Excelsior is retained exclusively as the executive search partner to a well-capitalised, founder-led company building a new model for global debt capital markets.

They are seeking a Founding Head of Debt Capital Markets (DCM) to join in New York.

This is not a traditional investment banking role. It is an opportunity to step out of the existing banking system and help design how debt issuance will function in the next generation of capital markets infrastructure.

The Opportunity
Today’s debt capital markets are highly effective—but structurally unchanged:
• issuance remains opaque
• multiple intermediaries shape outcomes
• infrastructure is fragmented and slow
This platform is rebuilding that process from first principles—creating a more transparent, efficient, and programmable model for how capital is raised and distributed.

The Role
As a founding member of the executive team, you will:
• Design issuance structures, pricing, and investor engagement
• Build relationships with issuers and institutional investors
• Lead origination and execution of initial transactions
• Help define how issuance, allocation, and lifecycle management work in a new system

The immediate objective is clear:
deliver the first transactions and establish a repeatable issuance model.

The Profile
We are engaging with candidates who have:
• Deep experience in Debt Capital Markets in Investment Banks
• Strong structuring and execution background in bond issuance
• Deep understanding of investor behaviour and pricing dynamics

We are particularly interested in DCM individuals who are:
• intellectually curious about market structure
• motivated by ownership rather than incremental progression
• comfortable operating without the infrastructure of a large financial institution

Why Consider This
This role represents a deliberate shift:
• from executing deals → to designing markets
• from operating within traditional investment banking infrastructure → to building the next generation of infrastructure
• from compensation-led progression → to equity-led ownership

The position offers:
• Founding-level scope and influence
• Meaningful equity participation (in addition to an appropriate salary)
• Direct impact on how capital markets evolve

Important Context
This is a high-conviction move. It involves stepping away from established platforms and predictable compensation, in exchange for ownership, influence, and the opportunity to build something fundamentally new.

For a confidential discussion, please email confidential@excelsiorsearch.com.