Business Team >> | European Investment Team >> | Executive Assistants >>
Members of our investment team come from varying professional backgrounds, including asset management, sell-side research, and leveraged finance investment banking. This breadth of experience is integral in developing insightful investment strategies.
James P. Ferguson, Chairman & Chief Investment Officer
jferguson@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8410
Mr. Ferguson is the Chairman & Chief Investment Officer of Octagon, which he founded in 1994. Previously, Mr. Ferguson was the Group Credit Officer for the Global Banking Division of Chemical Bank. Prior to that, he held numerous relationship management positions at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., most notably in acquisition finance. He holds a B.S.B.A degree from Bucknell University.
Andrew Gordon, Chief Executive Officer & President
agordon@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8420
Mr. Gordon is the CEO and President of Octagon, which he co-founded in 1994. He formerly managed Octagon Investment Partners V, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners VI, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners IX, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners XI, Ltd., and Integral. He also managed the loan and bond book for a market value fund (Octagon II), The Enhanced Loan Income Fund and a managed account, all of which have been redeemed. Prior to joining Octagon, Mr. Gordon was a Managing Director of Chemical Securities, Inc. and prior to that, was a Vice President in the Acquisition Finance Division of Manufacturers Hanover Trust. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree in Economics from Duke University.
Michael Nechamkin, Senior Portfolio Manager
mnechamkin@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8430
Mr. Nechamkin is a Managing Member of Octagon, and serves as the Senior Portfolio Manager of Octagon Investment Partners VII, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners VIII, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners X, Ltd., and Hamlet II, Ltd. He previously managed Octagon III and Octagon IV, two cash flow CLO’s which have been redeemed. Prior to joining Octagon in 1999, Mr. Nechamkin was a Vice President and Senior Analyst in the High Yield Research Group of BT Alex Brown. Prior to that, he had been the Convertible Securities Analyst at Mabon Securities and a Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch and Co. He holds a Bachelors and a Masters of Talmudic Law from Ner Israel College and an M.B.A from the University of Baltimore.
Donald C. Young, Portfolio Manager
dyoung@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8450
Mr. Young rejoined Octagon in February, 2009 and serves as the Portfolio Manager of Octagon Investment Partners V, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners VI, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners IX, Ltd., Octagon Investment Partners XI, Ltd., and Integral Funding, Ltd. Prior to rejoining Octagon, Mr. Young spent three years at Primus Asset Management, where he was the Senior Portfolio Manager for Primus CLO I, Primus CLO II and a credit-focused proprietary hedge fund. Prior to Primus, Mr. Young was a Principal at Octagon from 2001-2006 with various responsibilities, including loan and bond trading, as well as industry sector coverage. Prior to that, Mr. Young was SVP and Division Manger of the Media Finance Division of Bank of the West and its predecessor, First Hawaiian Bank. Mr. Young received a BA-Economics from Lafayette College and an MBA-Finance from the University of Hawaii.
George A. Duarte, Head of Marketing & Investor Relations
gduarte@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8449
Mr. Duarte joined Octagon in 2009. Together with Octagon's senior officers, his responsibilities include developing new products, capital formation and developing and managing investor relationships. Prior to Octagon, Mr. Duarte was a founding partner of UBS Capital Americas, LLC, (15 yrs.) a middle market private equity firm managing in excess of US$2 billion with offices in New York, Buenos Aires and Sao Paolo. Prior to UBS Capital, Mr. Duarte worked in the acquisition finance departments at Citibank, N.A.(2 yrs.) and Manufacturers Hanover Trust (9 yrs.). He holds a B.S. in Finance, and International Management from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
Mark Bodie, Principal
mbodie@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8433
Mr. Bodie joined Octagon in 1998. His coverage areas include the equipment rental, waste management, metals & mining, power & utilities, shipping, and oil & gas industries. Prior to joining Octagon, Mr. Bodie worked in Chase Manhattan Bank’s Global Investment Banking Division. Prior to Chase, he worked as a Trading Assistant at Eaton Vance Management. Mr. Bodie holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Finance from Boston College and received his CFA Charter in 1998.
