Richard J. Byrne is the CEO and Chairman of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc., where he has been leading since 2016. He has an impressive background in finance, holding an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A....

Richard J. Byrne is the CEO and Chairman of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc., where he has been leading since 2016. He has an impressive background in finance, holding an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. from Binghamton University. Before joining Franklin, Richard spent significant time at Deutsche Bank, where he served as the CEO of Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. and co-headed Capital Markets globally. He also worked at Merrill Lynch, gaining valuable experience in leveraged finance and credit research. In 2023, while staying focused on long-term company goals, Richard was appointed as the Chairman and CEO after Michael Comparato took over the President role. Notably, his compensation strategy is heavily based on stock performance, aligning his interests with the shareholders instead of traditional cash bonuses. Richard is also actively involved with Wynn Resorts as a board member, showcasing his industry influence. His trading history has seen significant fluctuations, especially in the past few years, where he transitioned from managing lower-value trades to exceeding millions, with personal holdings often tied to his performance and commitment to the market.