R O B E R T E C K E R S T R O M

Middletown, NJ **748 917. 957.7547 acxmf1@r.postjobfree.com

Portfolio Manager Trader Analyst

Passionate investor who collaborates with team and understands the drivers of risk. Analyzed, traded and managed large global fixed income and corporate bond portfolios achieving excellent results. Produced Alpha and consistently uncovered both macro and micro opportunities through strong fundamental, valuation and market knowledge. Attentive to details, disciplined about investing and adaptive to fast-paced environment. Enjoys developing innovative ideas.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Investment Management Investment Research Risk Management

Asset Allocation Fundamental Credit Analysis Performance Attribution

Security Selection Fixed Income / Index Trading Portfolio Construction

Trading / Strategy Business Development Quantitative Data Analysis

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Moody’s Analytics - New York, NY

Credit Strategist – Director / Senior Analyst 2006 – 2015

Highlighted timely investment opportunities utilizing quantitative tools and fundamental research

Published Macro research such as Outlooks on high yield spreads and corporate issuance utilizing qualitative analysis and Merton based models

Identified sectors, industries and companies with deteriorating credit or undergoing credit transformations. Focused risk analysis on telecom, cable/media, technology, consumer products, home builders, LBO’s and distressed credits

Generated and published relative value ideas including security selection and capital structure opportunities across High Yield, and Investment Grade corporate bonds and Credit Default Swaps

Quoted in Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, etc.

Increased sales and customer awareness of credit products

Grew customer awareness of new and existing credit platforms by effectively communicating insight of quantitative tools through client presentations, Webinars, periodic publications, white papers, case studies, and press interviews

Analyzed client portfolios providing stress tests and risk assessments. Recommended strategies which improved ways to control and hedge credit risks using practical applications

Provided thought leadership by writing numerical studies which focused on portfolio positioning strategies in the corporate bond and derivative markets regarding LBO’s, momentum, default, recovery rates and ratings transitions - utilizing alternative means of analyzing market information

Created new credit business initiatives leveraging resources across business units

Partnered across cross-functional teams to developed real-time automated credit research reports on global companies based on financial statement analysis and quantitative scoring. Significantly expanded research coverage globally using innovative natural-language text technology

Mentored both internal and external analysts in areas of corporate credit analysis

Managed overseas analysts as go-to expert on corporate credit methodology, risk factors, and data integrity verification for new credit platform.

Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) - New York, NY

Global Portfolio Manager / Trader 2001 – 2006 Produced excellent risk adjusted investment returns over many years through global economic cycles

Managed and co-managed multi-billion dollar global interest rate and credit portfolios

Outperformed fixed income benchmark and expected value added targets (EVA) each year

Excellent track record - positive total return, excess return and peer outperformance for four consecutive years in both co-managed and individual portfolios achieving high Information Ratio

Investable universe included: Global G7 Rates, Global IG & High Yield Corporates, Sovereigns, Government Related Entities, Emerging markets. Instruments included: Bonds, Convertibles, CDS, IR Futures, Options, Swaps, Eurodollars, Asset Backs & Credit Indices

Added Alpha through various strategies such as: basis trades, relative values across industry, sector allocation, security selection, capital structure and statistical arbitrage, tactical positioning, portfolio optimization and global macro

Expanded global trading capabilities and responsibilities

Integrated and monitored trading efforts among NY, London, Singapore – implementing best execution trading and hedging techniques

Articulated team’s positioning strategy, rationale for specific holdings and investment process with management and integral Wall Street counterparties

Expanded market analytics and trading – HY bonds, convertibles and derivatives

Communicated investment recommendations to global participants along with market color, expectations and news developments

Controlled liquidity and concentration risks through use of credit derivatives, on the run security selection and asset allocation

Engaged in relationships and analysis of third party managers along with daily interactions and negotiations with sale-side analysts and traders

Determined effective implementation of ideas across different portfolio mandates and constraints

Enriched investment strategies and results

Capitalized on index trading by replicating portfolio exposures enabling efficient hedging and beta correlation for use in portfolio rebalancing and illiquid situations

Synthetically replicated credit and rate exposures through the use of CDS and interest rate swaps reducing direct FIG corporate bond exposure while maintaining similar industry weighting

Led a team of junior analysts in the creation of an automated CDS platform which valued CDS positions and incorporated scenario analysis for dynamic risk inputs

Merrill Lynch & Co, Inc. - New York, NY

Institutional Fixed Income Sales Associate 1993 – 2000

Developed and initiated new relationships

Generated ideas and problem solved for Real Money and alternative accounts such as insurance, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds and swap desks

Executed trades in cash, futures, forward, options and financing trades in multiple products (treasuries, agencies, swaps)

Utilized pricing models to advise clients of relative value trade opportunities such as butterfly spreads, curve trades, and basis trades

Managed financing of client book and matched-book ledger

Created reports on quarterly and daily financing expectations and active in the asset liability management (ALM) for matched repo book

Advised clients of financing alternatives and new products – structured loans, leveraged loans, etc.

Maintained financing book for large client portfolios – Repos & reverse repos

Priced various fixed income instruments for traders and clients – mortgage products, asset backs etc.

Conducted due diligence with Custodial Banks on mortgage collateral

First Town Mortgage Corp - Secaucus, NJ

Market Analyst / Pipeline Manager 1992 – 1993

Set rates for all mortgage products for both conforming and non-conforming loans

Developed competitive pricing models for mortgage products and negotiate financing with 17 branches

EDUCATION

MBA (Finance / International Business) NYU, Leonard N. Stern School of Business

Semester abroad: MBA International Management Program, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration Spring 2001

BA (Accounting / Economics) Muhlenberg College - Allentown, PA

Economic Honor Society / Accounting Honors

Other courses and certs: Covenants & Documentation; High Yield & Leverage Credit Analysis; Finra Series 3,7,63

ADDITIONAL

Active user: Bloomberg, MarketAxess, Tradeweb, Barclays Point, Primetrade, Capital IQ, FactSet, Moody’s CreditEdge, RiskFrontier, Financial Metrics, MS applications: Excel, Access, PowerPoint

Experience : VBA, SQL, Python

ACTIVITIES

FIASI member, Golf, Wrestling, Snowboarding, ToughMudder

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