The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is expanding asset-backed securities strategy divisions with the recent hirings of three new members, both in the US and UK. The hiring of Gregory Reiter and and Jeana Curro is part of a strategy of expanding stateside structured finance operations: “Given the complexity and dynamic change in these markets, it is increasingly vital to have leading strategists help clients identify investment opportunities and mitigate risks,” said their new boss, Brian Lancaster, Head of MBS, CMBS and ABS Strategies. Reiter and Curro will be based in the Stamford, Connecticut offices of RBS. Reiter will focus on agency collateralized mortgage obligations and Curro on agency mortgage-backed securities. Both are UBS veterans. Additionally, the former head of ABS research for Deutsche Bank, Ganesh Rajendra, who left to go to Henderson Global Investors around six months ago is now at the RBS London office. Sources at RBS tell HousingWire Rajendra joined in January as head of asset and mortgage-backed strategy for Europe and Asia. The bank last year lost its London-based asset-backed securities analyst, Ronald Thompson, who left to work for Knights Capital Group. Write to Jacob Gaffney.