People moves and key promotions in securitisation

This week’s roundup of securitisation job swaps sees Oppenheimer & Co appoint a new head for its Latin America investment banking group. Elsewhere, Angel Oak Companies has poached a new chief legal officer from Reverence Capital Partners, while Fitch has a new head of structured finance product strategy in New York. 

Oppenheimer & Co has stepped up its international initiatives with the hire of Credit Suisse veteran Manuel Rodriguez as head of its Latin America investment banking group. The new recruit will work with the firm’s growing global fixed income team to pursue opportunities in the region in both the public and private sector.

Rodriguez will report to Oppenheimer president and head of investment banking, Robert Lowenthal. Bringing more than 23 years of industry experience to the role, he leaves his position as head of Latin American and Caribbean coverage at Credit Suisse after 17 years with the bank. Rodriguez holds special expertise in originating and underwriting bespoke structured credit transactions across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, mortgage credit-focused asset manager Angel Oak Companies has hired Reverence Capital Partners’ Timothy Saunders as chief legal officer and general counsel. The industry veteran, who spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs, leaves role as general counsel and chief compliance officer at Reverence after two and a half years with the firm. Angel Oak says his “distinct experience in the mortgage and securitisation space” makes him an “excellent fit” for the firm.

Fitch has promoted senior director Benson Thomas to be its new head of product strategy on its structured finance team in New York. Thomas takes on the new role after almost 13 years working on the rating agency’s CMBS and CRE team. He holds more than two decades of experience across CRE finance, credit risk, and CMBS transactions.

Mumbai-based structured finance veteran Viral Mehta has joined the Grant Thornton Bharat structured credit solutions team as partner. Mehta joins the firm’s practice in Mumbai having previously held positions at JM Morgan Stanley, KPMG India, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Kotak Investment Advisors. Most recently he served as an investment director at Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors.

Credit rating agency ARC Ratings has promoted Jake Shoer to senior analyst in its structured finance team. Shoer joined ARC in 2020 and works out of the firm’s Maidstone office.

Moody’s md, Jennifer Wu, has been promoted to head of structured finance for APAC. Closing in on 17 years at the rating agency, Wu will continue to be based in its Hong Kong office.

BNP Paribas CIB has promoted Manuel João Amora to securitisation portfolio manager. Amora is based in Lisbon and joined the bank in March of this year.

And finally, Singapore-headquartered bank UOB has promoted Ruthana Bitia to a structured finance-focused manager in its investment banking team. Bitia is based in Jakarta and joined the company’s wholesale banking development team in July 2022.