PDI Europe Summit 2023 | Private Debt in Europe 9-11 May

Wassyl Abdessemed

Senior Research Manager, PEI Group

Wassyl Abdessemed joined PEI’s research ＆ analytics team at the start of 2022, having previously worked in private asset management research. Wassyl looks after PEI’s institutional investor research globally and oversees number of rankings and reports, including the Global Investor rankings.

Joe Abrams

Partner, Mercer

Joe is Mercer’s Head of Private Debt, Europe, based in London, managing a team of investment professionals specialised in researching and investing in Private Debt. Joe is a member of Mercer’s Private Debt Investment Committee, Private Debt Rating Review Committee, and more broadly supports the delivery of strategic research, advice and implementation across Mercer’s global Investments business, with a focus on credit. Before joining Mercer Joe worked as a broker for ADM Investor Services, trading a wide variety of equity, interest rate and FX derivatives. Following this Joe spent time as an equity analyst for an asset management firm based in Jersey working on an options-based equity strategy. Joe joined Mercer in 2010. Joe holds master’s degree in Actuarial Science from Cass Business School. He is also a CFA Charterholder, a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and is a Chartered Manager and Member of the CMI.

Mercer

Mercer’s global alternatives platform operates as a specialist group within Mercer’s Investments business. Mercer offers customized and pooled alternative investment solutions. Mercer’s flexibility to service its clients in a way that best fits their requirements is based on a modular service concept that reflects our heritage as a trusted advisor to our clients. With an operating history dating back over 25 years, Mercer alternatives platform today oversees programs with an AUM of USD 30 billion, and provides customized solutions and advice on USD 182bn. 250 professionals operate out of 29 offices across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and are supported by the full global resources of Mercer Investments. Mercer’s global alternatives platform provides efficient access to the most attractive investment opportunities worldwide in private equity, private debt, infrastructure, real estate, sustainable opportunities, and hedge funds. It also ensures state of the art portfolio management across primary investments, secondary transactions, and co-investments.

Daniel Arques

Head of Debt Advisory, Strand Hanson

Daniel leads the debt advisory practice at London-based merchant bank Strand Hanson. Founded in 1993, Strand Hanson is one of London’s foremost, long standing independent advisory boutiques, and is a leading adviser to growth companies in both developed and emerging markets. Daniel has over 17 years’ experience in debt capital markets, working in London, Stockholm and Amsterdam with a focus on debt advisory and capital raising.

Alon Avner

Head of Bain Capital Credit Europe, Bain Capital Credit

Mr. Avner joined Bain Capital in 2006. He is Head of Bain Capital Credit Europe, Portfolio Manager of the Special Situations Europe fund, a Partner in the Special Situations Group, and an Investment Committee member based in Bain Capital’s London office. Between 2006 and 2009, Mr. Avner was responsible for Bain Capital Credit's European Telecom and Media investments. Previously, Mr. Avner was a Manager at Bain & Company. In addition, he worked in operations and marketing roles at Comverse Technology and Creo/Scitex. Mr. Avner received an M.B.A. from INSEAD and a B.Sc. from Tel Aviv University.

Bain Capital Credit

Bain Capital Credit is a leading global credit specialist with $61bn in assets under management*. We invest across the credit spectrum and in credit-related strategies, including leveraged loans, high yield bonds, structured products, private middle market loans, bespoke capital solutions, distressed securities and assets, non-performing loans, hard assets and equities.

*AUM estimated as at December 31, 2022

John Bakie

News Editor, Private Debt Investor

John has been news editor at Private Debt Investor since 2017 covering all aspects of private debt’s development as an asset class. He has written about almost all areas of financial services including public markets trading, fintech, retail finance, pensions and private equity.

Private Debt Investor is the publication of record for the world’s private credit markets. It is written expressly for the providers and users of debt for private assets. The publication tracks the institutions, the funds and the transactions shaping the private debt markets.

Johnnie Barnett

Partner, The New Amsterdam Group

Johnnie Barnett is a Partner at New Amsterdam based in London, England. Johnnie leads the firm’s distribution efforts across Europe and is involved across all aspects of fund raising for their GPs. He has been raising capital from institutional LPs across the globe for more than 15 years across alternative and traditional asset classes. Across his career, he has been actively involved in 21 capital raising projects, responsible for over £2.2bn in commitments.

Prior to joining New Amsterdam, Johnnie worked for Allianz Global Investors, Northern Trust Asset Management and spent 3 years in India working for ICICI Securities in corporate finance. He started his career at Schroders Investment Management in 2005.

Johnnie is a Classics (Ancient Greek & Latin) graduate of the University of Bristol, and a CFA charterholder.

