Tony Gioulis
Managing Partner

Tony has been involved in the structured asset backed markets since the late 80s. He started his City career in NatWest Markets in 1990, where he spent seven years establishing and executing client-led transaction structures primarily associated with short-term and medium-term financial assets, as well as developing its asset backed conduit infrastructure.

He subsequently moved to HSBC Investment Bank, where he founded its UK/European asset backed commercial paper business and its $5 billion sponsored multiseller conduit fund, "Regency Markets". He was subsequently elevated to Pan European Head, Conduit Finance, in HSBC Markets.

In 2004, he joined the London office of nabCapital, a division of National Australia Bank, and assumed the role of Head of Securitisation Europe, with a mandate to establish a major structured debt player in the UK and the Eurozone. In nabCapital, he led the launch of "CentreStar Capital", a $10 billion hybrid conduit fund providing its corporate and institutional client base seeking asset finance with capital markets access and a securities arbitrage platform designed to finance highly rated ABS.

Tony subsequently founded European Risk Capital, the leading investment banking practice specialising in structured capital raising and risk advisory activities, with primary focus on financial services and real estate. His main responsibilities comprise strategic origination and transaction execution, with special emphasis on long term relationships of the Group.

A structured capital markets veteran with deal experience in excess of $10 billion, Tony has arranged a number of innovative transactions including the first ever securitisation of charge cards in Europe, quoted in the IFR as a "landmark deal", and the UK's largest buy-to-let mortgage funding transaction at the time in the region of GBP 1 billion. His structured credit expertise spans across a wide range of cash and synthetic derivative funding solutions, culminating in numerous loan-backed, leasing, receivables, CLOs/CDOs, and commercial property deals over a 20-year period.

Tony has an MBA from University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He is married and lives in West London.


Mike Stone
Executive Partner

Mike has over 25 years experience in capital markets and investment banking. He started his career in Midland Montagu Investment Bank where he was involved in derivatives and financial solutions for institutional clients. Following the acquisition of Midland by HSBC, he was made Global Head of Futures and Options and was a board member of both the London and French Futures Exchanges. In 1996, Mike was appointed Head of European Fixed Income Distribution at HSBC, a role he held for over six years. During his time, HSBC became a significant origination and distribution force in structured credit and asset backed issues as well as more vanilla bonds and loans.

Having developed a deep understanding of the different investor segments and their respective investment parameters, Mike was hired in 2003 as Head of Markets Europe by National Australia Bank, with a mandate to build its European investment banking business. He developed a full suite of businesses that included securitisation, leveraged loans, structured property, asset finance, project finance and structured finance. He was subsequently elevated to CEO, Institutional Markets & Services UK, where he had full risk oversight for the UK operation and was personally involved in a number of high profile transactions.

In 2006, Mike assumed the new role of Head of Structuring & Investments in nabCapital, the investment banking and capital markets division of National Australia Bank, and moved to Australia where he established a new business group responsible for the restructuring of the A$100 billion wholesale banking balance sheet and the subsequent repackaging of bonds and loans for distribution to institutional and private bank investors. Mike was a member of both the nabCapital and Clydesdale Executive Committees as well as the Clydesdale Asset and Liability Committee.

Bringing a wealth of cross-sectoral expertise and extensive senior level relationships, Mike subsequently joined European Risk Capital, where he has primary responsibility for Financial Institutions, including origination strategy and distribution management.

Mike has also been assisting the Save the Children Alliance in its strategy for partnering with corporate donors. He holds BA, MA and M Phil degrees. He is married with two children and lives in London.


David Cain
Executive Advisor

David started his structured finance career in the mid-90s in the Global Securitised Finance Group of Chase Manhattan prior to its merger with JP Morgan, with overall responsibility for corporate and acquisition finance related asset-backed transactions throughout Europe.

 

He subsequently joined the Rothschild Group where he founded their Structured Finance Advisory business and developed their European securitisation activity in line with their core strength in corporate finance and debt advisory. This encompassed design and implementation of a number of strategic initiatives in structured capital markets, leading to Executive Director status and a Board level appointment by 2003.

Following an extensive City career, David became Principal of a number of independent advisory firms culminating in his current position at European Risk Capital where his primary responsibility is for Non-Bank Financials and Real Estate. His expertise extends to structured capital advisory and fundraising activities, including debt restructuring and acquisitions in consumer finance, commercial finance, corporate finance and overall property sectors.

