Rockefeller deepens its bench with fixed-income muscle

Rockefeller’s asset management division is beefing up its fixed income capabilities by adding three investment experts to its bench.

On Monday, Rockefeller Asset Management announced the hiring of three seasoned municipal bond experts, marking a significant expansion in its fixed income sector.

Scott Cottier is the unit’s new managing director, while Mark DeMitry and Michael Camarella are coming on board as senior vice presidents to the firm’s fixed income business, which oversees about $5 billion in assets.

The trio, each boasting over two decades of collaborative investment experience, previously managed portfolios exceeding $25 billion. They will operate under the supervision of Alex Petrone, director of fixed income at Rockefeller.

Their primary role will be to enhance the company's active investment strategies, focusing on high yield municipal credit investments. Additionally, this team will help establish Rockefeller’s presence in the Rochester market, where they will be based.

“In our view, there are compelling opportunities in both high yield and investment grade municipal bonds today, and we remain committed to expanding our offering to enhance our ability to deliver alpha through actively managed strategies,” Petrone said in a statement.

“We are excited to broaden our existing team’s capabilities with the addition of these three deeply experienced investment professionals with over two decades of experience seeking alpha,” she added.

Rockefeller announced its new executive hires amid a backdrop of recent increased interest in municipal bonds, which have traditionally offered substantial tax benefits for high-income earners.

“As our business continues to grow, we remain focused on hiring world-class talent within inefficient asset classes or themes where we believe the probability of outperformance by following a consistent investment process is high,” said Casey Clark, president and chief investment officer at Rockefeller Asset Management.

Cottier brings a wealth of experience, with more than 29 years in financial services, having previously led teams at Invesco and OppenheimerFunds. DeMitry and Camarella also join with rich backgrounds in the industry, contributing 26 and 25 years of experience respectively, having held positions at major financial institutions including Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley.

These appointments are part of a broader initiative by Rockefeller Asset Management to fortify its investment team, following earlier additions such as Jason Kotik and Timothy Skiendzielewski, who focus on the firm’s US small and smid-cap strategies.