appMobi has named Leland Westerfield their CFO. Most recently, he was an MD at BMO Capital Markets where he was responsible for the firm’s internet and media sector investment banking practice. appMobi is a mobile solutions provider.

BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group, has named Richard Vieira managing director and head of technology. Based in Boston, Vieira worked Previously for Broadview International and later at Jefferies & Co., which acquired Broadview in 2003. He joins the firm as it moves to expand its coverage of the broad technology markets.

Taking advantage of a strengthening stock market and a lending market where many borrowers struggle to find financing, several business development companies (BDCs) are taking steps to fortify their financial positions.

BDCs are closed-end investment funds that are publicly traded on stock exchanges. Designed to provide capital to privately owned businesses, they can provide both equity and debt financing.

Healthier BDCs, led by Ares Capital Corp., are issuing stock and reducing their debt, while other such lenders, including American Capital Ltd., are taking other steps to shore up their capital positions.

The recession was kind to banker John Barrymore. The recovery has been tougher.

Barrymore, former head of the food and beverage group at BMO Capital Markets, co-founded 6Pacific Partners just as Wall Street was imploding. The goal was to provide M&A advisory services and equity capital (between $1m-$5m) to companies in the food, beverage, nutrition and consumer space. And there was plenty of work.

“When we started there weren’t many other boutiques, because people were making so much money at big banks,” Barrymore explained. “[Plus], no one has an advisory business focused on large consumer companies combined with an equity vehicle focused on small companies.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Dominic Petito, co-head of the U.S. corporate and investment banking business at Bank of Montreal’s (BMO.TO) BMO Capital Markets, is stepping down effective June 30, according to a memo obtained by Reuters.Petito said in a separate note to clients that he was planning to take time off before finding new work. [...]

Corey Baylor has joined BMO Capital Partners as a New York-based managing director in the firm’s financial sponsors group. He had spent the past 13 years with Merrill Lynch, most recently as a managing director in Merrill’s financial sponsors group.

BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group, announced it has hired of a team of four healthcare investment bankers in New York and Boston.
They include: Michael Neuberger, Managing Director, formerly of Jefferies & Co., who will lead the Healthcare Group; Annette Grimaldi, Managing Director, who will lead the life sciences practice, Vice President Kristen Morse and Analyst Lee Incandela.

BMO Capital Markets has named Dirk Leasure as head of the firm’s financial sponsors group. He joined the firm in 2002, before which he worked in the financial sponsors group of Goldman Sachs.

Eric Luftig has joined BMO Capital Markets as a managing director in the firm’s leveraged finance group. He previously held senior positions with both GE Capital Markets and CIBC World Markets.

Tom Krasnewich has joined BMO Capital Markets as a Chicago-based managing director of the firm’s U.S. Industrials group. He previously served in a similar capacity with Deutsche Bank Securities.