Matthew Lee, Principal
mlee@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8408
Mr. Lee joined Octagon in 1998. His coverage areas include the telecommunications, cable and satellite, and media, broadcasting and publishing industries. Prior to joining Octagon, Mr. Lee worked in Chase Manhattan’s Latin America Debt Capital Markets group and in MetLife’s Investments division analyzing Emerging Markets and Project Finance debt. Mr. Lee attended the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Economics, International Relations and Psychology. He received his CFA Charter in 2000.
Gretchen M. Lam, Principal
glam@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8423
Ms. Lam joined Octagon in 1999. Her coverage areas include the gaming, lodging, real estate/home building, financial services and forest products industries. Prior to joining Octagon, Ms. Lam attended Babson College where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Investments. She received her CFA Charter in 2006.
Lauren M. Basmadjian, Principal
lbasmadjian@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8435
Ms. Basmadjian joined Octagon in 2001. Her coverage areas include the leisure & entertainment, retail, consumer products, business services, food & beverage and technology industries. Prior to joining Octagon, Ms. Basmadjian worked in Chase Securities, Inc.’s Acquisition Finance Group. She graduated Cum Laude from the Stern School of Business at New York University with a B.S. in Finance and Economics.
Maegan Gallagher, Associate
mgallagher@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8405
Ms. Gallagher joined Octagon in 2007 and is responsible for trading. Prior to joining Octagon, Ms. Gallagher worked in the syndicated and leveraged finance group at J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. where she primarily covered the technology, media, and telecom sectors. She has a B.S. in Finance from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
Lauren Bernaski, Associate
lbernaski@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8424
Ms. Bernaski joined Octagon in 2004. Her coverage areas include the packaging, industrial, manufacturing, building products and healthcare industries. She holds a B.S. in Business Management with a Finance concentration from Babson College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Alexander Jenner, Analyst
ajenner@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8432
Mr. Jenner joined Octagon in 2006 and assists the associates/principals by researching and preparing write-ups for potential credit investments. He holds a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Christina Weniger, Analyst
cweniger@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8425
Ms. Weniger joined Octagon in 2006 and assists the associates/principals by researching and preparing write-ups for potential credit investments. She holds a B.S.B.A. in Accounting with a concentration in finance from Bucknell University where she graduated Cum Laude.
Casey Derbyshire, Analyst
cderbyshire@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8403
Ms. Derbyshire joined Octagon in 2007 and she assists the associates/principals by researching and preparing write-ups for potential credit investments. She holds a B.S.B.A. in Business Management from Bucknell University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
John Armideo, Analyst
jarmideo@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8425
Mr. Armideo joined Octagon in 2008 and he assists the associates/principals by researching and preparing write-ups for potential credit investments. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Amherst College.
Investment Team >> | Business Team >> | Executive Assistants >>
Patrick Steiner, Portfolio Manager
psteiner@octagoncredit.com
+44 20 7389 9310
Mr. Steiner serves as Portfolio Manager of OCI Euro Fund I B.V. Before joining Octagon in June 2001, he was Director of JPMorgan Chase’s European High Yield Research Group, which he created in 1998. He joined JPMorgan Chase from American Express/IDS’ investment department in Minneapolis, USA where he covered the telecom, media and textile industries. Prior to that, he spent five years at a private equity boutique investing in international petrochemical projects and US domestic industrial companies, and three years as a corporate finance generalist at Bankers Trust Company. Mr. Steiner received a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He holds a CFA charter.
Frederic Jourdren, Principal
fjourdren@octagoncredit.com
+44 20 7389 9313
Mr. Jourdren joined Octagon in 2006. His European coverage areas include the consumer, retail and healthcare industries and he participates in origination activities involving sponsors and underwriters. Prior to joining Octagon, he spent two years at Intermediate Capital Managers Limited (ICML) covering the consumer, retail, healthcare and media sectors. Prior to joining ICML, he worked at ABN AMRO and JP Morgan Chase in their respective leverage finance origination businesses in London. Previously he was employed by Valeo in a financial control function in Germany. Mr. Jourdren holds an MBA from the University of South Carolina and is a graduate of Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Clermont-Ferrand.
