About the Event
Unlocking Insights: KBRA's Esoteric ABS Forum
June 3, 2025 | 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM EDT
New York, NY
KBRA is pleased to host the 2025 Esoteric ABS Forum: Unlocking Insights, in New York on Tuesday, June 3. This exclusive event will bring together structured finance professionals and industry experts for an afternoon of timely discussions on the evolving esoteric ABS landscape. This year’s program will feature three focused panels exploring innovation, resilience, and performance across a range of sectors. KBRA’s ABS team will be joined by market leaders to provide insights on emerging trends, structural considerations, and investor sentiment across esoteric asset classes. The forum will conclude with a networking reception, offering a chance to connect with peers and speakers in a relaxed setting.
Discussion Topics
- Data Centers: A look into the drivers of increased demand for data center capacity, the evolution of financing structures, and the future of digital infrastructure.
- Music ABS Performance: A deep dive into the surge in deal activity, evolving catalog valuation methods, collateral performance, legal structuring, and the risks shaping this rapidly growing asset class.
- Fiber & Telecom ABS: How evolving fiber technologies, market competition, and operational challenges are shaping the future of Fiber & Telecom ABS, with a focus on structural innovation and risk mitigation.
Where
Convene
101 Park Ave, New York, NY 10017
Register
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Agenda
1:00 - 1:45 PM EST
Registration Opens
1:45 - 2:00 PM EST
Opening Remarks & Welcome Address
Speakers
Rosemary Kelley, Senior Managing Director Business Development, KBRA
Yee Cent Wong, Senior Managing Director, Structured Finance Ratings, KBRA
2:00 - 2:45 PM EST
Digital Infrastructure in Focus: Trends, Risks, and the Future of Data Center ABS
- What’s Driving the Data Center Market and Securitization Landscape Today?
- Regional Hotspots: Where is Data Center Demand Accelerating and Why?
- ABS vs. CMBS: Structural Differences and Market Outlook
- How PE, Infra Funds, REITs and other Capital is Redefining the Market
- What’s Next for Digital Infrastructure Finance
Moderator
Alan Greenblatt, Managing Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Panelists
Lief Williams Managing Director Brookfield
Tom Yanagi, Managing Director,Digital Bridge
Aneeket Shah Managing Director Guggenheim
Aneeket Shah Managing Director Guggenheim
Fred Perreten, Managing Director, CMBS, KBRA
2:45 - 3:00 PM EST
Networking Break
3:00 - 3:45 PM EST
Wired for Growth: The Changing Landscape of Fiber & Telecom ABS
- Fiber Network Expansion Initiatives
- Competing Technologies – Cable, Cell, Satellite
- Operational Hurdles faced by both national and local telecoms
- New flavors of fiber
- Back-Up Managers and Risk Mitigation in Fiber ABS
Moderator
Anna Roginkin, Senior Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Panelists
Michael Metallo, Managing Director, Barclays
David Silbering, EVP, Capital Markets and Treasury, Hotwire
David Silbering, EVP, Capital Markets and Treasury, Hotwire
Peter Walgren Managing Director, Co-Head of SMG Capital Markets Jefferies
Matt Gardener, Managing Director ABS, Commercial, KBRA
Matt Gardener, Managing Director ABS, Commercial, KBRA
3:45 - 4:30 PM EST
Hitting the Right Notes: Evolving Structures, Valuations, and Performance in Music Securitization
- Trends in Issuance – Examining the surge in recent deal activity.
- Valuation Approach – Discuss the current methods and challenges in valuing unique catalogs.
- Collateral Performance Trends
- Structural and Legal Features – Discuss recent developments and market standards.
- Risks on the Horizon? – The continued evolution of the asset class and where we may be headed.
Moderator
Chris Baffa, Senior Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Panelists
Ryan Mcnaughton, Partner, Davis Polk
Yezdan Badrakhan, Managing Director, Head of Esoteric ABS, MUFG
Ben Fischberg, Portfolio Manager, PIMCO
Mike Shearman, Head of Strategic Initiatives, Redding Ridge Asset Management LLC
4:30 - 5:30 PM EST
Networking Reception
KBRA Speakers
Chris Baffa
Senior Director
ABS Commercial
KBRA
Anna Roginkin
Senior Director, ABS Commercial
ABS Commercial
KBRA
Matthew Gardener
Senior Director
ABS Commercial
KBRA
Alan Greenblatt
Managing Director
ABS Commercial
KBRA
Rosemary Kelley
Senior Managing Director
Business Development
KBRA
Fred Perreten
Managing Director
CMBS
KBRA
Yee Cent Wong
Senior Managing Director
Structured Finance
KBRA
KBRA Business Development
Unlocking Insights: KBRA's Esoteric ABS Forum
June 3, 2025 |New York, NY
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