Christine Ferris spent more than 17 years at J.P. Morgan, most recently as global head of CLO primary. In January, Ferris jumped to SMBC Nikko Securities America as head of securitized products — an unexpected career move that she couldn't resist.
Until joining SMBC, Ferris had spent her entire career at J.P. Morgan, where she said she "was given excellent opportunities to grow as a leader." She had no plans to leave the company. However, during a pitch meeting with SMBC Nikko Americas executive Scott Ashby, she learned about his vision for expanding SMBC's investment banking business in the Americas. The plan laid out by Ashby, head of capital markets and investment banking, intrigued Ferris so much that she accepted an offer to run the securitized products business at SMBC Nikko Securities America.
"The idea that I could be part of creating something big at a well-capitalized bank with strong leadership and great momentum was too good to pass up," Ferris said.
Since arriving at SMBC, Ferris has accomplished a good deal in a short amount of time. This year, the securitized products business has updated its infrastructure, grown its market presence and "hired some of the best bankers on the Street," she said.
"I am convinced we are putting the right pieces in place to be successful, but I'm just as focused on what we do as how we do it," Ferris said. "To me, that means building a culture rooted in integrity — where we take care of our clients, support each other, protect the firm and our balance sheet, and have fun while we're at it."
At J.P. Morgan, Ferris overcame several challenges as global head of CLO primary. One of her biggest challenges: rebuilding CLO syndication and distribution after the pandemic. In a November 2024 episode of "The Last Tranche" podcast, Ferris said the CLO team employed roughly 100 people before the pandemic. During the pandemic, that number dwindled to two.
Under her watch, J.P. Morgan's CLO business evolved into "one of the largest players in the CLO market," podcast host Tom Davidson and managing editor of Creditflux, said during his interview with Ferris. As of November 2024, the year's issuance total for the CLO business in the U.S. approached $80 billion, a 150% increase compared with the same period a year earlier, according to Ferris.
Ferris attributes her early success at SMBC and her more than 17 years of success at J.P. Morgan to working hard, treating people well and maintaining an "honest but optimistic" mindset.
"If there is a through line in my career, it's proactively thinking about what problems I could solve for myself, for my manager or for the business," she said. "I've tried to stay externally focused rather than focusing on optimizing my own career. I try to keep it simple — work hard and do right by the people around me."
Vivek Mathew, president of Antares Capital Advisors, is a former boss and current client of Ferris. He said Ferris' energy, enthusiasm and authenticity attract colleagues and clients.
"Christine is very bright and digests complex information quickly, making her a subject matter expert on multiple fronts, which explains her rapid rise as a banker," Mathew said.
"Combine that with her natural leadership qualities — people follow her because she is compassionate and inspirational — and you have a very effective all-around executive with a tremendous amount of potential," he added.
