PANELISTS

 

Mark Cabana, Managing Director, Head of US Rates Strategy

Mark Cabana is the head of US Rates Strategy at BofA Global Research, based in New York. In this role, he publishes research and trade recommendations covering US short-term interest rates and macro strategy. He also meets regularly with a broad range of clients to discuss the firm's views on Fed policy, interest rates, and financial regulation. Cabana joined the firm in 2015.

Before joining BofA Securities, Mark worked as an officer in the Markets Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He spent nearly 9 years on the Open Markets Trading Desk which spanned the duration of the financial crisis. While at the NY Fed, Cabana was closely involved with the design and implementation for a number of asset purchase / QE programs and also managed a team focused on analyzing global macroeconomic conditions and financial markets.

Cabana earned a bachelor’s degree from Furman University and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in finance and international relations. He is a CFA charterholder.

 

Pia Friis, Managing Director, MUFG Americas

Pia Friis is the International Head of Legal for the MUFG Securities platform and Deputy General Counsel of the Americas and Head of the CIB & Markets Practice Group.

Pia Friis is the International Head of Legal for the MUFG Securities platform, Deputy General Counsel for the Americas, General Counsel for MUFG Securities Americas and Head of the CIB & Markets Practice Group.

Based in New York, Pia's responsibilities include legal support for all U.S. wholesale lending businesses in MUFG Bank and MUFG Union Bank; including project, trade, supply, commodity, and asset finance; its leasing operations; the two asset-backed commercial paper conduits; the MUFG Securities businesses including its debt and equity underwriting; all sales and trading activities in cash and derivatives in rates, credit and equity as well as the structured products business which includes structured derivatives, ABS underwriting, CLO warehousing, CLO structuring and underwriting. Pia also oversees the corporate affairs function of MUFG Securities Americas and MUFG Securities (Canada) and all corporate litigation; regulatory and human resources matters.

Prior to joining MUFG, Pia spent 8 years at The Royal Bank of Scotland as a Managing Director and Senior Counsel where she held various roles including leading the bank's structured products and derivatives practice; the work-out of RBS's Lehman claim and for the last five years, leading the bank's U.S. regulatory change program which included such projects as swap dealer, IHC and Volcker implementation. Prior to joining The Royal Bank of Scotland, Pia spent 16 years in private practice at Bech Brun (Denmark), Sidley (London and New York) and Linklaters (New York).

Pia earned her first Master of Laws degree from the University of Copenhagen. She holds a Master of Laws degree from each of University College London and New York University Law School as well. Pia is qualified to practice law as an advokat in Denmark, solicitor in England and Wales and in New York as a member of the New York Bar. Pia is a member of the General Counsel's Committee of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and the New York State Bar Association.

 

Jeanne Naughton-Carr, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, The Bank of New York Mellon

Jeanne Naughton-Carr is a Managing Director and Associate General Counsel in The Bank of New York Mellon’s (“BNY Mellon”) Legal Department where she manages the Legal Department teams responsible for supporting BNY Mellon’s Issuer Services, Treasury Services, Commercial Lending, and Letter of Credit activity.

Prior to joining BNY Mellon, Jeanne was a Counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP where her practice focused on commercial lending, securitization and derivatives. Jeanne has advised lenders with respect to a broad range of lending categories, including investment grade and asset-based lending, receivables financing, aircraft finance, and municipal finance. She also has represented banks and trust companies in their capacity as trustee, collateral agent, and servicer in corporate debt issuances and in asset-backed securitization transactions for residential mortgages, tax liens, student loans, and health care receivables.

 

 

MODERATOR

Hermina "Nina" Batson, FWA President-Elect and Leadership Council Chair

Nina Batson has been an active member of the Financial Women’s Association (FWA) since 2009 and currently is the FWA’s President-Elect and Leadership Council Chair. Prior to her current role, Nina has served as the FWA’s Executive Vice President, Vice President of the FWA’s Engagement and Resources Division, and Membership Chair for several years.



With over 30 years of banking and finance experience, Nina was most recently a Director in the Securitized Products area of MUFG Securities Americas, Inc. specializing in securitization. Prior to her 25 years of service at MUFG, Nina worked for Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, and JPMorgan Chase. Her extensive background includes commercial paper conduit financing, compliance, tax, accounting, risk management, regulatory reporting, syndications, conduit administration, supply chain finance, audit-related aspects, and all types of securitization execution.

Nina is a recipient of Markets Choice Awards’ Women in Finance: Excellence in Social Responsibility award, holds her Series 79 and 63 certifications, and received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Certificate in Accounting, both from Hofstra University.