OREANDA-NEWS. On July 05, 2007 UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking, the investment banking division of UniCredit, announced the appointment of Piero Munari as Head of Insurance Investment Banking, reported the press-centre of  HypoVereinsbank.

Piero will be responsible for the origination effort and the relationships with the senior management of key insurance clients of the Investment Bank of Unicredit Group. In particular, his advisory role will focus on M&A, Debt and Equity Capital Markets, Financing, Strategic Derivatives and ALM Products. At UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking, Piero will report to Theodor Weimer and Edoardo Spezzotti, Co-Heads of Global Investment Banking. His appointment is effective as of June 18th, 2007.

Piero joins from Swiss Re where he was Head of the European Property & Casualty Run-Off effort, focusing on providing insurance clients with economic and legal finality solutions. In addition, up to the end of 2005, Piero was the Managing Director heading up the Italian Corporate Finance team at Fox-Pitt, Kelton, in the Swiss Re Group.

Prior to that, Piero spent two years in the M&A team of Zurich Financial Services as a Director and worked as a Senior Vice President at JPMorgan Chase in the European Financial Institutions Group focusing on Southern Europe and Central Eastern Europe. Piero started his career at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt as a European Insurance Equity Research Analyst.

In addition, Giovanni Ronca and Pietro Rey have joined the UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking as Senior Bankers of Investment Banking Italy, reporting to Edoardo Spezzotti, Co-Head of Global Investment Banking.

Giovanni and Pietro will be responsible for the origination effort and relationships with the senior management of a portfolio of large Italian Corporates and other key industrial clients of the Investment Bank of the UniCredit Group. In particular, their advisory role will focus on M&A, Debt and Equity Capital Markets, and Financing.

Giovanni Ronca joined UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking on June 18th, 2007 from Fiat, where he was responsible at Group level for bond & equity origination, relationships with financial institutions and rating agencies, loan syndication, securitization, subsidized financing, stock and equity derivatives trading.

Prior to this he covered various positions within the Fiat Group Finance Department, including the Fiat Treasury Department in New York. Giovanni started his career in the IFI Group as assistant to the Strategy & Control Manager of the Exor Group.

On July 9th, 2007 Pietro Rey joined UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking from Lehman Brothers where he was member of the European Power team with responsibility over Southern European clients and coverage banker for a number of large Italian accounts in the energy and industrial sectors. Prior to joining Lehman Brothers in 2001, Pietro worked at JP Morgan-Chase, Flemings and Swiss Bank Corporation specialising in M&A advisory for a number of Italian clients.

Edoardo Spezzotti and Theodor Weimer comment: "We are delighted to welcome Piero, Giovanni and Pietro to UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking. Investment Banking is an important area, where we have significant strength and relationships already but see further potential. We are confident, that Piero, Giovanni and Pietro will help us drive our franchise forward to deliver best expertise and execution for our clients."