Icap bolsters structured credit team

Inter-dealer broker Icap is raising the stakes in the competitive structured credit broker market with three new appointments – two of which were poached from rival CreditTrade.

Natascha Lander will co-run the index tranche desk with José Buil. She will join the London-based broker on September 19 from CreditTrade, where she started her career in 2003.

John Cicale, manager of Icap’s structured credit desk in London, said Lander’s role will be to raise the broker’s profile in index tranches, one of the most rapidly growing areas in credit derivatives over the past year.

Matt Scalaro has been appointed to head the broker’s North American structured credit business in New York. He also joined from CreditTrade.

Meanwhile, Omar Syed will join the credit options desk in London at the end of September from Link, the equity derivatives broker.

Creditex, GFI and Tullett Prebon captured the top three spots respectively for the “credit index products” category in Risk’s 2005 inter-dealer rankings, published in September.