Scott Dickens, formerly co-head of principal and real estate finance at Bear Stearns in London, has been hired by HSBC as European head of asset-backed securities and structured bonds, also in London. Dickens, who declined to comment, reports to Jon Bottorff, global head of securitization in New York. He is expected to start at HSBC in July, according to a headhunter. It is unclear how the hire affects the role of Rick Watson, who is currently head of asset-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations at HSBC in London. Watson referred questions to Bottorff, who did not immediately return a call. HSBC is in the process of upgrading its ABS business and has also been hiring professionals in the U.S. for origination and trading.
Dickens recently left Bear Stearns, where he had reported to Andrew Clapham, head of European securitization (BW 5/3).
