ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc. Announces New Chief Financial Officer

RED BANK, N.J., June 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZAIS) ("ZAIS" or the "Company"), announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Donna J. Blank as the Company's Chief Financial Officer effective today.  Ms. Blank will also serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company's operating subsidiary, ZAIS Group, LLC and will assume supervisory responsibility for ZAIS Group, LLC's risk, technology, and corporate investor relations functions.  Ms. Blank replaces Paul McDade, who has assumed the position of Managing Director for Special Projects within ZAIS Group, LLC primarily related to new business activities.

Ms. Blank brings over 30 years of financial, accounting, and operational experience to her role, with 20 years specifically in the financial services industry.  Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Blank served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NFP Corp. from 2008 to 2013.  From 2003 to 2008, Ms. Blank was the Chief Financial Officer of Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (FGIC), both before and subsequent to its sale by GE Capital to an investor group.  Previously, she served in finance roles at FGIC, GE Capital Insurance Services, and a private insurance company.

Ms. Blank has also been elected Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer by the Board of Directors of ZAIS Financial Corp., a New York Stock Exchange listed company managed by a subsidiary of ZAIS Group, LLC. 

"We are pleased to welcome Donna as a key member of the ZAIS executive team.  Her experience and solid background in financial services, financial management, investor relations, operations, and information technology complement both our existing strategic plan as a public company, and our long-term growth objectives," said Michael F. Szymanski, Chief Executive Officer and President.  "We are very pleased to have the skills and experience she brings to ZAIS and the leadership she will provide in her new role."

"I am very excited to assume this role at ZAIS as it grows as a public company.  I look forward to working with management and the Board in delivering shareholder value through continued profitable growth, enhanced transparency, and a disciplined process-focused financial and operational approach," Ms. Blank said. 

Ms. Blank holds an MBA in Finance and a Masters in International Affairs, both from Columbia University, as well as a BA with distinction and high honors in Political Science from The University of Michigan.

"We want to thank Paul for his leadership and dedication in building an institutional quality financial infrastructure.  We look forward to leveraging Paul's significant financial experience in his new role focusing on strategic projects related to the growth of our business," Mr. Szymanski said.

ABOUT ZAIS GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZAIS) controls ZAIS Group, LLC, an investment management company focusing on investments in specialized credit strategies with approximately $4.1 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2015. Based in Red Bank, New Jersey with operations in London, the Company employs professionals across investment management, client relations, information technology, analytics, finance, law, compliance, risk management and operations. To learn more, visit www.zaisgroupholdings.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. These statements are generally identified by the use of words such as "outlook," "believe," "expect," "potential," "continue," "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "seek," "approximately," "predict," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "anticipate," "opportunity," "pipeline," "comfortable," "assume," "remain," "maintain," "sustain," "achieve" or the negative version of those words or other comparable words.  These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements; the Company can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, but are not limited to, availability of suitable investment opportunities; changes in interest rates; changes in the yield curve; changes in prepayment rates; the availability and terms of financing; general economic conditions; market conditions; conditions in the market for mortgage-related investments; legislative and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business of the Company; and other factors, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K  filed on February 12, 2015, Form 8-K filed on March 23, 2015 and other reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), copies of which are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

SOURCE ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.zaisgroupholdings.com.