David's multi billion dollar track record is spread across a wide range of asset classes, from credit cards and residential mortgages to auto leasing and life settlements. He has structured and led a multitude of complex deals, including arrangement of a GBP400m UK credit card portfolio acquisition, debt raising of a EU200m structured facility for a Netherlands based mortgage lender, and arrangement of a GBP100m funding line for a leading independent auto finance company.

David is a CPA with an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management and a BS in Accounting from University of Illinois. He is married with two children and lives in London.


Oliver Parr
Senior Advisor

Oliver is a highly experienced banker, having spent over 25 years at JP Morgan and Samuel Montagu/HSBC. He is currently an active placement agent for private equity and venture capital, as well as an advisor to Frey Capital AG in Zurich. He is also an advisor to Structured Finance Management Ltd, a London based provider of management services to the structured finance sector of the capital markets industry.

As a banker, Oliver was responsible for the UK activities of HSBC Investment Bank's Specialised Financing division, prior to which he established its mezzanine finance activity. He worked for a number of years in both Australia and Singapore, as well as in London and New York. More recently he has been a consultant to Deloittes and, for four years until 2006, ran a financial advisory partnership, STAC Partners LLP.

At European Risk Capital, Oliver advises on raising private equity and venture capital funds, arranging eurobond and debenture issues, as well as overall aspects of commercial borrowing; furthermore, he acts as an expert witness in cases involving loan financing generally and management buyouts in particular.

Oliver is also the Chairman of Premier Art Spaces Ltd, the largest provider of rental space to the UK art market.


Philippe Vienot
Senior Advisor

Philippe has over a decade of experience in corporate finance and asset backed funding, with primary emphasis on commercial real estate investments, structured debt underwriting, and M&A advisory.

Philippe started his finance career in the mid 90s, in the Corporate Finance Department of Gaz de France, based in Berlin. He subsequently joined the London and Paris offices of the European M&A Group of Credit Suisse First Boston where, over a period of five years, he became involved in a variety of public and private transactions in sectors ranging from oil & gas and utilities to luxury goods and media.

In 2003, Philippe joined the Asset Finance Group at Nomura, where he structured and executed numerous real estate financings and asset-backed investments, as diverse as the acquisition of Earl's Court & Olympia exhibition centres to pub estate operations and caravan parks.

Philippe subsequently joined the London office of Bear Stearns, where he co-founded the Real Estate Principal Investments Group in 2005. In this role, he arranged and led a large number of debt and equity transactions, ranging from large office portfolios and retail developments to mixed hotel and residential project-based financings throughout Europe, with particular focus on Germany, France, Benelux and Scandinavia. Philippe was subsequently elevated to Senior Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Principal Investments, continuing his career at JP Morgan after its merger with Bear Stearns.

Having been involved in distressed real estate investments and capital restructurings, Philippe currently advises European Risk Capital on structured fundraising relative to commercial property transactions, including asset management, debt/equity sourcing, and distressed acquisitions and sales in the UK and throughout Continental Europe.

Philippe holds a Masters degree from ESCP Europe in Paris.


Jesse Schulman, PhD
Non-executive Partner & Head of Compliance

Currently Managing Director of Capital Systematics Limited - a firm providing expert corporate finance advice to clients as well as investment banking, regulatory and back office support to its affiliates - Jesse has a track record in M&A, Private Placements and Corporate Partnering.

Jesse is also Director of Analysis and Research with the Ferghana Partners Group, an investment banking practice specialising in the life sciences and chemicals sectors. Prior to this, he was at the London office of US investment bank Friedman Billings Ramsey, where he worked in corporate finance and earlier as a sell-side analyst covering specialty pharmaceutical companies. Originally trained as a research scientist, Jesse has published scientific papers in Science, Brain Research and other journals.

In addition, Jesse is a Managing Partner at Capel Thompson & Homer LLC, a business development consultancy, and Managing Member of Simile Investors LLC, a US venture partnership. He is also an Emmy Award-winning former foreign correspondent for CBS News and was Biotechnology Correspondent for Financial Times "MarketWatch".

Jesse holds a PhD in Neurosciences from UC San Diego and the Salk Institute and has a BA in Mathematics from Columbia University.