The New Amsterdam Group

The New Amsterdam Group enables alternative investment managers to grow sustainable businesses and access capital from institutional investors around the globe. They deliver capital solutions across primaries, secondaries & co-investments with a focus on private markets and real assets.

Veronica Bateman

Private Credit Strategist, Aksia

Veronica is a Senior Vice President and Private Credit Strategist on the Investment Research team with over 19 years of industry experience working with private capital managers. She is responsible for sourcing, researching, and evaluating managers and investment opportunities with a focus on private credit strategies. Veronica also supports the Portfolio Advisory teams on existing and potential private credit investments in Europe.
Prior to joining Aksia in 2022, Veronica provided specialist structuring, debt placement and restructuring advice to private equity funds, portfolio companies and corporate clients across Europe. Veronica joined Aksia from Talbot Leyborne Partners LLP, where she was a Managing Partner. Prior to that, she was a Managing Director at Capital Markets Initiative LLP and previously worked for several years in European Financial Sponsor Coverage and Leveraged Finance at both Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse, based in London.
Veronica graduated with distinction from ITBA – Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires with a BS and an MSc in Industrial Engineering and holds an MBA with distinction from London Business School.

Baumann, Hans-Joerg PDI GER19 CROPPED (FILTERED)

Hans-Jörg Baumann

Partner, Stepstone Group

Mr. Baumann is Partner and the chairman of StepStone Private Debt. As member of the management team he is responsible for global business development activities of PD.

He is also Co-founder of the Swiss Alternative Investments Circle (SFAMA) and acted for more than 15 years as its chairman.

Before founding Swiss Capital Alternative Investments AG, Mr. Baumann was a key function holder, head of trading & sales and risk management in Switzerland for UBS. He was also a member of UBS’s global trading and sales management board in Zurich.

Mr. Baumann received his MBA from the University of Zurich.

StepStone

StepStone is a leading private markets firm that oversees over US$465 billion of private capital allocations, including approximately US$90 billion of assets under management. It is a global firm with 19 offices in: San Francisco, Charlotte, Cleveland, La Jolla, Toronto, New York, San Paulo, Lima, Dublin, London, Luxembourg, Rome, Zurich, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Perth and Sydney. StepStone creates customized and targeted portfolios for the world’s most sophisticated investors using a highly disciplined research-focused approach that integrates primary, secondary and co-investments. StepStone leverages its unique global platform to optimize exposure to top performing investment managers in all strategies and geographies.

Christopher Bone

Partner, Partners Group

Christopher Bone is Co-Head of Partners Group's London office and Head of Private Debt in Europe. He is Co-Chairman of the Global Direct Debt Investment Committee and Chairman of the Direct Debt Europe Investment Committee. He has been with Partners Group since 2010 and has 21 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Partners Group, he worked at AlpInvest Partners, RBS, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. Christopher holds a master's degree in finance from the University of Durham, UK and is also a CFA charterholder.

Partners Group

Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested over USD 150 billion in private equity, private real estate, private debt, and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate strong returns through capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With over USD 119 billion in assets under management as of 30 June 2021, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,500 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (PGHN).

Alex Bové Díez

Managing Partner, Paulson Asset Management

Alex is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Paulson AM. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrilll Lynch. He accumulates 11 years of private markets experience and has successfully invested over €100M in the last 4 years.

John Brantl

Co Head of European Investment Team, SVP

Mr. Brantl is Co-Head of the European investment team.
He joined Strategic Value Partners in 2006 and has been based in London since 2012. Prior to joining Strategic Value Partners, Mr. Brantl worked in investment banking in Goldman, Sachs & Co.’s Financial Institutions Group.
Mr. Brantl received an AB in Economics from Princeton University in 2005. Mr. Brantl serves on the Boards of Directors of Klöckner Pentaplast, Pfleiderer Group, and Deucalion Aviation Limited.

Paul Buckley

Managing Partner and CEO, FIRSTavenue’s

Paul is FIRSTavenue’s Managing Partner and CEO. Paul founded FIRSTavenue in 2006 and enjoys 16 years’ experience advising GPs in the private funds market. Under his leadership, FIRSTavenue has been an early mover in private infrastructure, private credit, real estate debt and the energy transition. From 1987 to 2006, Paul worked in the European debt capital markets principally at Credit Suisse First Boston in London where he trailblazed in the securitized product, CLO, structured credit, and leveraged finance markets. Paul received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Company Bio:

FIRSTavenue is a leading independent global placement agent and fundraising advisory firm specialising in private credit, real assets, private equity and associated capital solutions. With over 50 professionals servicing both fund managers and investors from offices in London, New York, Hamburg and Hong Kong. www.firstavenue.com

Marco Busca

Head of Private Debt Fund of Funds, Generali Investments Partners SGR

Responsible for the management of GIP SGR’s Private Debt Fund-of-Funds, Marco is in charge of the selection, implementation and monitoring of investments in Private Debt funds managed by global asset management companies. He is also advisor of several Private Debt funds carrying out supervision and vetoing activities. Before he was the Head of the Generali Group CIO Office and an investment manager for the insurance companies of the EMEA region.

