Raymond James expands Public Finance practice by hiring three experienced senior living bankers

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James is expanding its Public Finance practice depth with the addition of three senior bankers. Joining the firm as managing directors are David Fields, Rob Whitlock and Naomi O’Dell, who arrive with a combined 80 years of senior living investment banking and debt restructuring experience.

The team joins Raymond James from RBC Capital Markets and will work across the practice’s dedicated Senior Living and Debt Restructuring groups, which provide strategic advisory services for clients, including debt restructuring, affiliations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, bond transactions and alternative capital raising activities.

“We are thrilled to welcome this talented trio of veteran bankers to our nationally ranked Public Finance practice. Their innovative debt restructuring capabilities complement the more traditional underwriting Raymond James offers within the senior living space,” said Gavin Murrey, executive vice president and head of Public Finance and Debt Investment Banking at Raymond James. “The addition of this specialized and experienced team underscores our continued commitment to growing our municipal platform as a whole.”

“Raymond James’ dedication to exceptional client service and consistently delivering proven results strongly resonates with our team’s core values and top priorities,” said Fields. “A majority of debt restructuring engagements involve distressed entities, demanding specialized knowledge and focus. With its strong Public Finance practice and extensive resources, the firm is well-positioned to enhance our capacity to provide a high level of support and the tailored, high-touch guidance expected by our clients.”

Based in Philadelphia, Fields previously served as managing director at RBC, focusing on high-yield origination activity and debt restructuring engagements. He has leveraged his expertise in more than 100 strategic advisory engagements across various sectors and played a key role in transactions involving over $3.0 billion in strategic asset dispositions and over $5.0 billion in senior living bond issues. His 30-year career also includes positions at UBS and HJ Sims and is backed by a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester in optics and an MBA from Union College.

Whitlock has nearly three decades of senior living investment banking, financial advisory and consulting experience and has been involved in several hundred senior living financings and engagements. He began his career as an appraiser before moving to the healthcare consulting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers and later spent 20 years as an investment banker at UBS and RBC. Whitlock, who will also be based in the Philadelphia-area office, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Clemson University.

O’Dell has specialized in healthcare and not-for-profit finance for more than 20 years and is based in Chicago. She has successfully sourced and negotiated over $500 million in property and note sales and has been involved in more than 200 financings, encompassing the full credit life cycle. O’Dell spent nearly five years as a managing director at RBC and previously was a senior vice president and division head at Santander Bank, N.A. She managed multiple asset recovery divisions there, supervising approximately $4.0 billion in assets. O’Dell began her career at LaSalle Bank as a commercial banker and is a graduate of Bradley University.

Other bankers recently joining the Debt Restructuring Group include Vice President James Yang in New York and associate Max Moilanen in St. Petersburg, Florida.

About Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF), is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company has approximately 8,700 financial advisors. Total client assets are $1.23 trillion (as of March 31, 2023). Public since 1983, the firm is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.