Prizm Capital Management, a fixed-income manager and consultancy based in Boston, is looking to begin ramping up collateral in preparation for its debut collateralized debt obligation, according to John Briggs, head of marketing. He said the firm's goal is to act as a CDO manager and it aims to be in the CDO market by the end of the year. Prizm was formed in 2002 and to date has advised other investors on their CDO holdings but is now looking to expand its reach by acting as a manager in its own right, said Briggs.
As part of its CDO plans, Briggs said Prizm recently hired Nancy O'Connor from FleetBoston Financial to serve as senior v.p. and head of securitization. Prizm is also in the market to add more senior credit analysts according to Briggs. He stressed any new hires would need to have credit experience as well as being adaptable to the needs of a small company.
Prizm has not yet decided the asset type it would use to back the CDO liabilities but Briggs said it is considering asset-backed securities and leveraged loans. The aspiring manager is also on the lookout for an investment bank to structure and distribute any potential deal.