Alberto Zonca has an extensive international experience in structured finance and risk management with over 20 years of activity. His most recent background covers a diverse array of securitized products, with in-depth knowledge of consumer assets and trade receivables.His fluency in languages includes Italian (native language), English, French and German, with a good understanding of Spanish.
Mr. Zonca’s career began in 1982 after graduating as the top student from the “Centro Professionale Commerciale” in Chiasso, Switzerland.He joined Credit Suisse at the local Swiss branch and completed an internal training period in various areas of the bank. Then, as a currency trader in the foreign exchange department, he was specialized in Italian Lira (replaced by the Euro in 2002¹) and he monitored banknotes positions.
Mr. Zonca started his international career in 1985 when he was sent by Credit Suisse to Germany for an intense language course and a 6 months working experience at a local German bank.He was then transferred to Credit Suisse’s head office in Zurich, Switzerland.There he joined the credit department in the International Division, primarily dealing with the bank’s clients in Italy, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Portugal.His main responsibilities were to assign and monitor credit exposures with financial institutions located in these countries.
In 1988, following an intense language course in England, Mr. Zonca joined the North American Division at Credit Suisse in Zurich.There he managed the credit approval process for credit facilities originated by the branches located in the U.S.A. and Canada.The process included reviewing the applications, managing the credit exposures and reporting to the Executive Board of the bank.He worked on the first Asset Backed Securitizations (mainly credit enhancement commitments) ² originated by the New York branch and was instrumental in educating the Executive Board about this new product.
In 1991, Mr. Zonca continued his career in international finance when he was transferred to New York to attend the Credit Suisse International Bankers School.This was an intensive 8-month full time program with professors of the Columbia and the New York University Business Schools.After completing the Corporate Finance and Capital Markets program, he joined the New York branch of Credit Suisse in the Financial Engineering department (later renamed Conduit and Credit Products).
Mr. Zonca’s main responsibilities in New York included originating and managing credit enhancement commitments, mostly related to consumer assets. These were loans financing Cash Collateral Accounts² and Collateral Invested Amounts².He worked with all major credit card issuers, some of them no longer in existence today. They include Citibank- JP Morgan Chase- First USA (acquired by JP Morgan Chase in 2004)- Providian National Bank (acquired by Washington Mutual in 2005 and then by JP Morgan Chase in 2008)- Bank of America- MBNA (acquired by Bank of America in 2006)- Fleet Bank (merged with Bank of America in 2004)- Capital One- HSBC (fka Household)- Metris Companies, Inc. (acquired by HSBC in 2005)- Orchard Bank (acquired by HSBC in 2005)- Discover Financial Services- The Bank of New York Mellon- World Financial Network National Bank- Provident Bank- Macy’s Inc. (fka Federated Department Stores)- Stage Stores, Inc.- Conseco, Inc.- NextCard (entered receivership in 2002)- Circuit City - Spiegel Brands, Inc.
In 1995 Credit Suisse established its first Asset-Back Commercial Paper (“ABCP”) Conduit³: Alpine Securitization. Following the merger with CS First Boston in 1996, the Conduit and Credit Products team was combined with the Asset Finance team of CS First Boston creating one of the strongest players in the securitization industry.
The ABCP Conduit enabled Credit Suisse to expand the securitization products beyond credit enhancement and Mr. Zonca originated and managed various types of asset-backed financings though the ABCP market. In addition to credit card receivables, he worked on other assets classes including consumer loans, home equity loans, manufactured housing loans, auto loans, time share receivables, trade receivables, insurance premium receivables and Mexican residential mortgages.
Since then Mr. Zonca has worked on many deals, including securitizations related to portfolio acquisitions, the first credit card public securitization of GECC and the first Pesos denominated Mexican securitization of residential mortgages.
For more details about major deals please see the Transactions page.
Mr. Zonca left Credit Suisse at the end of 2006 to pursue other interests.He has remained involved with the securitization industry, attending conferences and presentations and maintaining contacts with prior clients and partners.Over the past few years he has become more active within the Swiss community in the New York area through his involvement with the Swiss Benevolent Society of New York (SBS). He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the SBS since 2001, becoming Vice President in 2008 and President in April 2009.
In September 2010, Mr. Zonca joined WestLB in New York as Director, Credit Risk Management Securitization. Mr. Zonca manages a portfolio of structured transactions secured by various asset classes, including auto loans, residential and commercial real estate. His responsibilities include writing the credit analysis, managing the credit approval process, reviewing legal documentation and various duties associated with portfolio management. Deals under supervision are secured by distressed real estate, residential and commercial.