Rob Sommers, JD, CFA

Director @ Octus (archive page)

About

I’m a credit professional with a decade and a half of experience across distressed, high yield, and special situations in the US and Europe. My focus has been on identifying fragility and resilience in companies and markets, and translating those insights into actionable opportunities for investors. I also have a record of building new coverage areas. My background in credit analysis, leveraged finance, law, and policy is multidisciplinary, giving me a systemic and structural lens on markets and capital structures. I began my career in high yield debt capital markets at BNP Paribas in London, where I structured complex financings for corporates and private equity sponsors. After roles in growth equity and startups, I joined Reorg (later Octus), where I spent a decade building new franchises: launching European distressed coverage, leading U.S. high yield coverage, and producing credit research that informed investment decisions at leading hedge funds and asset managers.

Country

Canada

City

Toronto

Industry

Financial Services

Skill

Data Science, Investment Banking, Debt, Leveraged Finance, High Yield Bonds, Credit Analysis, Fixed Income, Capital Markets, Transaction Origination, International Finance, Corporate Finance, Financial Modeling, Debt Restructuring, Capital Structure, Marketing, Financial Research, Geopolitics, Emerging Markets, Bloomberg, Corporate Law

Experience

Director

Octus (archive page)

2015 - 2025 · 10 yrs

London / New York

Built and scaled Octus’ U.S. high yield franchise and European distressed coverage, leading global teams and producing investor-focused analysis across capital structures. ▪︎ Launched U.S. high yield primary market coverage and developed proprietary datasets that supported investor decision-making. ▪︎ Initiated data science projects to enhance research quality and analyst workflow. ▪︎ First European distressed debt analyst and pre-revenue founding member of the London office; launched EMEA distressed coverage and produced insights on stressed/distressed corporates. ▪︎ Covered high-profile European credits across sectors (with a focus on energy, consumer/retail, and industrials), identifying asymmetric opportunities in stressed and distressed debt.

Director

CURATEPRO

2014 - 2015 · 1 yr

London, United Kingdom

Startup marketplace matching independent consultants with private equity projects. ▪︎ Developed strategy and managed operations across marketing, recruitment, and contracting.

Associate

White Cloud Capital

2013 - 2013

London, United Kingdom

Multi-family office focused on growth equity investments. ▪︎ Analyzed investment opportunities, identified M&A targets, and monitored portfolio performance.

Associate, High Yield Debt Capital Markets

BNP Paribas

2010 - 2012 · 2 yrs

London, United Kingdom

Executed $500M–$1B high yield financings for European corporates and sponsor-backed LBOs; team ranked #2 in European high yield by deal count. ▪︎ Structured and executed high yield financings for European corporates and private equity sponsors, including cross-border and multi-tranche leveraged deals. ▪︎ Advised issuers and sponsors on capital structure, marketing strategy, and new issue pricing. ▪︎ Transactions included Virgin Media, Telenet, UPC (TMT); Swissport, KION, CMA CGM, Schaeffler (industrial); and Refresco (consumer).