Before joining Generali, he worked in Banca IMI (Intesa SanPaolo Group) as a proprietary trader structuring and executing securities financing transactions (repos, securities lending, collateral swaps, TRS) and derivatives novations.

He started his career in the Financial Risk Management at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Marco holds a Master of Science in Finance from Bocconi University with an exchange program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He earned a Bachelor degree cum laude in Economics from University of Padova.

Generali Investments Partners SGR

Generali is one of the world’s largest global insurance and asset management providers. Established in 1831, it is present in 50 countries in the world, with more than 75 thousand employees serving 67 million customers.
Generali Investments is its ecosystem of asset management firms, with €557bn of AUM, 9 asset management firms, 1200+ investment professionals and distribution network in more than 20 countries.
Generali Investments Partners SGR (“GIP”), one of the firms within Generali Investments, has an extensive track record of managing the private debt portfolios of the Generali Group. GIP manages €11bn+ of private debt assets, €7bn+ of which is through private debt fund-of-funds and the other under fund advisory. Fund-of-Funds targets best-in class asset managers and diversified strategies with unique alignment of interest with Generali Group Portfolio.

Anish Butani

Managing Director, Infrastructure, bfinance

Anish is a Senior Director in the Private Markets team at bfinance & leads the firm’s coverage of the infrastructure asset class. Since joining bfinance in 2017, Anish has advised a broad range of clients globally in allocating ~$10bn to the infrastructure asset class, including infrastructure debt. Prior to joining bfinance, Anish gained over ten years’ experience as a corporate financier, advising on mergers & acquisitions, financings & valuations of assets in the infrastructure asset class. Under Anish’s leadership, bfinance was recognised in 2019 & 2020 by Infrastructure Journal as ‘Best Investment Consultancy’ as recognised by leading market participants in the asset class.

bfinance

bfinance is an independent investment consultancy supporting institutional investors (pension funds, SWFs, financial institutions, etc.) with their investment implementation requirements, covering portfolio planning, manager search and selection and portfolio monitoring.

Simon Champ

Founding partner and CEO, Newstead Capital

Founding partner and CEO of Newstead Capital - A London based private credit fund manager focused on residential real estate development finance. 2019 onwards. Advised on numerous private credit transactions with over £ 1bn of assets.
Founding partner of MW Eaglewood Europe LLP and Founder of pioneering FTSE 250 listed P2P Global Investment Plc 2013 -2019
Founder and former board Director of equity investment bank , Liberum 2007-2013
Director at both Dresdner Kleinwort and J.P. Morgan Cazenove 1994-2007
28 years of experience being involved in the U.K. non-bank lending industry as both an investor and advisor

Karan Chopra

Partner, Paul Hastings

Karan Chopra is a partner in the Global Finance practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s London office. He advises clients on a range of cross-border leveraged transactions at all levels of the capital structure including senior, super senior, second lien and PIK and across private credit and syndicated financings.

Karan is ranked in Chambers & Partner UK directory for Banking & Finance: Big Ticket, with client testimonials stating "Karan is a tremendous resource in terms of providing pragmatic direction in negotiations, responsiveness to ad-hoc queries and knowledge of markets." and "Karan is very commercial and gives good advice in telling you where the market is”.."

Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP

Paul Hastings provides innovative legal solutions to many of the world’s top financial institutions and corporates in markets across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.

The firm has grown strategically to anticipate and respond to our clients' needs in markets across the globe. Today we have 21 offices around the world, and offer a complete portfolio of services to support our clients’ complex and often mission-critical needs—including structuring first-of-their-kind transactions, and providing the savvy legal counsel and premier industry consultants that keep business moving forward.

We have developed an ambitious culture of possibility throughout the organization—one that is built upon our determination to outwork, outserve, and outthink the competition—and to give our people the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Our innovative approach and unmatched client service have helped guide our journey to becoming one of the world’s leading global law firms.

For further information, please visit www.paulhastings.com

Matteo Cidonio

Managing Partner, GWM Capital Advisors LLP

Matteo is a Managing Partner of GWM Group and Co-CIO of Real Estate Debt and Equity strategies. He has over 25 years of experience in the real estate investments and finance sectors. Prior to joining GWM Group in 2010, Matteo was a managing director of BNP Paribas, CIB division, and before that he held a similar role within the Global RE Group of Lehman Brothers. In his career, Matteo has executed over EUR 20 bn of real estate transactions across Europe. Matteo holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan.

