People moves and key promotions in securitisation

The first weekly roundup of securitisation job swaps of 2024 sees Greenberg Traurig appointing a trio of structured finance specialists as partners. Elsewhere, Obra Capital has hired two senior investment executives from AllianceBernstein and RiverRock Funds, while Stout’s md and co-lead of structured credit leaves the firm for a new project.

Kalyan Das has joined Greenberg Traurig, along with Sharan Calay and Andrew Silverstein. The trio of partners – who focus primarily on structured finance matters – come from Seward & Kissel, where Das has spent over three decades and was head of its global bank and institutional finance & restructuring practice.

Das will be based in Greenberg Traurig’s New York, London and Bridgehampton offices, while Calay and Silverstein will be based in New York. They join the firm as shareholders.

Meanwhile, Obra Capital has hired Scott Macklin as head of US leveraged finance, overseeing its CLO management platform. Macklin leaves his role as senior vice president and director of leveraged loans at AllianceBernstein after nearly five years with the company. He will be based in Obra’s New York office and report to head of structured credit Peter Polanskyj.

The appointment coincides with the firm’s hiring of RiverRock Funds’ ceo Anthony J Annino as senior md and head of longevity. Annino left his role as ceo at RiverRock (SCI 3 January) to take up the position at the start of January, after four years with the business. He previously spent 9 years at Perspecta Trust, leaving his role as chief investment officer in late 2019.

Stout md and co-lead of structured credit Gunes Kulaligil has stepped down two years after the company’s acquisition of Methodical Valuation and Advisory, which Kulaligil co-founded in 2018. Kulaligil has yet to announce what his next project will be. Prior to launching Methodical Valuation and Advisory he spent seven years at Houlihan Lokey.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation has promoted Karim Jaroudi to head of corporate and structured finance for the Middle East, based in its Dubai office. Jaroudi is promoted from head of corporate finance in the region, having joined the bank in 2018. He previously worked at HSBC, The Global Emerging Markets Group and Jefferies & Company.

Cadwalader has elected six attorneys to its partnership, effective 1 January 2024. In addition, the firm has promoted seven attorneys to special counsel and counsel.

Among those promoted is Skyler Walker, who becomes a capital markets partner, based in Charlotte. She represents investment banks and other institutional lenders and underwriters on CLOs and in a wide variety of syndicated and bilateral commercial lending transactions, including structured asset-based loans.

Meanwhile, William Sharp has been named counsel, capital markets, based in London. Focusing on securitisation, he has worked on a number of repackaging and CLN issuance programmes, as well as UK auto and consumer loan ABS.

Real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has promoted executive vice chair Rob Rubano to head of equity, debt and structured finance (EDSF) and hired Nicholas Murphy as a senior director in the same team. 

Rubano is based in its Los Angeles office and will report to the firm’s president for Americas advisory, Dan Broderick, and its regional president for the west region, Matt Chatham. He will be tasked with overseeing further technology enhancements and leading expansion and operational efficiency in the EDSF platform. Rubano joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2018, leaving his role as md at Eastdil Secured after 13 years with the company.

Murphy will be based in the firm’s Houston office and have a particular focus on the multifamily sector. He leaves his position as director of acquisitions at Sync Residential after five years with the business, having previously worked at Berkadia, KeyBank and Land Advisors Organization.

The EDSF team has also hired Landmark Properties’ Ben Huckaby as a senior analyst in its Charlotte office. Huckaby leaves his role as a development analyst at Landmark after a year and a half with the business and previously worked at McWhirter Realty Partners.

London-headquartered Gunnercooke has hired former Lansky Ganzer und Partners lawyer Levente B Nagy as partner, based in Vienna. Nagy left Lansky Ganzer in early 2022 after four years with the firm and has been working on a self-employed basis since under the Nagy Law banner. He previously worked at UniCredit and KPMG.

Miller Thomson has promoted Ahmad Adam to partner, based in its Toronto office. Adam specialises in structured finance and securitisation, with a focus on corporate and project finance. The appointment is one of 14 promotions to partner announced by the firm.

Inver Re has recruited Steven Rance as head of credit and structured solutions, based in London. He was previously managing partner at Gallagher Re, where he focused on mortgage risk and capital management.

Real estate capital markets services company Newmark Capital Markets has appointed Anthony Valenzuela as executive managing director for debt and structured finance in its multifamily capital markets team. Valenzuela will be based in Phoenix and joins the firm from CBRE, where he was senior vice president for debt and structured finance. He spent 15 years at CBRE across four spells and also previously worked at Hunt Mortgage Group, BBG-Butler Burgher Group and Strategic Valuation Group.

Morningstar Sustainalytics has promoted Begum Gursoy to director, sustainable finance solutions, based in Amsterdam. She was previously associate director, sustainable finance solutions at the firm, which she joined in December 2018.

Berkeley Partners has hired Veritex Community Bank’s Leo Smith as principal in its credit investments team. Smith will originate, structure and manage Berkeley's credit strategies and structured finance investments within debt, mezzanine and preferred equity. He was vp for commercial real estate lending at Veritex, where he spent five years, and previously spent five years at Commerce Bank.

And finally, German bank Berenberg has promoted Jan-Moritz Eilers and Jan Szkudlarek to vice presidents in its structured finance team, based in Frankfurt and Hamburg respectively. Eilers is promoted from the role of senior associate and joined Berenberg five years ago. Szkudlarek joined the bank in late 2021. His new role is vp for structured finance and real estate finance and he is elevated from senior associate for corporate finance and real estate finance.

The SCI Job Swaps Weekly team would like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2024.