Sector developments and company hires

BD appointed

IHS Markit has appointed Sandrine Markham director, business development for Debtdomain in EMEA and APAC, reporting to Patricia Tessier, md and co-head of loan platforms at the firm. With more than 20 years’ experience in financial data and financial technology, Markham played a transformational role at Debtdomain from start-up to becoming a leading loan syndication platform in EMEA. The Debtdomain business was acquired by IHS Markit in August 2018, as part of the acquisition of Ipreo, where Markham was a director.

ILS firm in hiring spree

Artex Risk Solutions has announced a number of appointments within its international division. Scott Cobon has been promoted to md, Bermuda, with responsibility for the continued development of this growing office, which handles a diverse range of insurance management products, including captives, ILS and commercial structures. He previously worked as a treaty reinsurance broker in Sydney, Australia and began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Brisbane. Rob Eastham is moving into the new role of executive chairman of Artex Bermuda and is an industry veteran with 38 years of experience in the Bermuda insurance industry. Paul Eaton has been appointed md, ILS, with responsibility for driving the strategy, planning and growth of Artex' ILS business across all locations. Eaton joined Artex in 2004 after a 13-year career with RSA in various underwriting and management roles. Based in Guernsey, he is a director of Artex Guernsey’s ILS cell companies. Mike Matthews has joined Artex as commercial director, Artex International. In this newly established role, he is responsible for the strategy, planning and delivery of growth for the international business. This role encompasses sales, marketing, product development and supporting client services.

Law firm boosts SF team

Clifford Chance has announced that James Cotins and Matthew Lyons have joined the firm's structured finance practice as partners in New York. They join from Alston & Bird and bring extensive experience in all aspects of the securitisation of loans and securities backed by commercial real estate. Cotins and Lyons routinely advise all main participants in commercial real estate-related securitisations, including commercial mortgage-backed securitisations, resecuritisations and CRE CLOs, as well as net-lease and single-family rental securitisations. They also represent sponsors, issuers, underwriters, collateral managers, loan sellers and rating agencies in public and private financing transactions, as well as lenders and investors in the acquisition, disposition and financing of commercial real estate-related assets.

RMBS RFC

Moody’s is seeking feedback from market participants on proposed changes to its approach to rating US prime residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) backed by government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) and private label prime first-lien mortgage loans originated during or after 2009. Market participants are invited to comment on the Request for Comment (RFC) by 15 July 15, 2019, by submitting their responses on the Request for Comment.