Bear Stearns has hired asset-backed securities trading veteran Chris Connors to do institutional sales/trading for its ABS secondary desk in New York. His first day was last Wednesday. The position is a new one and, according to Connors, it has not yet been determined which sector he will trade, nor what his title would be. Bear Stearns fixed-income executives were uncertain as to whom Connors would directly report, and Tom Marano, the mortgage-backed securities trading floor manager, was unavailable for comment. Jeff Verschleiser, the firm's head of asset-backed trading, did not return a call seeking comment.
Prior to joining Bear Stearns, Connors worked at Prudential Securities, which hired him away from Barclay's Capital shortly after its asset-backed trading operation was decimated by mass defections to Credit Suisse First Boston in March 2000. At Prudential, he reported to Rob Karr, the head of ABS trading. Prior to Prudential, Connors spent six years at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.