Penny Cochrane

Senior Investment Research Consultant, Hymans Robertson

Penny has over 16 years of investment experience and leads our asset class and manager research primarily across private debt products, from core, low-risk to opportunistic credit.

Penny started her career in wealth management in the US before transitioning to strategy and research at Friends Life in 2014. At Friends Life and then Aviva (who acquired Friends Life), Penny focussed on fixed income investment strategy primarily for assets backing the annuity business and with-profits business.

Penny has expertise and interest in responsible investment and ESG, helping to create a framework at Hymans by which investment managers can be assessed for their responsible investment credentials and capabilities.

Penny moved to Hymans Robertson in the summer of 2020 as part of the investment research team.

She holds both the CFA and CAIA charters.

Ben Colling

Director, Portfolio Management & ESG, Maslow Capital

Ben Colling is Director of Portfolio Management at Maslow Capital and leads their ESG & sustainability framework. Ben oversees all of Maslow Capital’s living sector assets from inception to completion and is instrumental in ensuring the whole-lifecycle analysis of the initial underwriting is captured. As a separate initiative and strategic position of the business, Ben is working towards scaling up Maslow Capital’s MMC/Modular construction offering.

Maslow Capital

Established in 2009, Maslow Capital is a leading provider of real estate development finance. Since its inception, Maslow Capital has funded the development of over £4bn of real estate projects in the UK. We offer flexible funding solutions for professional developers across the UK undertaking mainly residential, PRS, mixed use and PBSA developments.
With an overarching mission to solve the UK's structural undersupply of housing whilst providing property investors with a streamlined approach to accessing funding, Maslow has expert sector knowledge and rigorous risk management processes in place to ensure the successful delivery of projects from inception to completion.

Aris Constantinides

General Partner, Kreos Capital

Aris joined Kreos in 2016 is responsible for originating, assessing and managing transactions across Kreos’s target regions, predominantly in the healthcare space. Alongside the other partners, Aris is also responsible for general management of the firm and executing Kreos’s strategy. Aris has more than 20 years of experience financing innovative and high-growth companies having previously held positions at NBGI, DB Capital Partners and Cabot Square Capital. Aris holds mechanical engineering degrees from MIT (SM) and Imperial College (B.Eng) and an MBA from INSEAD.

Michael Curtis

Head of Private Credit Strategies, Fidelity International

Michael joined Fidelity in March 2021 bringing a team of 10 people, a long term loan track record and CLO AUM, with a strategic goal to develop a broad set of capabilities across private credit. Michael has over 20 years experience in the credit markets as a credit portfolio manager and investor across strategies including syndicated loans, high yield bonds, direct lending, structured credit and real estate.

Prior to joining Fidelity, Michael was the CIO at MeDirect Bank from 2018 to 2021 where he led the bank’s balance sheet investment activity across asset classes and created a third party CLO management platform. From 2015 to 2017 Michael was the MD & Co-Head of European loans at ICG and was a member of the Investment Committee and Global Strategy Committee. Michael started his career in 1999 with CIBC world Markets and has also held senior portfolio management positions at Alpstar Capital & 3i Debt Management.

Fidelity International

Fidelity’s Private Credit team was formed in March 2021 with the lift out of a specialist team from MeDirect Bank, who have been active in the European private debt market since 2012. The team have worked together for several years and invested in widely syndicated and middle-market transactions, as well as structured credit.

Eduardo D'Alessandro

Partner - Global Real Assets, Castlelake

As leader of Castlelake’s Real Assets team, Mr. D’Alessandro focuses on originating investment opportunities in transitional real estate, infrastructure, renewables and power stability, and sub- and non-performing loans. Mr. D’Alessandro is also a member of the firm’s Investment Review Committee. He joined Castlelake in 2011 and became a partner in 2018. Previously, Mr. D’Alessandro led the firm’s Spanish land banking investment strategy and was also responsible for executing its investment strategy in Portugal, Italy and Greece, the United Kingdom and Ireland. His expertise includes direct asset and non-performing loan opportunities as well as equity public offerings. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. D’Alessandro was an investment consultant at Deutsche Bank in its special situations group, and an investment associate at CVI within the Loan Portfolio Group. Mr. D’Alessandro received his M.B.A. from the London Business School and received his B.Sc. in finance from Manhattanville College, cum laude.

Castlelake

Castlelake, L.P. is a global alternative investment manager focused on investments in real assets, specialty finance and aviation across the risk spectrum, from value-oriented to income and investment grade credit. Founded in 2005, Castlelake manages approximately $20 billion of assets. The Castlelake team comprises more than 200 experienced professionals, including 89 investment professionals, across seven offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit https://www.castlelake.com/.

