People moves and key promotions in securitisation

This week’s roundup of securitisation job swaps sees BNP Paribas building out its Americas-focused advisory and solutions teams, with two senior securitisation-focused appointments among a number of hires. Elsewhere, American Century Investments has appointed two industry veterans to its securitised markets team, while Academy Securities has snapped up a senior Citi exec as md and head of RMBS capital markets and origination.

BNP Paribas has made two senior appointments in its New York office, amid a hiring spree aimed at building out its advisory and solutions capabilities in the Americas. The bank has promoted Adnan Zuberi to co-head of global capital markets and hired former Deutsche Bank md Richard Meth as head of CRE Americas.

Zuberi will focus primarily on asset finance and securitisation across its real assets and securitised products group. He has been with the bank since 2008 and is promoted from his role as md, head of credit solutions and head of CLOs.

Meth joins BNP Paribas seven months after leaving his role in Deutsche Bank’s New York office, where he led US CRE financing. He will oversee the launch of the bank’s CRE financing and securitisation activities in the region. Meth previously spent 17 years at JP Morgan.

Mark Lynagh has also been appointed co-head of global markets alongside Zuberi, with a focus on investment grade finance, leveraged finance and equity capital markets.

Meanwhile, American Century Investments has recruited industry veteran, Paul Norris, to lead its securitised markets team. Norris joins the firm as vp and senior portfolio manager from Conning Asset Management, and will be based in its New York office. Norris will co-manage nine strategies and 11 funds as well as serving the US multisector, government and income portfolio construction teams as a new member of the global fixed income investment committee.

Academy Securities has appointed Susan Mills as md and head of RMBS capital markets and origination. She joins Academy from Citi, where she held numerous senior leadership positions related to residential mortgages, including whole loan transactions, securitisation, warehouse lending and contract finance.

Whitehorse Liquidity Partners has expanded its distribution capabilities with two new hires in its capital management team. Joe Gallitano joins the firm as senior principal, head of private wealth, and Pramit Sheth joins as senior principal, head of structured products.

Gallitano has more than 18 years of experience working in private wealth and institutional fundraising. Most recently, he was principal, investor relations with AlpInvest. Sheth has over 18 years of experience in credit ratings. He comes to Whitehorse from KBRA, where he was a senior md and global head of its investment funds group.

abrdn has named Andrew Dennis head of private placements, with a focus on private credit, structured credit and real estate. He was previously head of private placement research at the firm, which he joined in August 2013. Before that, Dennis was executive director - head of EMEA ABS/structured finance sales at UBS.

Andrew Jacobs has joined Valitana as director of analytics, based in New York. He was previously head of structured finance - product management at Trepp.

Saadia Ghazi has joined Seyfarth Shaw as a partner in its servicing and special servicing practice within the firm’s real estate department. Based in New York, Ghazi comes from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where she worked closely in its corporate and finance transactions group with Katie Schwarting and Amy Simpson, who moved to Seyfarth in August. Ghazi’s practice focuses on securitisation, commercial real estate finance and general corporate matters.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has recruited David Holmberg as a partner in its global tax practice, based in the New York office. With a focus on private equity real estate and direct lending, Holmberg’s practice includes advising investment funds and REITs on the tax aspects of CMBS and CRE CLO investments, in particular distressed loans. He joins BCLP from Akin Gump.

NLC Capital Partners has hired a new partner, Tim Steele, to its practice in London. Steele will work with the portfolio management and the capital and deal execution teams on the firm’s fund finance and loan portfolio and investor funding channels. He joins NLC from AIG where he supported its structured products business, and most recently served as head of structured alternatives and non-US residential investments.

Newmark Group has promoted Sharon Karaffa to president for multifamily debt and structured finance, based in McLean, Virginia. Karaffa joined the commercial real estate advisory group in 2017 and is promoted from the role of vice chairperson and co-head of production. She previously spent 13 years at Fannie Mae.

Credit insurance broker Impello Global has added Cole Augustine to its structured finance advisory team in Portland. Augustine has a background in infrastructure and renewable energy and rejoins the business eight months after leaving his position as product manager at Alkami Technology. He previously spent six months as a market executive at Impello before leaving the firm in mid 2021.

Moody’s has promoted Ana Arsov to global head of private credit and co-head of its global financial institutions group. Among her new responsibilities, Arsov will promote engagement across the agency’s financial Institutions, corporate finance, and structured finance groups. Moody’s said she will also be responsible for deepening analytical capabilities for business development companies, CLOs and other private credit-related assets. Arsov joined Moody’s from UBS in 2013 and is promoted from global md and co-head of global banking.

And finally, Capcora has increased its focus on the energy transition sector with the hire of renewable energy expert, José Joaquín Muñoz Osuna. As director and head of the consulting firm’s team in Hamburg, Osuna will work to develop its debt and M&A advisory team and boost capabilities in the Iberian markets. Osuna joins Capcora from ib vogt where he served as head of project finance and PPA where he led the teams responsible for structured finance, M&A processes, non-recourse financing and PPA origination and negotiation.