Centrus Expands Risk Advisory Team with Appointment of Bryan Conway as Director, Corporate Advisory

As part of our continued growth in the Risk Advisory space, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Bryan Conway as Director, Corporate Advisory. Bryan brings with him over 20 years of extensive experience in treasury, sales, and advisory roles, strengthening our ability to deliver expert solutions to our clients.

Throughout his distinguished career, Bryan has successfully led complex transactions across FX, interest rates, inflation, commodities, and equity asset classes. His experience spans a wide range of corporate, institutional, and public sector clients, further enhancing Centrus’ service offering in these key areas.

Most recently, Bryan held a sell-side advisory role at Goodbody Stockbrokers, where he drove thematic and sector investment strategies for Institutional clients. Before that, Bryan headed the FX & Interest Rates Sales team at Barclays in Dublin and also served as Head of Treasury for Barclays Bank Ireland. His deep understanding of financial markets, paired with leadership experience in top-tier institutions, makes him a valuable addition to our team.

This appointment underscores Centrus’ commitment to expanding our expertise in the corporate advisory sector, delivering tailored financial solutions and strategic insights to meet the evolving needs of our clients. Bryan’s wealth of experience will be instrumental as we continue to provide world-class advisory services, and we are thrilled to have him on board.

“I’m delighted to be joining the Centrus Advisory team. I’m excited to help build on the huge success and growth the team has had over the past few years. I’m looking forward to working in such a dynamic environment and of course delivering innovative solutions to our clients.”

Bryan Conway, Director, Corporate Advisory – Centrus

“We are delighted to welcome Bryan to the Centrus team. His breadth of experience and deep expertise across asset classes and advisory roles will be an invaluable addition as we continue to expand our Risk Advisory capabilities. Bryan’s insights and leadership will enhance our ability to deliver sophisticated, client-focused solutions, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in corporate advisory.”

Mark Taheny, Managing Director – Centrus

In Focus Report: Risk Management in an Era of Power Price Volatility

Introduction

Power price volatility is reshaping risk management strategies across industries. As the energy market faces unpredictable fluctuations, hedging has become essential for managing costs and maintaining stability. In recent years, the energy landscape has been marked by frequent macroeconomic shocks—from geopolitical conflicts to accelerated technology demands—that directly impact energy prices.

Centrus’ latest report, In Focus: Risk Management in an Era of Power Price Volatility, delves into the drivers behind these pricing shifts and offers actionable strategies for businesses. This report highlights:

  • The rise of power purchase agreements, fixed-volume swaps, and carbon credit strategies
  • Key factors influencing market volatility, such as geopolitical shifts and technological advances
  • Practical approaches to building and managing a robust hedging framework

Download the full report to explore how tailored hedging solutions can help navigate today’s volatile energy landscape. For further insights, please contact Mark Taheny, Managing Director at Centrus.

UK Affordable Housing Market Update | October 2024


Market update

  • The September CPI of 1.7% is disappointing for rent growth, however lower interest rate projections will help the significant sector re-financing requirement over the coming years. The 10-year swap was 4.3% a year ago, and now sits at 3.7%.
  • The sharp month-on-month fall in service inflation to 4.9% from 5.6%, along with signs of weakening wage growth is significant. The Bank of England may revise down its inflation projections again, and the market expects successive monthly rate cuts in November and December, with further falls projected.
  • Swap rates and gilt yields rose through September from a recent low early in the month, with the 10-year swap rising from 3.4% to over 3.8%. Following the lower-than-expected inflation reading, it fell back to 3.7% and may continue to retrace.
  • We wait in anticipation for the Autumn Statement on 30th October. It will be interesting to see if the OBR revises projections, and how gilt yields react to the Chancellor’s announcement.


Implications for clients

  • The 1.7% CPI release was below our business planning assumption of 2.2% and below the Bank of England CPI projection.
  • With the potential for another market moving Autumn Statement and two remaining MPC meetings for 2024, we may see increased volatility as we run into Christmas. We’ll be into risk buffer discussions and business planning season before we know it.
  • Hedging interest rate risk and having more certainty on cost of capital for decision making can avoid the need for excessive risk buffers in discount rates and interest budgets.
  • There will be more to get our teeth into next month, until then, we hope for no further escalation in global instability.

Recent client activity

At Centrus, we are actively engaged in supporting our clients with strategic financial initiatives, from loan restructuring to exploring innovative financing solutions. Recent activities include:

Southern Housing EMTN Programme and Sustainability Finance Framework:
Newbridge Advisors recently advised Southern Housing to help successfully complete its first issuance from a £1bn European Medium-Term Note (EMTN) programme and Sustainability Finance Framework. The £250m issuance in September saw significant demand from investors, reflecting the growing appetite for sustainable investment opportunities in the housing sector. This issuance marks an important step in aligning housing finance with broader sustainability goals.

Loan Portfolio Restructuring:
Restructuring loan portfolios has become a key focus for many of our clients, particularly in light of the current interest rate and banking market environment. Centrus has been working closely with several clients to renegotiate loan terms and improve pricing, providing opportunities to optimise their financial positions and reduce costs, ensuring more robust long-term financial stability.

To learn more about our work in the affordable housing sector, click here.

For more information, please contact Paul Stevens or John Tattersall.



Correction: This article has been updated to state that Newbridge Advisors advised Southern Housing on their debut issuance under their EMTN, rather than Centrus as incorrectly referenced in previous version.  

From Average Joes to Globo Gym: Centrus Hits the Court at InfraRed’s Charity Dodgeball Showdown!

For the second year in a row we were able to rehash the five D’s of dodgeball… dodge, dive, dip, duck and dodge.  Massive thank you to InfraRed Capital Partners Ltd for inviting us back to their annual charity dodgeball event!

The event earned an astonishing £50,000+ for the InfraRed Foundation, which assists schools in hiring community involvement officers both within and outside of their portfolios.

Well done to all competing teams and thank you to InfraRed for a wonderful evening.