HilltopSecurities Continues Public Finance Expansion with Recent Hires

Hilltop Securities Inc. (HilltopSecurities) recently welcomed Managing Director Gary Garay as Head of Municipal Housing Banking in Miami, Florida. The firm also has recently added public finance investment bankers Managing Director Tania Askins in Dallas, Texas, Senior Vice President Sabaa Modi in Austin, Texas, and Senior Vice President Connor Benoit in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The new hires are the latest example of HilltopSecurities’ continuing expansion, as the firm has added more than a dozen experienced public finance investment bankers since the beginning of 2024 alone.

“HilltopSecurities has been committed to the public finance industry since our firm’s founding more than 75 years ago, and we remain focused on selectively hiring the most talented investment bankers in the business,” said HilltopSecurities’ President and CEO Brad Winges.

As Head of Municipal Housing Banking, Garay will focus on growing the four-person team as they work in concert with HilltopSecurities’ TBA business to expand the firm’s role as a market leader in housing finance. He brings 20 years of experience in the issuance of housing bonds and joins HilltopSecurities from UBS Financial Services Inc. where he served as Head of the New England Finance Team and Head of the National Housing Group. During his career, Garay also has held positions with J.P. Morgan Securities, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Askins joins HilltopSecurities in Dallas, TX as Managing Director and brings 20 years of infrastructure finance experience to her new role. She joins the firm from Estrada Hinojosa & Company where she served as Senior Managing Director. She also has held positions with Citigroup, the United States Department of Transportation, and Ambac Assurance Corporation.

Modi joins HilltopSecurities’ Austin, TX office as Senior Vice President and brings nearly a decade of experience to her new role. She most recently served with Citigroup as a Vice President in the Transportation Group.

Benoit joins HilltopSecurities’ Charlotte, NC office as a Senior Vice President and brings almost 10 years of public finance investment banking experience to his position. He most recently worked at Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as Vice President and a senior member of the Infrastructure and Transportation Group, among other roles.

“We are proud to welcome Gary, Tania, Sabaa, and Connor to our team, as well as the other experienced professionals who have joined HilltopSecurities this year. We look forward to their contributions serving our clients in communities across the U.S.,” said Mike Bartolotta, HilltopSecurities’ Co-Head of Public Finance.