Company hires and sector developments

Credit expert poached

Crestline Investors has appointed Michael Aingorn as an md, based in New York and reporting to Keith Williams, managing partner - credit strategies. Aingorn was previously a partner at American Industrial Partners, where he helped launch the firm's credit opportunities strategy focused on investing in North American-based middle-market industrial companies. Prior to AIP, he worked at BTG Pactual, Plainfield Asset Management and Karsch Capital Management.

Emergency action

The US SEC has filed an emergency action charging New York residential and commercial real estate developer and CMBS loan sponsor Robert Morgan and two of his entities - Morgan Mezzanine Fund Manager and Morgan Acquisitions - with fraud for siphoning and misusing investor funds. The Commission is seeking an order freezing Morgan's assets and appointing a temporary receiver over the relevant funds, as well as permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, civil penalties and a permanent receiver over the entities. The complaint alleges Morgan represented to investors that their money would be used to improve multifamily properties and, based on these representations, raised more than US$80m. Instead, Morgan and his entities allegedly diverted investor funds to facilitate Ponzi scheme-like payments to earlier investors and used more than US$11m in investor funds to repay an inflated, fraudulently-obtained loan for an unrelated apartment complex.

Edward (EG) Fisher has joined Mariner Investment Group as co-cio and head of liquid market strategies. Mariner founder Bill Michaelcheck will assume the role of co-cio and continue as lead portfolio manager for the firm’s flagship multi-strategy hedge fund, as will Matt Shulman in his role as deputy portfolio manager. Fisher has more than 29 years of industry experience and was previously an md overseeing fixed income and equities trading at BNY Mellon Bank. Prior to that, he was co-founder and managing partner of 5:15 Capital Management and has also worked at Brevan Howard, Greenwich Capital Markets and Blackrock.

ILS manager acquired

SCOR Investment Partners is set to acquire 100% of the capital of Coriolis Capital, a fund manager in the ILS field, investing in catastrophe bonds, collateralised reinsurance and climate derivatives. Subject to regulatory approval, Coriolis Capital will become a fully owned subsidiary of SCOR Investment Partners, with the transaction due to be finalised in 2H19. The acquisition will provide SCOR Investment Partners with improved market access, additional expertise in financial engineering and complementary fund infrastructure. The combined platform will have US$2.1bn AUM and operate in both Paris and London.

Investment vet named co-cio

Edward (EG) Fisher has joined Mariner Investment Group as co-cio and head of liquid market strategies. Mariner founder Bill Michaelcheck will assume the role of co-cio and continue as lead portfolio manager for the firm’s flagship multi-strategy hedge fund, as will Matt Shulman in his role as deputy portfolio manager. Fisher has more than 29 years of industry experience and was previously an md overseeing fixed income and equities trading at BNY Mellon Bank. Prior to that, he was co-founder and managing partner of 5:15 Capital Management and has also worked at Brevan Howard, Greenwich Capital Markets and Blackrock.

Mexican tech-lender firm bulks out SF expertise

Credijusto has named Eduardo Mendoza as evp and head of capital markets and corporate development. The appointment comes soon after Credijusto's announcement of a US$100m warehouse line with Goldman Sachs, which Mendoza was instrumental in closing. The securitisation and asset-backed finance specialist had been working as an advisor to Credijusto since 2017, but the move to bring him in-house represents part of a broader buildup of the company's capital markets team and activity.  Mendoza will be tasked with securing further warehouse facilities, launching a credit fund and implementing a securitisation program. Mendoza previously co-founded SQN Latina, an equipment leasing platform, and was md on the securitisation-banking team at BMO Capital.