CHICAGO -- Kemper Securities Inc. has expanded its public finance services by adding operations in New York and Seattle and hiring an executive in its Chicago headquarters, the firm said on Monday.
John N. Bruno, a senior vice president, heads Kemper's national public finance health care group in New York and Chicago, while Marianne Mitchell, a first vice president, heads the firm's Seattle public finance operations. Dennis Daniels has joined the firm's Chicago headquarters and will concentrate on Illinois financings, according to a press release.
Jerry Fallon, managing director and manager of public finance at Kemper, said that the firm "is very committed to public finance and these hirings demonstrate that." Fallon said that the firm intends to "beef up" its public finance department in areas where its retail strengths lie.
Bruno will focus on health-care financings nationally by dividing his time between Kemper's Chicago headquarters and World Trade Center office, the release says.
Bruno will be working with James Butler, a first vice president in Kemper's Chicago office. Bruno was an executive vice president and director of marketing for two years at Medimax Inc., a New York-based health-care receivables finance company, the release says.
Bruno also worked for 10 years at Lehman Brothers where he managed and negotiated more than $4 billion of financings for health-care providers, according to the release.
Mitchell will focus mostly on financings in Washington and Alaska out of the firm's Seattle office, a Kemper spokeswoman said.
Mitchell was formerly the finance director for two years at T.D. Archey Corporation in Bellevue, Wash., according to the release. She managed all financial aspects of T.D. Archey and served as the company's liaison to financial institutions, insurance, and bond companies, the release says.
Mitchell was also a co-founder of Smith, Mitchell & Associates, serving as an executive vice president and manager of public finance in the firm's Seattle office.
The addition of a public finance department in the Seattle office expands Kemper's operations in the Northwest. In May, the firm moved its Pacific Northwest municipal bond trading operation to Seattle from Denver.
Daniels will be working on municipal and school deals in Illinois. Prior to joining Kemper, Daniels was a senior vice president and manager for three years at Griffin, Kubik, Stephens & Thompson, where he established and managed the firm's public finance department. Daniels has also served as vice president and manager of public finance at Harris Trust & Savings Bank in Chicago.
Daniels has completed more than 500 public finance transactions during his 15-year career, the release says.
The staff additions came four months after Kemper announced that the securities firm was not for sale.