Rebecca Davis

Senior Investment Director, Cambridge Associates

Becca Davis is a Senior Investment Director at Cambridge Associates.

Becca joined the firm in 2017 and has over 12 years of investment experience. She works in the European Pension Practice with institutional investors globally to build bespoke private credit portfolios. Her role incorporates manager underwriting and
portfolio construction. She oversees investment portfolios both in an advisory capacity and as an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO). Becca has been a voting member of CA's Credit Research Investment Committee since 2023 and is based in London.

Prior to joining CA, Becca was a member of the discretionary investment services team at Willis Towers Watson where she helped manage total and alternative asset portfolios on behalf of UK defined benefit pension funds.

Becca is a CFA® charterholder and holds an MChem (Hons) from the University of Oxford.

Bertrand de Comminges

Managing Director, Global Head Tread Finance Investments, Santander Asset Management

A renowned industry expert, Bertrand is currently the lead portfolio manager for the global Trade Finance strategy at Santander Asset Management.
Before joining Santander Bertrand was for 8 years at HSBC & in his last role, he was responsible for the European Business Development activities for Global Trade & Receivables Finance. In this role he was responsible for all Global Corporates, Commodities, Financial Institutions & SME’s trade finance activities in the region.
Previously, with teams located in 5 continents, he was HSBC’s Global Product Head of Structured Solutions &, Global Head of Solutions Structuring for the organization.
Before HSBC, Bertrand worked at JP Morgan where he launched & led the EMEA Structured Trade Advisory business &, for RBS/ABN Amro, where in his last role he was Head of Trade for the EMEA region.
Bertrand was a member of the ICC’s Banking Commission Steering Committee for transforming Trade Finance as an Asset Class &, He is a member of ITFA´s working group (Trade Finance Investment Ecosystem (ITFIE)) on the same topic, as well as a Subject Matter expert in the ICCs of Global Supply Chain Finance initiative.
Bertrand is a Chartered Actuary, has a full-time MBA from the London Business School & an MSc degree in Economics & Business Sciences from UCM.
On the private side, Bertrand is a trustee of educational charities &, is a single father of five young children.

Theo Dickens

Managing Partner, Prefequity

Theo Dickens is Managing Partner of Prefequity, an investment firm that provides debt-based private capital to lower mid-market companies across the UK.

Prior to founding Prefequity, Mr Dickens pursued a career in investment banking at Morgan Grenfell, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, and in private equity at NPIL, a mid-market firm active in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Mr Dickens holds a BA in Classics from Merton College, Oxford; an MA in Economics & European Studies from SAIS Johns Hopkins; and an MBA with distinction from INSEAD.

Prefequity

Prefequity makes debt-based growth capital investments in owner-managed companies in the UK lower mid-market. It offers owner-managers an attractive alternative to private equity to support their strategic growth and development plans. Private equity typically leads to significant equity dilution and loss of control for owner-managers. By using debt-based structures such as long-term loans with a minority equity component, Prefequity is able to provide ambitious owner-managers with the required capital while allowing them to retain control and a greater share of their business. This approach has the added advantage of attracting the most confident and committed owner-managers.

Prefequity is currently raising its second fund with a target size of £125 million.

Mustafa Dincer

Founder and Partner, MD Advisors

Mustafa is founder and partner of MD Advisors, a London-based independent debt advisory and restructuring platform providing high value-added, strategic and confidential advice in growth financings, LBO’s, special situations and distressed transactions.

Mustafa formerly held leadership roles at Rothschild, Morgan Stanley and Ondra Partners, and he has 26 years’ experience as lender, investor and advisor. At Rothschild Mustafa was responsible for the debt advisory and restructuring practice for financial sponsors. His expertise spans private and public financings across corporate, infrastructure and ABL debt.

Mustafa was a Fulbright Scholar and graduated from UC Berkeley.

MD Advisors

MD Advisors provides capital advisory services for financial investors and corporates. Where appropriate, we may co-invest with our clients to truly align our interests.

Our senior team, each with 25+ years’ experience spanning three credit cycles, is comprised of former senior Morgan Stanley and Rothschild debt and corporate finance bankers, providing unparalleled expertise and investor connectivity in respect of complex growth financings and buyouts as well as underperforming situations.

MD Advisors has recently had significant involvement in tech- and tech-enabled buyout and growth debt financings, particularly in the UK, DACH and the Nordics. Our team has advised top-tier large- and mid-cap financial sponsors in buyouts for over two decades with expertise in both private and public debt.

