The Team at Longford CRA | Corporate Credit Rating Advisors

Ashley Pakenham

Business Development

Ashley has served as an advisory member to Longford’s Board since its founding. Ashley is a team leader in investor relations and marketing at UK private equity firm Apax Partners' Digital Fund in New York. Previously, she worked in risk analysis, underwriting and data management at Zurich Insurance in New York and on the floor at Lloyd's of London with member firm AXA XL Group. Vanderbilt University BA magna cum laude in Corporate Strategy/History, Lawrenceville.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

IT and Data Services
Private Equity
Insurance
Asset Management

Bob Schulz

Senior Consultant

Bob’s extensive corporate credit experience includes coverage of the automotive, freight, retail/consumer, and capital goods sectors as a primary analyst with an emphasis on stressed/distressed credit and leveraged loans. He served in senior analytical and management roles most recently as sector lead leveraged finance at Standard & Poor’s corporate ratings. Over his 28-year career at S&P, he published extensively on companies, sectors and credit market trends. Bob’s experience includes bank credit training and commercial banking at Irving Trust and Chase Manhattan. Bob is a CFA with an MBA from NYU. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a FAA-Licensed Air Traffic Controller.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

Broadly syndicated leveraged loans held in CLOs
Retail and Consumer
Automotive – OE and Suppliers
Capital goods manufacturing sector
Freight transportation – Railroad, air freight, trucking and logistics

Dan Pakenham

Founder/CEO

Longford's founder and CEO has 30 years of investment banking corporate finance experience in senior roles with Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Moody's and MUFG. Dan is one of the top Wall-Street Ratings Advisors and has held leadership posts in New York, London and Tokyo and speaks Japanese. CUNY Baruch College MBA in International Finance, University of British Columbia, University of Hawaii Manoa, and Urasenke Institute in Japan. FINRA registered Series 24, 7, 63.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

Broad Technology Across Verticals
e-Commerce
FinTech
IT Services and Software
Automotive
Precision Manufacturing
Medical Devices/Biotech
Pharmaceuticals
Healthcare Services
Metals/Mining
Agriculture
Infrastructure
REITs

Gerry Granovsky

Senior Consultant/Rating Advisory

With 30 years of corporate finance analytical experience and a demonstrated track-record of integrating information technology (IT) and data security platforms, Gerry brings a strong knowledge base for TMT, FinTech and emerging industries clients. At Moody’s, beyond his IT work, Gerry covered a broad portfolio of industrials in a senior capacity. Prior work includes corporate banking at the Bank of New York. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute BS, Columbia University MBA.

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Jeffrey Colpitts

Chief Data Scientist & Analytic Head

Jeff serves as Longford's Chief Data Scientist and analytical head and is the team specialist in statistics, complex modeling, forecasting, and interpreting data. Jeff left academia to build applied corporate finance teams and develop new analytical approaches at UBS and Citigroup Global Markets & Banking in New York. As a Director, Jeff led the financial modeling team in Citi’s Financial Strategy Group (FSG). University of British Columbia PhD in Corporate Finance.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

Capital Structure
Complex Valuations
Risk Analytics
Financial Services
Gaming
Consumer Services
Cryptocurrency
Cybersecurity
Logistics
Precision Manufacturing

Joel Lustig

Principal Consultant/Credit Rating Advisory

Joel brings 37 years of corporate finance experience with a career that includes serving as a Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s, a Managing Director in Ratings Advisory at Credit Suisse, and SVP in Financial Restructuring at Lehman Brothers. Joel offers clients broad experience in virtually all corporate and financial sectors with a strong record for achieving targeted rating outcomes across the credit spectrum. SUNY Albany BA; Columbia University MBA.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

Capital Structure
Rating Impact Analytics
Hybrid Securities
Semiconductors
Software
Media & Telecom
Retail Healthcare and Wellness
Business Services
Transportation Logistics
Power
Oil & Gas
Non-Bank Financial Institutions

John Morris

Principal Consultant/Credit Rating Advisory

With 35 years of credit and investment banking experience, John offers a demonstrated credit risk and ratings advisory skill set across diverse industries. Prior to Longford, John served as a Managing Director and senior member for the Americas in Barclays’ rating advisory group and as a Managing Director in ratings at Lehman Brothers and as an Associate Director at Moody’s. Bucknell University AB; University of Pennsylvania Wharton School MBA.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

Rating Impact Analytics
Consumer
Emerging Retail
Food & Beverage
Healthcare Services
Chemicals
Automotive
Aerospace
Waste Management
Paper & Packaging
Wholesale Distribution
Construction/Engineering

Michael Scerbo

Principal Consultant/Advisory Practice & Development

Mike is Longford's ratings practice and criteria specialist with over 25 years at S&P Global Ratings, including part of the Global Corporate Ratings (GCR) leadership team. Mike has significant and in-depth knowledge of corporate credit analysis with extensive investor outreach and media experience. Post S&P, Mike focused on business development and consulting opportunities in the broad ratings space. Monmouth University MBA, University of Delaware Economics BA.

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Sector Focus & Expertise

Rating Criteria and Methodologies
Gaming/Lodging/Leisure
Printing
Metals/Mining
Forest Products
Home Building
Building Materials
Materials Engineering

Rick Lane

Senior Consultant/Rating Advisory

Rick brings 36 years of corporate finance experience and deep knowledge of credit risks and ratings across broad technology and related sectors. Rick was a seasoned lead analyst and thought leader at Moody’s and previously as a corporate coverage banker in industrials at Barclays and Chase’s Risk Asset Review Group. He is well known for his bespoke “rapping” on a variety of technology, tax, ESG and first-time rating topics. University of Connecticut BS.

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