations, managing diverse groups with varying levels of preparation, , and language proficiency while coordinating and local priesthood quorums and . Gay implemented training programs for missionaries and local members that emphasized and , drawing on Church welfare principles to foster spiritual and temporal independence. These initiatives included for Ghanaian members and practical skills workshops aligned with broader Church efforts like the Perpetual Education Fund, which promoted and . Throughout his presidency, Gay personally engaged in local poverty alleviation projects, extending his family's Engage Now foundation—initially launched in in 2002—to for literacy programs, education, and micro-credit loans to support small businesses and farms. He also founded and funded the Komart Foundation, a micro-credit organization that provided loans to underserved communities in , enabling missionary-led initiatives to address immediate needs while reinforcing . Gay's leadership navigated significant challenges, including cultural adaptation for international missionaries in multilingual and multiethnic settings, as well as logistical demands of operating across three countries. Rapid membership growth during this period—fueled by post-1998 temple dedication momentum—contributed to the creation of the Mission on July 1, 2005, splitting the original mission to better accommodate expanding congregations and converts.

General authority positions

Robert C. Gay was sustained as an Area Seventy in the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in April 2008, serving in the Southeast Area. This role built upon his prior experience as a mission president in from 2004 to 2007, preparing him for broader responsibilities. On March 31, 2012, Gay was called as a Seventy during the church's April general conference, becoming one of 66 members of the First or Second Quorums of the Seventy tasked with overseeing global church operations. In September 2012, he was appointed chairman of the Perpetual Fund (PEF) committee, a program providing low-interest loans for higher education and vocational training to church members in developing countries. Under his leadership through 2021, the PEF expanded significantly, as of 2020 benefiting over 98,000 participants aged 18 to 30 across 75 countries by facilitating access to and breaking cycles of . Gay's influence grew further when he was called to the Presidency of the Seventy on March 31, 2018, during the April general conference, where he served alongside Elder and Elder Carl B. Cook, focusing on directing the work of all 80 quorums of the Seventy worldwide and advancing church welfare and programs. In this capacity, he also oversaw the integration of services with the PEF, emphasizing spiritual and temporal independence for members globally. He served as president of the Asia North Area from 2018 to 2021 and as a member of the Missionary Executive Council. Notable among his assignments was participation in a 2019 church delegation to led by President , where he engaged with local members and supported interfaith and community initiatives in cities like Hyderabad and . Gay was honorably released from full-time service and granted emeritus status as a Seventy on October 1, 2021, during the church's October general conference, allowing him to continue contributing in advisory capacities while focusing on family and other endeavors. As of November 2025, he remains an , reflecting on his tenure that advanced educational opportunities and global church coordination.

References

  1. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-robert-c-gay
  2. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/robert-c-gay?lang=eng
  3. https://opportunity.org/who-we-are/people/robert-gay
  4. https://csbs.utah.edu/alumni-spotlights/gay.php
  5. https://marriott.byu.edu/advisoryboard/directory/member/?id=607
  6. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2012/4/22/23225637/elder-robert-c-gay-general-authority-seventy-2012/
  7. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1983/07/17/hughes-legacy-struggle-for-power/3247d75b-80c3-4b86-9f38-f1c08ac62d4e/
  8. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2021/2/24/23218366/elder-gay-shares-3-ways-to-serve-god-and-become-your-best-self/
  9. https://rsc.byu.edu/author/gay-robert-c
  10. https://www.hggc.com/team/bob-gay
  11. https://www.angel.com/press/release/angel-bolsters-board-and-leadership-team-ahead-of-public-listing
  12. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1812042
  13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1050007/000104746903000942/a2100382zdef14a.htm
  14. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-gay-58531638
  15. https://speeches.ensign.edu/speaker/elder-robert-c-gay
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  17. https://www.marketscreener.com/insider/ROBERT-C-GAY-A03OM2/
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  19. https://continuum.utah.edu/alumni-association/association-news-winter-2010/
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  21. https://news.svu.edu/2023/emeritus-general-authority-and-humanitarian-robert-c-gay-to-speak-at-graduate-celebration-on-april-28/
  22. https://www.hggc.com/team/j-steven-young
  23. https://www.hggc.com/system/uploads/fae/file/asset/77/huntsman_gay_to_take_maj..._sunquest_-_nytimes_12_20_2010.pdf
  24. https://www.hggc.com/
  25. https://fortune.com/2012/04/02/exclusive-bob-gay-leaving-huntsman-gay/
  26. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-04-02/huntsman-gay-global-ceo-is-said-to-depart-for-mormon-church-1-
  27. https://www.hggc.com/firm
  28. https://unituslabs.org/mission-history/
  29. https://unituslabs.org/projects/historical-projects/microfinance-acceleration/
  30. https://greatnonprofits.org/org/unitus-inc
  31. https://unituslabs.org/updates/third-year-social-capitalist-award-win-for-unitus/
  32. https://foreveryoung.org/pages/initiatives/africa
  33. https://business.slchamber.com/list/member/engage-now-africa-105518
  34. https://mayekoo.com/products/support-engage-now-africa-to-improve-adult-literacy-and-vocational-training-in-ghana
  35. https://engagenowafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2021-Annual-Report-For-Website.pdf
  36. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2012/05/news-of-the-church/elder-robert-c-gay?lang=eng
  37. https://news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-funds-new-mother-and-child-hospital-in-underserved-area-of-ghana
  38. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2004/4/24/23238475/new-mission-presidents-214/
  39. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2014/7/26/23212140/perpetual-education-fund-thriving-in-ghana/
  40. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2005/09/news-of-the-church/two-new-missions-created-in-africa?lang=eng
  41. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2008/4/12/23231805/38-area-seventies-called/
  42. https://www.ldsliving.com/elder-robert-c-gay-called-as-chairman-of-the-perpetual-education-fund/s/70234
  43. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/perpetual-education-fund-loan-payments-paused-covid-19
  44. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2018/3/31/23219244/president-oaks-announces-eight-new-general-authority-seventies-55-area-seventies/
  45. https://news-in.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/apostle-m--russell-ballard-teaches-and-inspires-on-his-first-visit-to-india
  46. https://www.thechurchnews.com/2021/10/2/23216965/emeritus-general-authorities-october-2021-general-conference/
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