Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services is expanding its analytical work with a new global structured finance research department that will produce research and commentary to complement the structured finance ratings group. As part of the expansion, S&P said yesterday it named Howard Esaki as managing editor and head of the global structured finance research department. “We are very fortunate to have someone with Howard’s expertise in the global structured finance markets join us,” said David Jacob, executive managing director of S&P’s structured finance ratings, in a statement. “He is extremely well-known by investors in structured finance for the quality of his research and breadth of knowledge.” Esaki, a financial markets veteran, most recently worked at Morgan Stanley. Before that, he led the mortgage research team at Moody’s Investors Service. He previously served as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. “I look forward to leading this new research initiative, and believe our research in this complex area will serve as an important resource for investors and issuers,” Esaki said. Write to Diana Golobay.