R.F. Lafferty hires James Grebenc to lead capital markets sales and corporate access

R.F. Lafferty & Co. has hired veteran capital markets executive James Grebenc as director of capital markets sales and corporate access. The move is aimed at expanding institutional relationships, distribution and issuer access as the New York broker-dealer adds experience across sales, corporate access and business development.

Why it matters: - R.F. Lafferty is adding a senior hire to deepen ties with institutional investors and support its capital markets growth. - The role is designed to improve issuer access to institutional buyers and broaden the firm’s distribution reach. - Grebenc brings more than 27 years of experience in institutional equity sales, corporate access and business development.

What happened: - R.F. Lafferty & Co. named James Grebenc, CFA, as Director, Capital Markets Sales & Corporate Access. - The announcement was made Aug. 20, 2026, from New York. - Grebenc will focus on expanding institutional investor relationships, strengthening capital markets distribution and developing the firm’s corporate access platform.

The details: - Grebenc most recently served as Managing Director, Head of Capital Markets Sales & Corporate Access at Kingswood Capital Partners. - At Kingswood, Grebenc generated investment banking opportunities across multiple sectors and led institutional sales coverage. - He previously served as Managing Director, Institutional Sales/Corporate Access at Maxim Group. - At Maxim Group, Grebenc built a scalable corporate access platform and covered more than 300 institutional accounts. - Grebenc also held institutional and capital markets sales roles at JMP Securities, Lehman Brothers and Robertson Stephens. - R.F. Lafferty said the hire supports its capital markets team and its effort to offer issuers differentiated access to the institutional investment community. - Grebenc said he looks forward to using his experience and network to help expand the firm’s institutional reach.

Between the lines: - The hire signals that R.F. Lafferty wants to compete more aggressively for institutional relationships and issuer engagement. - Grebenc’s background suggests the firm is prioritizing both sales coverage and a structured corporate access platform. - The move also fits a broader trend in capital markets, where firms use senior relationship builders to unlock investment banking and trading opportunities.

What's next: - Grebenc is expected to work with the capital markets team to grow the firm’s institutional footprint. - R.F. Lafferty is likely to lean on his experience as it expands its capital markets offering. - The firm, established in 1946 and headquartered in New York, continues to offer retail brokerage, wealth management, institutional sales and trading, market making, independent research and investment banking.

The bottom line: - R.F. Lafferty is betting that a veteran capital markets operator can help widen its institutional reach and sharpen its corporate access business.