Stephanie Iem, Analyst
siem@octagoncredit.com
+44 20 7389 9314
Ms. Iem joined Octagon in 2007 and she assists the associates/principals by researching and preparing write-ups for potential credit investments. She holds a B.A. in International Management specializing in Accounting and Finance from EPSCI in Paris, and a Masters degree in Strategy and Management of International Business from ESSEC Business School in Paris. Claude May, Analyst
cmay@octagoncredit.com
+44 20 7389 9311
Mr. May joined Octagon in 2007 and he assists the associates/principals by researching and preparing write-ups for potential credit investments. He graduated from the ICHEC Management School in Brussels and holds an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Investment Team >> | European Investment Team >> | Executive Assistants >>
Octagon’s business team monitors proposed trading activity, ongoing compliance, daily cash and par reconciliations to the Trustees and collateral administration matters including settlement of asset trades. We utilize Wall Street Office software to monitor current portfolio investments and expected fund cash flows.
Thomas Connors, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
tconnors@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8440
Mr. Connors is the CFO of Octagon where he is responsible for overseeing both the accounting and collateral administration teams. Prior to joining Octagon in 1999, he was a Vice President and the Product Controller for the mortgage and asset-backed securities business at Lehman Brothers Inc., and he held other positions in the new products accounting and financial reporting groups. Prior to Lehman, he was a Senior Manager in the Audit and Executive Office Divisions at KPMG LLP. Mr. Connors holds a B.S. degree from St. Peter’s College and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Harry Falconer, Vice President
hfalconer@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8441
Mr. Falconer joined Octagon in 1996. His responsibilities include monitoring compliance for all of Octagon’s Funds. Prior to joining Octagon, He was a member of the Financial Services Audit Division of KPMG LLP. His prior experience also includes four years as a staff accountant with Dresdner Securities and The Dreyfus Corporation. Mr. Falconer holds a B.S. in Accounting from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Paul Rosenkrantz, Vice President
prosenkrantz@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8442
Mr. Rosenkrantz joined Octagon 2000. He is responsible for Investor and Management Reporting at Octagon. Prior to joinig Octagon, he was a senior accountant at Ernst & Young LLP where he was concentrated in the Real Estate Group. Mr. Rosenkrantz is a graduate of Binghamton University where he received a B.S. in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Margaret Harvey, Senior Director of Portfolio Administration
mharvey@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8444
Ms. Harvey joined Octagon in 1999. She is responsible for managing the collateral and administration group at Octagon. Prior to joining Octagon, Ms. Harvey was Vice President of Credit Administration of the Chase Private Bank. Prior to this position she managed the Media, Entertainment and Technology Group’s Credit Administration Unit. Ms. Harvey graduated from Adelphi University with an M.B.A. in Management and Finance and from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in Liberal Arts.
Gloria V.Cupid, Senior Portfolio Administrator
gcupid@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8445
Ms. Cupid joined Octagon in 1999. She is a Senior Portfolio Administrator responsible for settling loan and bond trades for Octagon’s funds. Prior to joining Octagon, Ms. Cupid worked in Credit Administration at Chase Private Bank. In prior assignments, she was Assistant Manager in Chemical Bank’s Media, Entertainment and Technology Group Credit Administration Unit and she worked in Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company’s Middle Market Group. Ms. Cupid holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Bernard M. Baruch College, CUNY.
Kimberly Wong, Portfolio Administrator Associate
kwong@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8419
Ms. Wong joined Octagon in 2006. She supports the Portfolio Managers in all administrative activities relating to loan and bond trading and collateral. Prior to joining Octagon, Ms. Wong was a Portfolio Administrator at US Bank Corporate Trust Services. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Syracuse University.
Alex Monteleone, Portfolio Administrator
amonteleone@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8447
Mr. Monteleone joined Octagon in 2005. He assists in updating and maintaining Wall Street Office, our investment portfolio database. He also works closely with the accounting group to calculate total return for our funds. Mr. Monteleone graduated from Juniata College with a B.S. in Finance.
Bill Behrle, Portfolio Administrator
bbehrle@octagoncredit.com
212-400-8415
Mr. Behrle joined Octagon in 2007. His responsibilities include reconciling cash for Octagon's funds and assisting in the maintenance of our investment portfolio database. Mr. Behrle graduated from Caldwell College and holds a B.S. in Marketing.
Investment Team >> | European Investment Team >> | Business Team >>
|
