John Fraser
On taking the leap of faith
John Fraser, Partner and Chairman of Global Structured Credit Strategies at Tikehau Capital, joins your host Brian Bejile, CEO of Octaura on The Ramp Up. John has accumulated a wealth of knowledge over his 30 years in the CLO industry. From his early days traveling the world to starting his own shop, John has had an incredible journey. In this episode, John talks about taking a step back from the business, and why he couldn’t stay away for long.
About John
John Fraser has over 30 years' experience as an investor and business manager in the leveraged loan and CLO markets. He is currently Chairman of Global Structured Credit Strategies at Tikehau Capital, a position he has held since 2021. In this role he advises Tikehau’ Capital’s senior management and global CLO platform team members on growing, expanding and managing the firm’s structured credit business.
John joined Tikehau Capital from Investcorp where he was an independent member of its Board of Directors from 2019 to 2021. Prior to joining Investcorp’s board, he was managing director and head of Investcorp’s U.S. credit business, where he was responsible for managing all aspects of U.S. loan-focused credit investments including portfolio management, fund raising, and operations. From 2012 to 2017, he was managing partner and CIO of 3i Debt Management US LLC. In 2005, he founded Fraser Sullivan Investment Management, LLC, which was subsequently sold to 3i Group in 2012.
John also previously held management positions with Angelo Gordon, Continental Bank, Merrill Lynch Asset Management and Chase Manhattan Bank North America. He is a 1983 graduate of Cornell University with a B.A. in History.
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Episode 8: Hans Christensen on taking what the market gives you
Hans Christensen, Co-founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of MJX Asset Management joins your host, Brian Bejile, CEO of Octaura on The Ramp Up. Hans’s seemingly typical career journey turned out to be anything but. Beginning as a credit analyst at Harris Bank with a hand calculator and a slide rule, Hans has witnessed the evolution of credit industry, spending a good chunk of his career at Citi before moving to Barclays and eventually spinning the business out into MJX, which currently manages over $17 Billion across multiple CLO funds.
Episode 7: John Popp on the importance of connections and community
John Popp, currently managing director and global head of the Credit Investments Group at UBS Asset Management joins your host Brian Bejile, CEO of Octaura, on The Ramp Up. John has had a storied career, which began on what some would call a less traditional path to the world of finance. John has spent most of his career building structured credit platforms at Indosuez, First Dominion, CSAM – and now UBS Asset Management. John credits his success to the broad perspective his path has provided, as well as the incredible network and community he’s developed over the years.
Episode 6: Peter Gleysteen on reimagining the markets
Peter Gleysteen, Founder, CEO & CIO at AGL Credit Management joins your host Brian Bejile, CEO of Octaura on The Ramp Up. Peter is a legend in the structured credit industry, successfully navigating every economic cycle and market crisis since his career began in 1975. Pulling from his unique upbringing, Peter has honed the ability to shed a different perspective throughout his career – leading him to launch innovations that laid the foundations of how today’s loan market operates. With experience starting not one, but two buyside shops, Peter is an incredible wealth of knowledge.
Episode 5: Lynn Hopton & Yvonne Stevens on seizing the moment
This month, co-founders and managing partners of HalseyPoint Lynn Hopton and Yvonne Stevens join Brian Bejile on The Ramp Up. Lynn and Yvonne are veterans of the CLO market. They've been securitizing assets since the market's early days in the '90s. After decades of working together at SunAmerica and then at American Express, they seized the moment and started their own shop, HalseyPoint in 2018. To get HalseyPoint off the ground, they built on their resilience, the relationships they curated, and a lengthy track record of success. The launch of HalseyPoint was fully embraced and celebrated by the street. And now, the business is thriving.
Episode 4: Brett Jefferson on refusing to fail
This month, Brett Jefferson, Founder and Co-Chief Investment Officer at Hildene Capital Management, joins your host Brian Bejile, CEO of Octaura, on The Ramp Up. Brett has charted an impressive career by looking at things differently. From the early days of navigating his education and passion for lacrosse at Syracuse University to landing on Wall Street and teaching himself the world of structured credit, Brett's refusal to fail and his focus on innovation has led Hildene to become a multi -award winning asset manager, and there's a lot more on the horizon for the firm.
Episode 3: Andy Gordon on being intellectually curious
Andy Gordon, co-founder, former CEO, and current Executive Chair of the Board of Managers at Octagon Credit joins Brian Bejile on The Ramp Up. Andy has had an illustrious career on Wall Street. From being one of the first analysts on the leveraged buyout desk at Manufacturers Hanover Trust to successfully spinning out Octagon – he did all of this while finding opportunity through two recessions and building a business that champions diversity and inclusion.
Episode 2: Thomas Majewski on doing things differently
Thomas Majewski, Founder and Managing Partner at Eagle Point Credit joins your host Brian Bejile, CEO of Octaura on The Ramp Up. Tom has been at the center of some of the most impactful innovations in the CLO market. On this episode, we cover a wide spectrum – including how Tom executed one of the earliest known CLO equity trades and what led him to start one of the first CLO equity funds.
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Episode 1: Scott McKay on being "the guy"
What do you say when someone asks you if you want to “be the guy?” On this month’s episode of The Ramp Up, Scott McKay, Head of Blue Owl Liquid Credit, fills us in on what he said next and shares why long-lasting relationships and perseverance were key to his career thus far.