Our partners' restructuring expertise dates back to the early 2000's involving TMT companies as well as multiple financial restructurings during the GFC. We have also been active in selective mid-market financial restructurings post-COVID-19.

As trusted partners of our clients, we offer senior-level resources at each stage of a transaction, helping our clients implement the most optimum capital structure.

Our independent platform benefits from collaboration with a close network of select former Morgan Stanley M&A colleagues, helping to source investment opportunities for our clients.

MD Advisors is an Appointed Representative of Brooklands Fund Management Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 757575).

Walid Fakhry

Co-Managing Partner, Soho Square Capital

Walid leads Soho Square’s fundraising activities and has overall responsibility for the operations of the firm. Prior to Soho Square, he co-founded the private equity firm Core Capital in 2004, having worked previously in strategy consulting, operations and investment banking. Walid also founded and sold one of the largest internet service providers in the Middle East.
He has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, a BSc in Finance and an Msc in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT).

Soho Square Capital

Soho Square Capital is an investment firm focused on providing flexible capital solutions, typically in the form of senior or preferred capital with minority equity stakes, to established and growing UK and European SMEs. Headquartered in London, the firm is led by a highly experienced team that has been investing together for over 15 years, through many economic cycles and have the expertise and flexibility to invest up to £40 million in any given transaction, across the capital structure, from senior debt to equity. The team designs investments to work perfectly for ambitious leaders it partners with, investing capital - typically in the form of senior or preferred capital with minority equity stakes - and know-how into their businesses to help them realise their personal objectives.

Aida Feriz

Executive Director, Wimmer Family Office

International Real Estate Investment Specialist focusing on originating and analyzing high scale real estate projects, providing funds (Equity and debt), in the commercial, residential and infrastructure sphere, ranging from hotels, mixed use, residential, BTR, PRS, co-living and many other projects. Additionally, involved with the Wimmer Group Wealth Management department.

Prior experience working in partnership with developers, including Galliard Homes, to sell off plan properties across prime locations in London. A successful engagement selling luxury villas in the most prestigious areas of France working with highly respected partners including Sotheby’s International. Sourcing off-market residential and commercial opportunities in UK and Europe. Additional experience of selling off plan and lease back properties in France and Switzerland to buyers mainly from the UK and Ireland. A highly motivated individual with a proactive and energetic approach towards property sales with extensive experience of managing property roadshows.

Strong personal presence with excellent interpersonal skills; proven ability to engage with and sell to ultra-high net worth customers. Speaks, reads and writes in three languages: English, French and Serbo Croat. Additionally, communicational level of: Russian and Italian.

Wimmer Financial

International Real Estate Investment Specialist focusing on originating and analysing high scale real estate projects, providing funds (equity and debt), in the commercial, residential and infrastructure sphere, ranging from hotels, mixed use, residential, BTR, PRS, co-living and many other projects. Additionally, involved with the Wimmer Group Wealth Management department.

Nicolas Ferretjans

Founding Partner, InPact Partners

Nicolas Ferretjans is a Founding Partner of InPact Partners, a trusted advisor of a community of large and international asset owners (Pension Funds, Insurances, Family Offices, Foundations & Endowments) combining more than $1.5 trillion of aggregated assets and focused on Private Market investments.

Before this, he spent 20 years in Investment Banking in management functions across Global Markets, including 18 years at Credit Suisse where he lastly headed their Risk Solutions Group as Managing Director based in Zürich.

Nicolas is an Alumni from Singularity University, holds a Master’s degree in Banking & Finance from the European Business School – Regent’s University in London and speaks French, English and German.

InPact Partners

InPact, through its affiliated companies, is the trusted advisor of a community of large and international asset owners (Pension Funds, Insurances, Family Offices, Foundations & Endowments) combining more than $1.5 trillion of aggregated assets.
We are a focused team with a large network and decades of experience in alternative investments. We have developed a proven collaborative process enabling our clients to efficiently invest in private markets (private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure) and other active investment strategies.
Our aim is to create collective value on financial returns, together with an enhanced governance and a positive impact.
We are a B Corp certified company.

Tim Floyd

Executive Director, Westbourne Capital

Tim Floyd is Executive Director and head of the London office at Westbourne Capital, an independent investment manager focused exclusively on the infrastructure debt asset.

Since joining Westbourne in 2013, Tim has expanded the firm’s investment footprint in the region across a range of sectors including utility networks and services, renewables, toll roads, ports, digital and social infrastructure.

Prior to joining Westbourne, Tim held roles at DWS, Hastings Funds Management and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and has over 15 years experience as an infrastructure investment fiduciary.

Tim is a Chartered Financial Analyst, holds a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puget Sound.

