COSTA MESA, Calif., July 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Hector J. Cuellar, a senior banker with more than 20 years experience in corporate and investment banking, has been named president of RSM EquiCo Capital Markets LLC, the broker-dealer subsidiary of RSM EquiCo. His responsibilities include leading several teams of domestic and international investment bankers specializing in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and corporate finance.
"RSM EquiCo's remarkable growth has come from our ability to attract some of the nation's top executive talent," said Coby Sonenshine, president of RSM EquiCo and chief executive officer of RSM EquiCo Capital Markets. "The addition of Hector to our management team significantly enhances our capabilities in areas ranging from international M&A to corporate finance and capital raising."
Mr. Cuellar comes to RSM EquiCo from Banc of America Securities, the full-service investment bank and brokerage subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation, where he oversaw the firm's global activities in the aerospace/defense and engineering/construction industries. Mr. Cuellar significantly raised Banc of America Securities' profile and presence while substantially increasing investment-banking revenue from both industries. Under his leadership, the firm engaged in its first M&A and equity transactions in these two industry sectors, dramatically improving its position in the market.
Mr. Cuellar joined Bank of America in 1980 as an international finance officer and associate vice president in the bank's Mexico City office, where he handled corporate and government sector clients. He later transferred to the company's Chicago corporate office to serve general industrial clients and subsequently was promoted to managing director, providing corporate and investment banking services to a variety of multinational corporations.
In 1996 Mr. Cuellar joined Banc of America Securities as managing director and manager of the firm's Los Angeles office. He significantly increased the firm's corporate finance activities throughout the Western U.S. and was soon promoted to lead the firm's aerospace/defense and engineering/construction practices. In that role he advised some of those industries' most prominent corporations, including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, CBI, General Dynamics, Kiewit, Goodrich, Boeing, Bechtel and Fluor.
Mr. Cuellar received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Loyola University in Chicago and a master's degree in business administration from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He is a director of the Mexican-American Legal and Educational Defense Fund (MALDEF) and previously served as president of the California Pacific Chapter of the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce and member of the U.S. Space Council.
About RSM EquiCo, Inc.
RSM EquiCo is a leading global investment banking firm serving private middle-market companies throughout North America. With more than 400 professionals and support personnel, the firm specializes in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for non-public companies with up to $500 million in annual revenues. Based in Costa Mesa, Calif., RSM EquiCo is part of RSM McGladrey Business Services, a business segment of H&R Block Inc. For more information, log on to www.rsmequico.com.