J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC Hires George Holstead to Expand Middle Markets Group

NEW YORK and BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (“JVB”), an indirect, controlled subsidiary of Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American: COHN), a financial services firm specializing in an expanding range of capital markets and asset management services, announced that George Holstead has joined as Managing Director and Head of the Middle Markets Group in JVB’s Boca Raton office.

“George is a seasoned strategic executive with significant experience in leveraging state-of-the-art technology to provide issuers, broker-dealers, institutional investors, registered investment advisors, and banks with unparalleled access to fixed income markets through exceptional service in underwriting, trading, and distribution,” said Lester Brafman, Chief Executive Officer of Cohen & Company. “Throughout his near 30-year career, he has built a track record of establishing and expanding highly successful fixed income teams for large regional broker dealers. We are thrilled to welcome him to JVB.”

Cohen & Company operates a global network of approximately 120 professionals in four principal offices throughout the U.S. and Europe focused on asset management, principal investing, and capital markets services. JVB specializes in securities financing and the sales and trading of fixed income securities. Holstead will lead the expansion of JVB’s Middle Market division.

“I am excited to join the talented JVB team and deliver unparalleled solutions and trusted advice to clients,” said Holstead. “I believe my skills and experience in fixed income markets and trading will be valuable to the team as we expand the Middle Market division and accelerate JVB’s mission to be the premier distribution platform. I look forward to capitalizing on the exciting opportunities ahead.”

About George Holstead

George Holstead was most recently President, Fixed Income Capital Markets at Insperex, where he was responsible for all fixed income trading, dealer and institutional sales, as well as the capital markets practice, including debt and equity syndicate businesses. He also played a critical role in the reorganization of the institutional fixed income business, including the establishment of mortgage trading, preferred stock trading, and municipal bond trading desks; recruited and hired 30 institutional sale professionals to support operations; successfully managed the integration of the sales and trading team of 280; established a technology-enabled sales and trading team; created and lead the risk management committee, successfully navigating the recent volatility in the fixed income markets. His previous experience includes managing director positions at Brean Capital, DA Davidson, and Sterne Agee, as well as senior vice president and branch manager at Raymond James.

About Cohen & Company Inc. and JVB

Cohen & Company is a financial services company specializing in an expanding range of capital markets and asset management services. Cohen & Company’s operating segments are Capital Markets, Asset Management, and Principal Investing. The Capital Markets segment consists of fixed income sales, trading, and gestation repo financing as well as new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, and advisory services, operating primarily through Cohen & Company’s subsidiaries, J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC in the United States and Cohen & Company Financial (Europe) S.A. in Europe. A division of JVB, Cohen & Company Capital Markets is the Company’s full-service boutique investment bank with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and SPAC advisory services. The Asset Management segment manages assets through collateralized debt obligations, managed accounts, and investment funds. As of September 30, 2023, the Company managed approximately $2.0 billion in primarily fixed income assets in a variety of asset classes including US and European trust preferred securities, subordinated debt, and corporate loans. The Principal Investing segment is comprised primarily of investments the Company holds related to its SPAC franchise and other investments the Company has made for the purpose of earning an investment return rather than investments made to support its trading or other capital markets business activity. For more information, please visit www.cohenandcompany.com, www.jvbfinancial.com, and www.cohencm.com.

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