BMO Capital Markets has hired of four new public infrastructure bankers, the investment banking unit of Bank of Montreal announced Tuesday.

Jeff Holt, Neil Pritz, Eric Zampol and Christopher Cochran have joined the Fixed Income Group covering public sector and infrastructure. Holt and Pritz join as managing directors and Zampol and Cochran as vice presidents. Cochran’s focus will be supporting the expansion of our firm’s capabilities in the health care sector.

“Public infrastructure will be one of the major accelerants to the North American economy. With the addition of seasoned and specialized investment bankers such as Neil, Eric and Chris we are well on our way of becoming one of North America’s leading public finance teams,” says James Kubik, managing director, U.S. public finance.

Holt has almost 30 years of experience in investment banking, the majority of which has been focused on working with large maritime ports, transportation infrastructure clients and Class 1 railroads structuring over US$24 billion in debt obligations, derivatives and other securities. His previous experience includes positions at Goldman Sachs & Co., PaineWebber, First Boston and Morgan Stanley. He is a member of the Transportation Research Board and graduated cum laude from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Finance.

Pritz was previously a managing director with Banc of America Securities in Chicago where he developed the firm’s public finance practice in the Upper Midwest. He has also held leadership positions at Mesirow Financial and Banc One Capital Markets. Pritz has more than 20 years originating and managing new issue debt offerings, refinancings and restructurings for state and local governments, private and public educational institutions and other tax-exempt borrowers. He holds a BA in Humanities from Evergreen State College, and an MA and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Zampol has over six years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and infrastructure finance working in Goldman Sachs’ San Francisco office. He focuses on large transportation and infrastructure clients and has completed over US$20 billion in debt underwritings and derivatives in addition to being actively involved in several significant corporate acquisitions and public concessions. He graduated with honors from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Economics.

Previously, Cochran was a vp with RBC Capital Markets in the Chicago Public Finance office offering bond, derivative and credit facility financings. He earned a BBA with a concentration in Finance and Business Economics from University of Notre Dame.

IE