Clarus Capital hired veteran equipment finance executive Chris Swanton as head of capital markets to lead its coverage of institutional accounts. Swanton will have responsibility for sourcing and syndicating new equipment finance and leasing opportunities through a network of capital market relationships.

Swanton, who will be located in Clarus Capital’s headquarters in Boston, has more than 30 years of experience originating and structuring equipment financings for clients both domestically and across the border.

Prior to joining Clarus Capital, Swanton was a senior vice president at SLR Equipment Finance. Previously, he worked for Citizens Bank, where he was responsible for managing the asset finance sales team within the bank’s footprint. Swanton also previously served as president of equipment finance and leasing at Sovereign (now Santander) Bank for six years, where he oversaw the middle-market and large corporate leasing team, the small-ticket and vendor equipment finance division and the aircraft finance division. He also held senior level roles at Key Bank and Bank of Tokyo (now MUFG) and has served as chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s financial institutions business council steering committee.

“We are excited to add Chris as a senior member of our organization,” Steve O’Leary, CEO of Clarus Capital, said. “He is well known in the marketplace and has tremendous relationships with banks, commercial finance companies, brokers and other centers of influence. His investment acumen and extensive transaction experience make him a tremendous fit with us and we are really pleased to have him join.”

“This is an exceptional time to join a high performance, growing organization with a long and successful track record in the equipment finance market,” Swanton said. “I look forward to expanding and deepening our coverage of institutional accounts on a national scale and to working with Steve and the team as we build Clarus into a preeminent equipment finance platform.”