NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P., a full-service investment banking firm specializing in financial services companies, today announced that Gregory Heher has joined the firm as a Principal. Mr. Heher will play a significant role in the firm’s market making and principal transactions in the corporate bond markets. Thomas D. Cullum has also joined the firm’s Fixed Income Group as a Managing Director with a focus on corporate bonds. Both are based in New York.
The additions of Messrs Heher and Cullum broaden and deepen Sandler O’Neill’s corporate bond capabilities and are the latest in a series of hires that the firm has made in expanding its fixed income platform. They also mark Mr. Heher’s return to Sandler O’Neill. He left the firm in 2009 to become Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Bond Trading at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.
“Financial services companies look to us as a leader in fixed income and balance sheet management. We need to constantly get smarter and better at every aspect of our business, and adding senior-level professionals to the team is crucial to this effort,” said Jonathan Doyle, a Sandler O’Neill Managing Principal. “Greg has a proven track record of delivering results for clients and his expertise in corporate bonds makes him a unique and invaluable resource. We are pleased to welcome him back to Sandler O’Neill. In addition, Tom is a seasoned salesperson with deep insight into fixed income products and strategies most relevant to our clients.”
“This an exciting time to join Sandler O’Neill as the firm continues to grow its Fixed Income Group and its services. I am thrilled to be back,” said Mr. Heher. “Sandler has significantly broadened its client base in recent years and corporate bonds appeal to a wide variety of financial companies. I look forward to working with Tom and the talented team at Sandler O’Neill to provide additional value for clients.”
In addition to fixed income sales and trading, Sandler O'Neill is one of the most active investment banks in merger advisory and capital raising for financial institutions. Since 2009, the firm has advised on 61 financial services merger transactions worth an aggregate of $13.5 billion. During that same period, Sandler O'Neill managed 95 public equity offerings that raised approximately $47 billion.1
About Mr. Heher
Mr. Heher has worked in the bank and finance areas for the past 30 years, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Bond Trading at Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Inc. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director in Sandler O’Neill’s Fixed Income Group. Previously, he was head of High Grade Trading at The Bank of New York. He has also held senior trading positions at Bear Stearns, Kidder Peabody and Prudential Securities. Mr. Heher holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and English from Denison University.
About Mr. Cullum
Mr. Cullum has more than 25 years of experience in fixed income services, recently serving as Client Relationship Manager for Banquo Credit Management LLP. He was previously a Senior Investment Manager in that firm’s London office. Prior to that he served as Head of Fixed Income Europe for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Ltd, London. He has also served as Head of Credit Sales for UK/Ireland and then as Head of European High Yield Sales at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, London. From 1983 to 1994, he held various senior level positions at Merrill Lynch International Limited. Mr. Cullum holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University.
1 Merger transaction and capital raising statistics from SNL Financial LC as of April 29, 2011
About Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P.
Founded in 1988, Sandler O’Neill + Partners is a full-service investment banking firm dedicated to providing comprehensive, innovative advisory and transaction execution services to the financial industry. The firm specializes in strategic business planning, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, mutual-to-stock conversions, investment portfolio and interest rate risk management, fixed income securities transactions and mortgage finance restructurings. Sandler O’Neill also is a market maker in hundreds of financial stocks and publishes equity and fixed income research focused on selected banks, thrifts and insurance companies, credit card companies, investment banks, asset managers, specialty finance companies, e-finance companies, real estate investment trusts and transaction execution companies. Additional information about Sandler O’Neill can be found on the firm’s website at www.sandleroneill.com.