Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group announced the continued enhancement of its Public Finance business with the hiring of Lisa Smith, a 25-year industry veteran.

A Managing Director based in Los Angeles, Smith will be responsible for managing the overall banking relationships with state and local government clients and prospects. This includes originating and structuring term loans, lines of credit, standby bond purchase agreements, and letters of credit, as well as delivering a complete suite of banking services and products.

She will report to Kevin Dunphy, Managing Director, and MUFG's Head of Public Finance.

"Lisa's client-centric focus to public finance is consistent with MUFG's long-standing approach to this dynamic and challenging market," Mr. Dunphy said. "With Lisa on board, MUFG has added a respected professional who has spent more than two decades in the municipal investment banking business. We believe our clients will benefit from Lisa's talent and experience."

Smith adds deep financial advisory experience to a public finance team that already boasts a wide range of expertise from investment banking, municipal research, monoline insurers, regulatory organizations, large municipalities, and credit-rating agencies. A leader in the industry, MUFG has extended more than $11 billion worth of credit to its public finance clients.

Over the course of her career, Smith has managed more than $40 billion in transactions, structured several pioneering financings, and provided analytical expertise for a variety of issuers. She joins MUFG from Siebert, Cisneros, Shank & Co. LLC where she was a Managing Director and Head of the West Region.

In 2002, Smith co-founded the financial advisory firm Gardner, Underwood & Bacon which was acquired by Loop Capital Markets in 2011. She has also worked at First Interstate Bank, Société Générale, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, and Stone & Youngberg.

Smith has a B.A. in economics from Amherst College, and an MBA in finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In 2012, she was awarded the "She is Our Hero" honor by Women in Public Finance, a professional networking organization for women in the public finance industry.