People moves and key promotions in securitisation

This week’s roundup of securitisation job swaps sees Cheyne Capital hiring an SRT veteran who recently left their role at Barclays. Elsewhere, Wilmington Trust has made changes to its global capital markets leadership team, while a risk transfer specialist has left their position at The D. E. Shaw Group ahead of taking up a new role.

Cheyne Capital has recruited SRT veteran Frank Benhamou as portfolio manager for its risk transfer strategy. Prior to joining Cheyne, Benhamou spent 17 years at Barclays, where he set up and led the Colonnade programme, which has grown to become one of the largest SRT platforms globally. Cheyne recently announced its re-entry into the SRT market, having launched the latest vintage of its risk transfer strategy earlier this month (SCI 19 April).

Meanwhile, Wilmington Trust has appointed Susie Aliker as head of European Global Capital Markets taking over from Alan Geraghty, who is to transition to head of global capital markets product management. 

Based in London, Aliker will lead the firm’s UK, Ireland and Germany offices, and will provide corporate, trustee, custody, collateral, and agency services to corporations, as well as the structured finance and loan markets. She left her role as ceo at Tandem Bank in 2023 after two years with the business, having previously spent six and a half years at British Arab Commercial Bank, spanning roles as ceo and cfo. Prior to that she spent 15 years at Credit Suisse.

Wilmington said Geraghty will “lead ongoing customer-centric development of the global GCM product proposition”. He is based in Dublin and joined the firm 20 years ago, having previously worked at Dresdner Bank Latinamerika and Coopers & Lybrand.

The pair will be tasked with jointly leading a five-year program to expand the firm’s presence in the European market. They will report to Wilmington’s head of global capital markets Abby Mrozinski.

Syril Pathmanathan, senior vice president for regulatory capital optimisation strategies at The D. E. Shaw Group, has left the business ahead of taking up a new role. Pathmanathan joined the investment manager in 2016. He previously spent around 11 years at Credit Suisse across two spells from 2004-2010 and 2011-2016.

Freddie Mac has named Christian Valencia as head of credit risk transfer. Valencia was previously vp, SF CRT capital markets, having rejoined the GSE in May 2014 after a stint there in 2003-2004. He has also worked at Fannie Mae and the Inter American Development Bank.

Olivier Beroud has been appointed executive chair of ARC Risk Group, the parent company of ARC Ratings and ARC Analytics. Beroud is a veteran in the rating agency industry, with a career spanning 35 years - including a 10-year stint at S&P, five years as ratings advisor for Barclays Commercial and five years at Moody’s, where he was responsible for the EMEA region. From 2016, he has run his own consultancy and fulfilled various INED roles, notably for GCR Ratings in South Africa and for ARC Ratings in Europe.

Remaining within the ratings agency space, Scope Group has promoted Florent Albert to executive director for structured finance sales, based in its Berlin office. Albert joined Scope in 2017 and is promoted from senior director, where he has led the structured finance commercial real estate loan and CMBS rating team. He previously spent three and two years respectively at Barclays Investment Bank and BGL BNP Paribas, with both roles based in Luxembourg.

Independent trust and corporate services provider Cafico International has appointed Beata Frois as commercial director, capital markets, based in London. Frois has over 20 years of experience in the financial sector and specialises in structured finance, conventional debt, syndicated loans, escrows, repack and PEF products. She was previously director, business development at HSBC Issuer Services, which she joined in August 2007.

Merchants Capital has promoted Evan Gibson to executive vice president and head of capital markets, based in New York. The capital markets team focuses on creating liquidity and capital relief, and supporting the provision of financing solutions for multifamily and affordable housing developments. Gibson is promoted from senior vice president, having joined the business four years ago. He previously had spells at Dwight Securities Management and Merrill Lynch.

Blue Owl Capital has hired Future Fund’s deputy chief investment officer Alicia Gregory as an md, based in its Sydney office. Gregory joined Future Fund in 2019, having previously spent 17 years at Australian pensions, insurance and superannuation group MLC. While at MLC, she held a number of roles including chairing the executive committee and leading the private equity program. Blue Owl’s credit arm primarily invests in direct lending, though its liquid credit team focuses on the management of CLO portfolios and investments into third-party CLO equity and junior mezzanine tranches on behalf of separately managed accounts.

Affinius Capital md Samir Tejpaul has joined real-estate-focused private equity and private debt manager Madison Realty Capital as md and head of capital markets, based in New York. Tejpaul leaves Affinius after six years with the firm, the first four-and-a-half of which were spent at Square Mile Capital Management. Square Mile was acquired by USAA Real Estate in 2021 ahead of a subsequent merger and group-wide rebrand to the Affinius name. Tejpaul previously spent six years at Deutsche Bank.

And finally, credit-focused investor Aeon Investments has appointed private equity and private debt veteran Bosworth Monck as a member of its advisory board. Monck was most recently global head of client relations at the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, The International Finance Corporation, leaving his position in 2021 after 10 years with the group. He previously held partner or founder roles at Earth Capital Partners, IBIS Capital and OLEA Capital Partners, as well as holding senior positions at EMP Global and JP Morgan.

Aeon describes its structured credit approach as targeting “segments that offer competitive returns on a risk-adjusted basis with lower levels of correlation to risk assets,” with a specific focus on real estate, infrastructure, transportation, and private debt.

Corinne Smith, Kenny Wastell