Westbourne Capital

Westbourne Capital is an independent investment manager focused exclusively on the infrastructure debt asset class. Since its founding in 2008, Westbourne has completed more than US$9 billion of investment grade and sub-investment grade financings across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia on behalf of institutional clients including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurers.

Thomas Foucoin

Senior Debt Origination Manager - Infrastructure, Pension Insurance Corporation (“PIC”)

Thomas is a Senior Debt Origination Manager, with over eight years of experience in infrastructure finance.
During his time at PIC, Thomas has been responsible for sourcing and executing private debt transactions across the renewable energy, utilities, healthcare, and education sectors. PIC has provided around £5 billion of financing to greenfield and brownfield projects, as well as corporate borrowers, in the last five years. The team has a track record of tailoring financing solutions which match the needs of large infrastructure projects, including long tenors, deferred drawdowns, and lending in multiple currencies.
Thomas joined the firm in 2018 from Moody’s Investors Service, where he was part of the Project and Infrastructure Finance team.
He holds an M.Sc. in Corporate Finance and Banking from EDHEC Business School and a law degree from Paris II University.

Pension Insurance Corporation (“PIC”)

Pension Insurance Corporation (“PIC”) is a specialist insurer which has become a leader in the UK pension risk transfer market by focusing on our purpose: to pay the pensions of our current and future policyholders. We grow our business by taking on the assets and liabilities that sit within employer-sponsored defined benefit pension plans in the UK.
At 30 June 2022, PIC’s investment portfolio totalled £44.1 billion.
PIC invested more than £10 billion over a decade in secure, long-term, privately sourced debt, including social housing, renewable energy, universities, and various structured finance assets. These investments provide the cash flows we need to match our liabilities in maturities when public debt is not available. Borrowers benefit from the flexibility in funding we are able to offer such as deferred drawdown, lending in multiple currencies and other bespoke terms.

Nicolas Fourt

Chief Risk Officer and ISR Director, Sienna Private Credit

Nicolas is Chief Risk Officer and ISR Director of Sienna Private Credit. Until 2008, he was Head of Capital Markets at CDC, Ixis and then Natixis. Nicolas joined the management team at Acofi Gestion in 2014 as Deputy CEO after the Alfafinance-Acofi merger. He is a graduate of ENSAE, was awarded a DEA in Economic Sciences from Université de Paris I and is a member of the Institut des Actuaires Français.

Sabrina Fox

Chief Executive Officer, European Leveraged Finance Association (ELFA)

Sabrina is the Chief Executive Officer for the European Leveraged Finance Association, an investor-only trade association comprised of European leveraged finance investors from over 60 institutional fixed income managers, including investment advisors, insurance companies, and pension funds. ELFA seeks to support the growth and resilience of the leveraged finance market while acting as the voice of its investor community by promoting transparency and facilitating engagement among European leveraged finance market participants.

Sabrina is a recognised expert in the European leveraged finance market focused on increasing transparency, improving disclosure standards, and educating market participants on the importance of lender protections in documentation.

Most recently, Sabrina was Head of European High Yield Research for Covenant Review. Prior to that, she was Counsel with DLA Piper in London.

For more information about ELFA, including our mission statement and member benefits, visit www.elfainvestors.com.

Bonnie Frank

Managing Director and Head of Private Investment and Enterprise Risk, Public Sector Pension Investment Board

Bonnie Frank is Managing Director and Head of Private Investment and Enterprise Risk, at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), leading a team of diverse risk professionals who oversee private investment risk management covering various asset classes. She is also responsible for ensuring a robust enterprise risk framework that includes non-investment and operational risk management, risk transfer solutions and the Corporate Global Insurance Program.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, she then earned her Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the Université de Montréal. Bonnie began her career at Aon Risk Solutions, eventually serving as Assistant Vice President. She then went on to work in Strategy Planning and Risk Management at the Business Development Bank of Canada before joining PSP Investments in 2011.

PSP Investments

The Public-Sector Pension Investment Board (“PSP Investments”) is one of Canada's largest pension investment managers with C$230.5 billion of net assets as of March 31, 2022. It manages a diversified global portfolio composed of investments in public financial markets, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources and private debt. Established in 1999, PSP Investments manages net contributions to the pension funds of Canada’s federal Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Reserve Force. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, PSP Investments has its principal business office in Montréal and offices in New York, London and Hong Kong.

Ilya Gertsberg

Managing Director and CIO, Apolis S.A.M.

