JPMorgan Asset Management is launching a collateralized debt obligation business and has hired Dominic Powell, former head of the CDO solutions group at Henderson Global Investors in London, to lead the charge. Dick Oswald, head of the international fixed-income group in London, said the firm views structured finance as a growth area. The focus of the new desk is to arrange and manage cash and synthetic CDOs.
Until now, in Europe JP Morgan has invested only in synthetic credit structures. Its U.S. arm, however, launched a managed high-yield and emerging-market structure two years ago and plans a cash asset-backed securities desk which will focus on cash CDOs.
Powell is currently the sole staffer on the new desk in London, but Oswald said he will look to hire additional staff once the business is underway. Powell, in an email to DW, noted he started at the company last week and reports to Tim Meumann, head of structured product portfolios in New York.
Powell left Henderson in November (DW, 11/11) after four years growing its CDO business. He oversaw the launch of a combined equity and credit structuring team (DW, 6/20/04) and most recently focused on marketing.
