Financial services company BB&T Capital Markets announced recently named bankers Bruce Kelleher and Jake Savage to "key" leadership roles.
Kelleher brings 23 years of investment banking experience to his role as the head of BB&T Capital Markets’ equity investment banking, a middle-market advisory business. The business includes six core groups such as commercial & industrial, logistics & transportation, food & agri-business, automotive aftermarket, retail & consumer and real estate.
He will also continue his duties as head of he firm’s financial sponsors group. Kelleher joined the firm in 2004 and in 2008 he managed the firm’s private equity relationships.
Jake Savage, a 30-year corporate finance and banking veteran, will lead the firm’s newly formed capital markets advisory group, a cross-functional team of bankers and professionals charged with developing capital markets solutions to best serve the needs of BB&T's growing client base.
Savage joined BB&T Capital Markets in 1988 and most recently served as co-head of equity investment banking and head of the financial services group.
"We are fortunate to have a wealth of talent in our organization, and I am pleased Bruce and Jake have assumed these key roles as we continue to grow our capital markets business," said John Jung Jr., head of BB&T Capital Markets.
"We will continue to evolve our organization to be the best provider of capital markets solutions," Jung said.
"Our goal is to look beyond each transaction and think holistically about the best solutions for our clients. We are committed to our clients now and in the future, and putting the right leadership in place is crucial to meeting that goal,” added Jung.
"I am thrilled to be working with such a talented group of investment bankers across each of our industry groups," Kelleher said. "This team has achieved record results during the past several years, and with the influx of new talent into our organization in 2015, we are poised to continue this positive momentum as we enter a new phase of growth."
Savage said that the formation of the Capital Markets Advisory Group is an "exciting endeavor" and is a direct response to the growth experienced in BB&T's corporate lending business.
"As our corporate loan portfolio has grown, we have seen a greater need for proactive, integrated client advisory services," Savage said. "Accordingly, we have selected this team based on their industry knowledge and capital markets product experience. Our goal is to better integrate all key functional areas of our platform to most effectively serve our clients."
