Raffi Dawson joined SMBC Nikko Securities America as managing director and head of the firm’s structured finance group. In this new role, Dawson will be responsible for overseeing the firm’s securitization businesses, including conduit business, asset-based securitizations and collateralized loan obligations. Dawson will be based in New York and report to Scott Ashby, head of capital markets and investment banking at SMBC Nikko Securities America.

“We are very excited to welcome Raffi to SMBC Nikko to lead our structured finance group,” Ashby said. “Raffi brings to the organization a wealth of experience to this role and will help support the sustained growth of our securitization business and further enhance and sharpen the execution of our strategy and delivery for global corporate clients. Raffi will lead a talented team that continues to grow with new hires as well as secure new business and growth opportunities. We look forward to seeing this team continue its strong trajectory under Raffi’s leadership.”

Dawson joined SMBC Nikko Securities America from Mizuho, where he served as managing director and co-head of origination in securitized products origination, maintaining primary coverage responsibilities across multiple sectors for the securitization business, including, telecom, media and technology, FIG/financial technology, energy, sponsors and IDI. In addition, he led strategies around new asset types such as non-prime, financial technology, specialty finance and handsets.

Prior to joining Mizuho in 2010, Dawson began his career at GE Capital, where he held various positions from analyst to vice president in securitization and alternative funding and capital markets project finance. He managed Canadian and U.S. conduit platforms and U.S. ABS equipment platforms with multi-billion U.S. dollar issuances and had responsibilities for modeling, structuring, analyzing credit and executing deals.