Career moves

DBRS named Nichola James as co-head of sovereign ratings. At the same time, Fergus McCormick, who had been head of sovereign ratings since 2010, will now be chief economist and co-head of sovereign ratings.

The Commercial Real Estate Finance Council tapped Lisa Pendergast, a respected industry veteran, as its executive director.

Mid-market commercial direct lender Newstar Financial is losing one of its founding members and a key figure in establishing its multi-faceted securitization platform with the announced retirement of treasurer and asset management head John Frishkopf.

Allen & Overy has added a team of five partners specialized in leveraged financings to its New York office.

Bank United in Miami Lakes, Fla., has appointed two former Capital One Financial executives to lead its new equipment and franchise finance subsidiary.

Spruce Finance, a provider of consumer financing for residential solar and home efficiency improvements in the U.S., has hired Darren Thompson as chief financial officer.

Ocwen Financial Corp. in West Palm Beach, Fla., will lay off 120 employees as part of a plan to reduce costs

Thomas Humphrey was most recently head of Deutsche’s corporate banking and securities for the Americas, and was chief executive of Deutsche Bank Securities. He joined Deutsche in September 2014, following a stint as a partner at GoldenTree Asset Management where he led business development.

Deloitte & Touche recently named two co-leads for the CLO services unit of its securitization practice, Hillel Caplan and Lynda Lazzari.

Greystone, a commercial real estate lending, investment and advisory company, is adding two executives to a mortgage bond lending team.