People moves and key promotions in securitisation

This week’s round-up of securitisation job swaps sees a pair of Nordea SRT vets set up a structured credit advisory boutique. Elsewhere, PIMCO has snapped up another ex-Citi SRT alumnus, while a former Deutsche Bank structured finance md has joined an auto finance fintech platform.

Nordea SRT stalwarts Jonas Bäcklund and Viktor Kloos have left the bank and founded a structured credit advisory boutique, specialising in capital management, portfolio optimisation and risk transfer solutions. Bäcklund and Kloos respectively serve as md and director of the new firm, which is called Revel Partners and focuses on performing and non-performing assets across the Nordic and Baltic regions.

Bäcklund joined Nordea as head of group structuring in April 2014, having worked at NatWest and Handelsbanken before that. Kloos was a structured credit manager at Nordea, joining the firm from EY in September 2017.

Revel Partners is part of newly formed Swedish financial services firm Belvere Group, which provides bespoke financing solutions across the real estate and credit spectrums. Belvere is, in turn, led by Tom Johannessen and Christopher Rees.

Johannessen was previously md, financial services and co-head EMEA at Alvarez & Marsal, but among other roles served as deputy group cfo and group treasurer at Nordea and global head, portfolio management and CRT at Barclays before that. Rees was formerly chair of the risk and audit committee at Hoist Finance, but before that was group cfo at Nordea and co-head of DCM and risk solutions group EMEA at Barclays, among other roles.

Meanwhile, DLA Piper’s Juan Gelabert has joined Baker McKenzie as head of banking and finance in its Madrid office. Gelabert leaves DLA Piper after 16 years with the firm and has worked on deals including acquisition, project, restructuring and structured finance transactions, with additional expertise in the sports finance space.

London-based auto finance fintech platform Carmoola has hired former Deutsche Bank structured finance md Frédéric de Benoist as director of capital markets. De Benoist joins the company six months after leaving his position as md and head of asset finance - ABS Europe at Deutsche Bank. He spent a total of 20 years at the bank, with previous roles including head of mortgage finance - ABS Europe and director of mortgage finance - ABS Europe.

Commercial real estate financing advisor Concord Summit Capital has hired industry veteran Manny Brown, previously of Plum Lending, as chief operating officer, based in its Chicago office. Brown left his position as coo at Plum in August 2023 after two years with the business. He previously spent 13 and a half years at Cohen Financial, now part of Truist, where he served as coo, president and partner.

Interpath has recruited Stuart Mogg from EY to head up its financial services debt and capital advisory business in London. The former partner and leader of the financial services debt advisory team at EY will work alongside Interpath’s securitisation lead and fellow recent hire, Jenna Picken, and restructuring lead, Ed Boyle.

KBRA has appointed Gopal Narsimhamurthy as global head of fund ratings, following the resignation of Pramit Sheth, who is leaving the rating agency to pursue other opportunities after more than 12 years of service. Currently an md in the funds group at KBRA, Narsimhamurthy will lead a 25-person team in his new role and work closely with Tom Speller, head of European fund ratings.

Narsimhamurthy has been at KBRA since 2014 and has worked across a number of analytical areas, including ABS, public finance and project finance. Previous to KBRA, he was an associate analyst at Moody’s, where he specialised in higher education and healthcare credit analysis.

PIMCO has named Marc Windfuhr as evp, based in New York. He was previously md, insurance solutions at CIM Group and md - global head GSP FIG solutions at Citi, where he led the execution of bespoke transactions including SRT deals. Before joining Citi in January 2010, Windfuhr worked at Deutsche Bank and Calyon in London.

Finally, STS Verification International has appointed Carlo Barbarisi as senior advisor, responsible for European business development, with a particular focus on Southern Europe. Based in Milan, he has over 30 years of experience in the ratings, banking and credit markets fields.

Joe Quiruga, Kenny Wastell, Corinne Smith, Claudia Lewis