Macquarie Capital said Feb. 21 it hired Chris Rutherford as a managing director to cover upstream oil and gas companies in the Americas.

Rutherford, who joins the firm from UBS, will be based in Houston and lead Macquarie Capital’s upstream coverage across M&A, debt and equity capital raisings and provide customized solutions to clients.

Macquarie Capital, which is the corporate advisory, capital markets and principal investment arm of Macquarie Group Ltd., said Rutherford’s appointment continues the group’s focus on the energy sector, which it has served for more than 20 years.

“Chris has extensive domestic and cross-border transaction experience and his relationships will help us support clients and deliver specialized services that leverage both Macquarie Capital and our entire firm,” Michael Silverton, head of Macquarie Capital in the Americas, Europe and Asia, said in a statement.

Macquarie is the No. 2 physical gas marketer in North America. Its global energy business is headquartered in Houston, with more than 300 professionals focused on the sector, according to the company press release.

Rutherford will work closely with Macquarie Capital’s existing upstream and energy infrastructure team and Macquarie’s energy trading and finance business within its commodities and global markets group to strengthen a full-service offering across the lifecycle for companies, including physical and financial hedging, structured lending and asset management.

Prior to joining Macquarie Capital, Rutherford served as managing director in UBS’s natural resources group covering upstream oil and gas companies. His experience includes domestic and cross-border M&A, capital raising, structured financings, joint ventures and partnerships for a wide range of clients, including financial sponsors and their portfolio companies, the release said.