Signature Financial LLC announced  the appointment of Michael J. Ash to the newly created position of Capital Markets Director.

In this capacity, Ash will be responsible for new business origination and client relationship management for the subsidiary’s Capital Markets division, led by Joseph Fantauzzi, Executive Vice President and Division Head.  The Capital Markets area focuses on reciprocal buy and sell relationships with top-tier bank-owned leasing companies and larger investment institutions.  He is based out of Signature Financial’s Melville, Long Island, N.Y. headquarters, where he joins Signature Financial Account Officer Robert Campbell on the Capital Markets team.

Ash brings more than two decades of experience in equipment finance to Signature Financial.  Most recently, he was Syndication Manager at U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, where he handled the sale of equipment lease and loan assets and portfolios.  Prior, he spent 10 years at Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, also as Syndication Manager.  Previously, he was a Syndication and Credit Team Leader at Charter Financial, Inc. (predecessor company acquired by Wells Fargo in 2000). Ash began his career in the credit area at The CIT Group. 

The Capital Markets group, along with Signature Financial’s National Intermediary Funding division, are complementary indirect business lines of the specialty finance subsidiary.  The National Intermediary Funding division, headed by Anthony Perettine, Executive Vice President and Division Head, provides on-going transactional funding for qualified independent equipment leasing companies, mid-sized bank captives, manufacturing and vendor clients. 

In its first nine months of operations, Signature Financial generated more than $850 million in new originations, and ranked 34th in volume on The Monitor’s Top 100 list of 2012.  This leading industry trade publication also ranked Signature Financial third in buy side volume activity in the same issue.  These achievements were fueled by efforts put forth by both Signature Financial’s Capital Markets and Third Party Intermediary Funding teams.

“Since our inception in early 2012, Signature Financial has enjoyed solid growth from both of its indirect business lines.  Our success to date across the board is a true testament to how valuable and critical long-standing relationships are within the industry and to our business,” explained Walter Rabin, President and Chief Executive Officer at Signature Financial.

“Michael’s experience, coupled with our client-centric approach, will help extend Signature Financial’s market reach through the forging of new client relationships as well as the strengthening of existing ones.  We look forward to the contributions Michael will make to our Capital Markets team and the business,” Rabin said.
           
Ash is a resident of Plainview, Long Island, N.Y., where he lives with his family.  He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lehigh University.