Head of Restructuring & Emerging Market Debt

Overview:

We are seeking an accomplished investment leader to serve as Head of Restructuring & Emerging Market Debt within our General Account portfolio management team. This individual will lead the strategy, underwriting, and active management of stressed, distressed, and restructured credit investments, as well as sovereign and corporate emerging market debt exposures.

As a senior member of the investment team, this role is responsible for delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns while protecting statutory capital and aligning with the long-term liability profile of our general account. The ideal candidate combines deep restructuring expertise, global emerging markets experience, strong credit judgment, and an understanding of insurance regulatory and capital frameworks.

Key Responsibilities:

Investment Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Lead strategy development and execution for distressed, special situations, and emerging market debt investments across public and private markets.

• Manage a portfolio of corporate and sovereign credits, restructurings, workouts, and secondary opportunities.

• Identify, underwrite, and execute complex restructuring transactions, including DIP financing, exit financing, liability management exercises, and negotiated workouts.

• Develop relative value views across geographies, sectors, and capital structures.

• Integrate macroeconomic, geopolitical, and regulatory considerations into portfolio positioning.

Risk & Capital Management

• Align emerging market portfolio construction with life insurance asset-liability management (ALM) objectives.

• Optimize statutory capital efficiency, RBC treatment, and rating agency considerations.

• Partner with other asset classes, Enterprise Risk, Actuarial, and Finance to evaluate stress scenarios and downside risks.

• Oversee internal credit ratings on stressed and emerging market portfolio.

Leadership & Governance

• Collaborate across asset classes with credit analysts and portfolio managers.

• Serve as senior advisor to the CIO and Investment Committee on distressed and emerging market exposures.

• Present investment theses, risk assessments, and portfolio performance to senior leadership and board-level stakeholders.

• Manage external managers, restructuring advisors, and legal counsel as needed.

Market Engagement

• Monitor global political and economic developments impacting emerging markets.

• Maintain strong relationships with investment banks, restructuring advisors, asset managers, and sovereign counterparties.

• Represent the firm in creditor committees and restructuring negotiations.

Qualifications:

• 12+ years of experience in distressed debt, restructuring, special situations, or emerging market credit investing.

• Prior portfolio management experience within an insurance company, asset manager, pension fund, or institutional platform.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex restructurings and creditor negotiations.

• Strong understanding of life insurance balance sheet management, statutory accounting, and RBC frameworks preferred.

• Deep knowledge of sovereign and corporate emerging market credit.

• Proven leadership experience managing senior investment professionals.

• Advanced degree (Masters, JD, or CFA) preferred.

Competencies:

• Exceptional credit underwriting and capital structure analysis skills.

• Collaborative leadership style.

• Strategic thinker with strong risk discipline.

• Executive presence and board-level communication capability.

• Sound judgment under stress and market volatility.

*At Securian Financial the internal title for this position is Portfolio Management Dr.