Career moves

The American Securitization Forum retained Mike Williams as a senior policy advisor.

Philip Darivoff will serve as chairman of the board of DFG and its parent company, Vibrant Capital Partners.

Ares Management named Jeffrey Kramer as a portfolio manager in the firm’s capital markets group;he will lead a “tactical expansion” of the firm’s structured credit business.

Neil Odom-Haslett will join Standard Life Investments as head of commercial real estate lending in August and will lead the company's entry into the U.K. commercial real-estate market.

Cantor Commercial Real Estate said it appointed Faisal Ashraf, former head of capital markets at Credit Suisse, as managing director and head of special situations, in the company’s real estate finance business team.

Intermediate Capital Group continues its efforts to expand its North American debt operations, recently bringing on four industry veterans.

Amherst Securities Group, an approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities underwriter, has brought on Chris McDowell as a managing director in fixed income trading and sales,

Goldman Sacs has named Ian Gilday head of origination for collateralized loan obligations in EMEA.

Pillar Capital has appointed Stephen A. Velotti Chief Executive Officer effective immediately, the Bermuda-based insurance asset management company said in a press today.

Sallie Mae has appointed Steven McGarry as senior vice president of corporate finance.

The Structured Finance Industry Group has hired Falcon Capital Advisors as well as a consultancy run by Kristi Leo to help it attract new members and pursue its legislative agenda.

Lewtan said today that Miten Amin joins the firm as director of market applications and Youriy Koudinov joins as director of market applications and securitized products research.

The Structured Finance Industry Group’s first executive director hails from an issuer.

Barclays has appointed Adam Yarnold head of US securitized products trading, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Will Howard Davies of PIMCO will serve on the Prime Collateralized Securities (PCS) market committee.

The financial industry advocacy group named former New Hampshire governor and U.S. senator Judd A. Gregg as its next chief executive officer.