Management Team
Thomas W. Jasper, Chief Executive Officer
Thomas W. Jasper has been Chief Executive Officer of Primus Guaranty, Ltd. since March 2001 and a director since March 2002. Mr. Jasper joined Primus Guaranty in October 1999 and was one of the key principals who developed the Company’s initial business model. Primus Guaranty was founded and began business in 2002. In 2004, Mr. Jasper led the company’s effort to go public, which included expanding its business model into asset management. Today, Primus is an important participant in the structured credit and risk transfer markets. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Jasper served for 17 years as a key executive of Salomon Brothers, Inc and its successor companies. His responsibilities as a Managing Director at Salomon included establishing its interest rate swap business, running its Debt Capital Markets platform, serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Asia Pacific Region and acting as Global Treasurer for Salomon Inc. In 1984 while at Salomon, Mr. Jasper co-founded the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) and served as its first Co-Chairman. Mr. Jasper was recognized for his profound contributions to the field of risk management through his inclusion in 2003 in the Risk Hall of Fame. He received B.A. degree from Southern Methodist University and his M.B.A. from the University of Texas.
Richard Claiden, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
Richard Claiden has been the Chief Financial Officer since October 2003, and additionally, Chief Operating Officer since January 2008. Prior to joining the Company, he was Managing Director from 2000 to 2003 and Head of Operational Risk from 2001 to 2003 at the investment banking division of JPMorgan Chase. From 1994 to 1999, he held numerous executive positions at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Mr. Claiden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from London University and a Master of Arts in Accounting and Finance from Lancaster University. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (U.K.).
Vincent B. Tritto, General Counsel
Vincent Tritto joined Primus in July 2008 as General Counsel. Prior to joining Primus, Mr. Tritto was a Managing Director and Senior Counsel of BlackRock, Inc., and served as Secretary of Anthracite Capital, Inc. and of the BlackRock Closed-End Funds. He also served as Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation. Prior to joining BlackRock in September 2002, Mr. Tritto served as Executive Director in the Law and Compliance Department of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. and as officer of various Morgan Stanley-sponsored collective investment vehicles. Before that, he was counsel to and associated with the New York law firm of Rogers & Wells, and was a foreign associate with Masuda & Ejiri in Tokyo, Japan, for two years. Mr. Tritto received his B.A. degrees, cum laude, from the University of Rochester and earned his J.D., cum laude, from the St. John’s University School of Law, where he was managing editor of the St. John’s Law Review. Mr. Tritto is a member of the New York Bar.
Malcolm P. Basing, Chairman, Primus Guaranty UK
Malcolm Basing has been the Chairman of Primus UK in London since 2005. Mr. Basing is responsible for developing Primus’ business, market presence and relationships across Europe. Prior to joining the Company, he served in a range of senior management, marketing and trading positions at leading global financial institutions in the U.K. and abroad. Mr. Basing joined Swiss Bank Corporation in 1984 and headed its global swaps business for eight years. He later served as Chief Executive Officer of SBC Canada. Following SBC’s merger with UBS, Mr. Basing was Global Head of UBS Warburg Finance Group, and subsequently was appointed Chief Operating Officer of UBS Americas. From 1992-1993, he served as Chairman of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA); he also served for three years as a Director of the ISDA. In addition, Mr. Basing served as Development Director for the City Disputes Panel in London. He received an M.A. from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.