Eric Neglia has been appointed as the Global Head of KBRA’s expanding Funds Ratings business. Simultaneously, Thomas Speller has been named Global Head of Fund Finance while continuing to lead KBRA’s European Funds division.
“Eric’s extensive experience in asset-backed securitizations will provide vital analytical leadership to our team of over 50 professionals dedicated to funds ratings, especially as the private credit industry shifts aggressively toward asset-backed lending strategies,” said William Cox, KBRA’s Global Head of Corporate Financial and Government Ratings. “His managerial and analytical expertise makes him ideally suited to spearhead KBRA’s rapidly growing Funds Ratings business, which encompasses hundreds of rated transactions.”
Cox further stated, “Tom Speller is not only KBRA’s Fund Finance leader; he is a thought leader for the broader market regarding the increasing utilization of credit ratings in both NAV financings and subscription lines.”
Previously, Eric Neglia served as the Global Head of ABS, overseeing KBRA’s ABS analytical efforts, including credit rating methodologies, rating assignment processes, and ongoing surveillance. He was appointed to this position in May 2023 after leading KBRA’s Consumer and Commercial ABS initiatives. During his nine-year tenure with the firm, Eric has made significant strides in enhancing KBRA’s ABS analytical capabilities across various asset classes. Before joining KBRA in 2015, Eric held the role of Head of Operational Risk Management at MasterCard Worldwide and spent 15 years at MBIA Insurance Corporation, underwriting consumer ABS transactions.
Thomas Speller is a Managing Director and recently served as the Head of European Funds at KBRA UK. Joining KBRA in 2021, Tom focuses on rating fund finance transactions, including subscription lines and NAV loans. Before his tenure at KBRA, he was an executive director at Goldman Sachs International, where he worked as a credit risk analyst across various industries and products, particularly within the funds sector, including private equity and hedge funds, as well as structured lending.
KBRA is a leader in private market credit ratings and assessments, having conducted over 3,500 credit assessments or ratings for middle-market borrowers within private credit portfolios. Additionally, KBRA has issued ratings for more than 250 fund finance transactions, over 200 private asset-backed finance transactions, and maintains credit ratings on 50 of the world’s leading private asset managers, as well as rating over 100 middle-market CLOs and numerous other private credit and private equity facilities.