About the Event
KBRA's Esoteric ABS Forum: Sectors in Bloom
May 19, 2026 | 1:00 - 5:30 PM EST
New York, NY
KBRA is pleased to host an Esoteric ABS Forum in New York City on May 19. The forum will bring together issuers, investors, bankers, and other market participants for focused discussions on key commercial ABS sectors, including Music ABS, Communications Infrastructure ABS, and Whole Business Securitizations (WBS). Featuring perspectives from KBRA’s analytical leadership as well as industry experts, this forum will examine issuance trends, evolving credit risks, structural considerations, and performance dynamics, ground by KBRA’s latest research and ratings. The program will conclude with a networking reception, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with peers and speakers.
Where
Ease 1345
Concourse Level, 1345 6th Ave, New York, NY 10105
*RSVP by May 12, 2026.
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Agenda
1:00-1:45 PM EST
Conference Registration
Agenda is subject to change.
1:45-2:00 PM EST
Opening Remarks
Jack Kahan, Senior Managing Director, Global Head of ABS & RMBS, KBRA
Rosemary Kelley, Senior Managing Director, Business Development, KBRA
2:00 - 2:45 PM EST
Music ABS: Valuations Take Center Stage Again
- Issuance, new issuers and broadening of the sector
- Recent M&A activity
- Music ABS Performance
- Valuation Challenges
Moderator
Ali Pasha, Director ABS Commercial, KBRA
Panelists
Salina Sabri, Managing Director, Barclays
Mike Morris, Managing Director, Flexpoint Ford
Chris Baffa, Senior Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Larry Miller, Founder of Musonomics; Executive Director of the Sony Audio Institute at NYU; Professor of Music Business at NYU
2:45 - 3:30 PM EST
Fiber and Communications Infrastructure ABS: One Strand at a Time
- Various types of fiber application
- Analytical considerations, including technology, diversification, historical data availability and performance trends
- Interaction of back-up manager during various phases of the transaction
Moderator
Xi Chen, Managing Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Panelists
Benjamin Thompson, Managing Director, FTI Consulting
Matt Gardener, Senior Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Lauren Miller, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley
Michael Rees, Chief Financial Officer, Summit IG
3:00-3:45 PM EST
Networking Break
3:45 - 4:30 PM EST
Whole Business Securitizations (WBS): Digesting the Refi Wall
- Current refinancing environment and what paths issuers are choosing
- Evolution and looking forward in WBS
- Risks and performance in the asset class
Moderator
Christine Dalton, Managing Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Panelists
Andrej Danis, Partner & Managing Director, Alix Partners
Daniel Stawiarski, Managing Director, Barclays
Anna Roginkin, Senior Director, ABS Commercial, KBRA
Derek Schaible, Portfolio Manager, Loews
4:30 - 5:30 PM EST
Networking Reception
5:30 PM EST
Event Concludes
KBRA Speakers
Chris Baffa
Senior Director
ABS
Xi Chen
Managing Director
ABS
Christine Dalton
Managing Director
ABS
Matthew Gardener
Senior Director
ABS
Jack Kahan
Senior Managing Director
Global Head of ABS & RMBS
Anna Roginkin
Senior Director
ABS
KBRA Business Development
KBRA's Esoteric ABS Forum: Sectors in Bloom
May 19, 2026 |New York, NY
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