The CLO Investor Podcast #26, Sean Griffin, CEO, LSTA
Nov 3, 2025
Sean Griffin, Executive Director of the LSTA, shares his extensive background in CLO structuring and the syndication market. He highlights significant regulatory victories, such as the risk retention repeal, and clarifies the implications of the Kirshner case on loan classification. Sean discusses the smooth LIBOR-to-SOFR transition and the LSTA's focus on enhancing education and operations in private credit. He also touches on member engagement strategies and the future landscape of CLO issuance.
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Why He Joined The LSTA
- Sean Griffin took the LSTA leadership role after years of committee work and deliberation with his family.
- He describes 18 months on the job as phenomenal and energizing with much accomplished and more to do.
From JP Morgan To Structured Finance
- Sean recounts joining J.P. Morgan in 2001 and rising through a CDO structuring team over 23 years.
- He highlights the Global Financial Crisis as a steep learning period that accelerated his expertise.
Model Documents To Learn Them
- Translate legal document language into financial models to truly understand deal mechanics.
- Repeatedly modeling provisions forces deep comprehension beyond memorizing clauses.