Westlake Securities announced the recent addition of Craig Hancock to its capital markets team.

Hancock has worked in securities for over a decade, at Wedbush Morgan in Los Angeles and BlueFin Research Partners in San Francisco before moving to Austin, TX in 2010 with BlueFin. His specialty is institutional equity research sales.

Hancock is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. He spent five years in active duty military service and achieved the rank of Captain before entering the securities markets.

Jules Scruggs, Westlake’s SVP Capital Markets, said bringing Hancock onto the team was in line with the company’s strategic growth.

“One of Westlake’s key areas of expertise is oil/gas/energy services. Much of our trading and investment banking is in that space, and our new research division is in that space so it makes sense to add someone like Craig, especially now that the energy market is so active. With his expertise and range of institutional relationships, Craig is a great addition to our team and we look forward to another year of growth,” Scruggs said.

Westlake Securities is an investment banking firm serving middle-market companies.