JVB Financial Announces New Hires

Expands Repo Business Leadership Team

Enhances Sales and Trading Team

NEW YORK and BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 27, 2017 -- J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (member of FINRA and SIPC) (“JVB”), an indirect majority owned subsidiary of Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American:COHN), is pleased to announce the addition of several new employees. 

In connection with the launch of JVB’s matched book repo and reverse repo funding business, JVB has hired Tommy Antonaros, Eric Cappelmann, and Joseph Ilardi.  

• Mr. Ilardi joins JVB as Managing Director and Head of the Mortgage Repo Group.  Mr. Ilardi has over 25 years of experience in Agency MBS repo trading, most recently with UBS in group asset and liability management where he managed UBS’s MBS, Government and Agency general collateral funding books, as well as risk.
  
  
• Mr. Antonaros has been hired as Director of Repo Operations.  He brings over 15 years of fixed income experience, most recently with Cantor Fitzgerald, where his responsibilities included trading and funding a multi-billion dollar Agency MBS repo matched book, overseeing counterparty margin and exposure, and coordinating and optimizing trade settlement.
  
  
• Mr. Cappelmann joins the firm as Managing Director and Head of Matched Book Repo Counterparty Credit. Mr. Cappelmann has over 20 years of experience in credit and risk management, most recently as Head of Global Counterparty Credit at Pine River Capital Management.

JVB is also pleased to welcome Devin Wicker as a Managing Director of Sales and Special Projects, where he will be responsible for helping JVB build out its distribution of agency debt, mortgages and corporates, and further develop JVB’s repo business.  Mr. Wicker has over 17 years of experience, including positions at Goldman Sachs and managing his own broker-dealer firm for several years.

In addition, JVB has hired Linda Langley as a Senior Vice President of Institutional Sales and Joseph Miller as an Executive Director of Corporate High Yield and Distressed Trading.  Ms. Langley’s responsibilities will include selling agencies, collateralized-mortgage-obligations, and structured notes, among other investment classes.  With over 38 years of experience, most recently with Northeast Securities, Ms. Langley will help build out the Company’s institutional reach.  Mr. Miller has over 14 years of experience, most recently with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, and will focus on trading special situations and distressed debt.

Lester Brafman, JVB’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We continue to bolster our bench of talent with the addition of key employees who will be instrumental in building and enhancing JVB’s core competencies, as well as adding new business lines that are synergistic with our platform. We are excited to welcome these new additions who will help propel JVB to the next level.”

 About JVB

J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (“JVB”), a Delaware Limited Liability Company, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), and a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). JVB focuses on four distinct business lines: (1) Mortgage Trading and Financing (focusing on providing capital market services to middle market mortgage originators seeking to enhance their mortgage pipeline execution and overall portfolio profitability and includes (i) TBA Trading, (ii) Agency MBS Trading, (iii) Gestational Repo Financing, and (iv) Agency Matched Book Repo); (2) SBA Securitization (focusing on the warehousing and securitization of SBA loans and COOF certificates); (3) Wholesale Trading & Distribution (focusing on servicing small fixed income broker-dealers); and (4) Credit Trading (focusing on investment grade and high yield corporate bonds). For more information, please visit www.jvbfinancial.com.

Contact:              

J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC
Stephan Burklin
Chief Operating Officer
(561) 939-1214
[email protected]