FGIC Appoints Velins London Managing Director
Financial Guaranty Insurance Co. announced that Robert Velins has joined the company as Managing Director, International Finance, effective June 1. He is based in London and has primary responsibility for FGIC’s infrastructure finance efforts in the UK and Europe.
Before joining FGIC, Velins was a Managing Director at MBIA Insurance Corporation, where he was responsible for the origination, structuring and execution of infrastructure and utility transactions within the UK and Europe. Earlier at MBIA, he was the Director of the Asia Pacific Rim Region, which includes Australia, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. In this capacity, he was responsible for both public finance and securitization products in the region.
Prior to MBIA, Velins had significant experience in the banking industry including tenures at Barclays Capital, CF First Boston and National Australia Bank. He began his career in Corporate Strategy at Coopers & Lybrand Consultants. Velins received a Bachelor of Economics [Honors] from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
Commenting on the appointment, Tim Travers, Senior Managing Director and head of International Finance at FGIC noted: “Bringing Robert on board really kick-starts FGIC’s presence in the international infrastructure arena. When you combine his banking experience in both infrastructure and structured finance with his understanding of the financial guaranty industry, he’s really the perfect candidate to be our infrastructure team leader in London.”