Brian Wilson and Greg Simonian have joined Ramius, the investment management subsidiary of Cowen Group, as directors responsible for distribution of alternative mutual and hedge fund products in the East Coast and Central regions, respectively.

They report to David Thill, managing director.

Michael Singer, chief executive officer of Ramius, says: “As we continue to build out our suite of liquid alternative products which currently includes our volatility, managed futures and replication alternative mutual funds, we are pleased to have Brian and Greg join our team. Alternative mutual funds are a relatively new concept for many investors and advisors, but their growth in number and strategies has been significant over the last few years. At Ramius, we are committed to offering best-in-breed liquid alternative strategies to financial advisers and their clients.”

Both Wilson and Simonian join Ramius from Equinox Distributors. Wilson started as a director in the East Coast region at Equinox in 2004 and then became a managing director and national sales manager in 2008, where he assisted in building out the sales team and driving sales initiatives and strategy for the firm. Prior to that, Wilson served in various roles at Smith Barney since 1989. His roles included vice president – investments and regional sales director for Smith Barney’s asset management division. Wilson began his career at Robinson Humphrey.

Simonian served as a managing director of product development and distribution at Equinox Distributors since 2004, where he drove sales and oversaw sales and marketing strategies. Prior to this, he was a managing director for two years at Foxdale Management, where he designed and structured alternative investment products focusing on emerging managers. Previously, Simonian served in executive sales roles at several prominent investment advisers.