Morgan Stanley duo resign from Canary Wharf owner

Songbird Estates non executive directors Gabriela Gryger and Gavin MacDonald are resigning from the board because of increased work commitments at Morgan Stanley Real Estate.

The company, which is the owner of London office complex Canary Wharf, said in a statement that two other bankers from Morgan Stanley have been proposed as replacements. They are Jonathan Lane and Johannes Groeller. Lane is chairman of EMEA Real Estate Investment Banking and a member of the investment committee of Morgan Stanley's Real Estate Funds. Groeller is managing director in the European mergers and acquisition department.

MacDonald, who effectively resigned yesterday, was one of the first directors of Songbird following its takeover of Canary Wharf in 2004 by Morgan Stanley and New York's Glick family. He is head of global acquisitions and mergers and a vice chairman of Morgan Stanley Investment banking. Gryger was appointed to the board in 2006 and is active in the UK, Central and Eastern Europe investment divisions of MSREF as well as its special situations fund.