Ilya Gertsberg is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Apolis S.A.M. Based in Monaco, Apolis is a single family office whose main focus is private credit. Ilya was previously Director at Millennium Group AG (a family office with over $10bn at its peak), where he was responsible for public, private and fund investments globally, with a particular emphasis on yield generation. Ilya also held investment positions at the Russian sovereign wealth fund (RDIF), Moon Capital Management, Paladin Capital Group and D.E. Shaw. He started his career as an investment banking analyst at Lazard in New York. Ilya studied Economics and Mathematics at Columbia College, Columbia University and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School.

Apolis S.A.M.

Based in Monaco, Apolis S.A.M. is a single family office whose main focus is private credit. In addition to its LP commitments to private debt funds, Apolis is managing a GP co-investment program, with approximately 30 private credit deals funded since 2018.

Our “sweet spot” is 1st lien senior secured loans, often with additional upside through preferred equity and warrants. We have done both asset based and cash flow based deals in North America, Europe, developed Asia and emerging markets. Having chosen an industry generalist approach, we were able to achieve diversification across sectors with a focus on cycle-neutral borrowers.

Sophie Gioanni

Head of Investor Relations, ILX Management B.V.

Sophie is the head of Investor Relations at ILX. Sophie has worked at various hedge funds, serving as general counsel and head of business development. She has experience with a broad range of institutional investors in Europe, the United States and Asia. Prior to that, Sophie worked in various positions in investment banking and in law in the UK, Spain and the United States. She graduated with a Masters in Laws from Duke University and also holds two post-graduate degrees in law from the University Pantheon Sorbonne and in business from the University Paris Dauphine. She was admitted to the Paris Bar in 1995 and the New York Bar in 1996.

ILX Management B.V.

ILX manages a USD 1.05 billion emerging market focused private credit fund that provides institutional investors access to investment opportunities in the development finance asset class, by investing in private-sector loans arranged by MDBs and DFIs.

Chandra Gopinathan

Senior Investment Manager, Railpen

Chandra Gopinathan leads the Climate workstream at Railpen and is responsible for climate strategy, integration of risk management across Railpen’s portfolios and investment in climate and natural capital opportunities and solutions. Chandra has two decades of experience across investing and portfolio management, credit structuring and ESG analysis and brings a multi-asset investment perspective to Railpen’s sustainability practices. Chandra has a Master’s degree from Columbia University and a CAIA designation.

Sven Gralla

Fund Manager Private Debt, Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbank AG

Sven joined the Private Debt team at Kapital 1852 at the beginning of 2022. As a member of the investment team, he is responsible for the entire investment process including sourcing of new opportunities, investment decisions and portfolio monitoring. Before joining the team, he worked as an associate researcher at the German Alternative Investments Association (BAI) – the central lobbying organisation for alternative investments in Germany – where he conducted various research projects on the investment behaviour of German institutional investors and developed standard due diligence questionnaires in different asset classes. Sven holds a master‘s degree in Economics from the University of Cologne. In addition, he completed the Alternative Investments Programme at the London School of Economics.

Kapital 1852 Beratungs GmbH

Kapital 1852 is the manager for private markets investments of the German bank Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbank AG, which has been positioned in the German "Mittelstand" since 1796. Since its foundation in 2018, Kapital 1852 has successfully established itself on the market and combines tradition with current momentum, individuality, and at the same time with entrepreneurial thinking. The platform's scope of activities ranges across private equity, venture capital, private debt and infrastructure with a wide variety of access channels, especially funds of funds and managed account solutions. All strategies follow the individual needs of the companies’ investor base, which is anchored by german HNWIs.

Michael Griffin

Partner, Sixth Street

Michael Griffin is a Partner of Sixth Street, a leading global investment firm with $65 billion in assets under management. Sixth Street uses its long-term flexible capital, data-enabled capabilities, and One Team culture to offer solutions to companies across all stages of growth.

Mr. Griffin joined Sixth Street in 2011 and has been based in Europe since 2013, where he leads the firm’s European direct lending business providing committed financing to growth and middle market companies across the U.K. and Europe.

Prior to joining Sixth Street, Mr. Griffin was a Senior Vice President at Golub Capital where he was responsible for underwriting, executing, and managing investments in middle market companies. He graduated with a BBA in Finance from the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa.

Sanjay Gupta

Managing Principal, Head of Co-investments, Moonfare

Sanjay is a Managing Principal and Head of Co-investments at Moonfare.

He has more than 20 years of experience in private equity most of which was investing in funds, co-investments/directs, or secondaries. He has deployed over $3bn in dozens of investments over the course of his career and has generated a top quartile track record.

His last position was global head of private equity at UBP. Prior to this, he led the US private equity funds platform at a major Canadian pension fund, CDPQ. His experience spanned co-investments/directs, secondaries, GP stakes, etc. Prior to that, he headed US private equity at Adveq (now Schroders Capital).
Earlier in his career, he was an investment banker at Lehman Brothers.
Sanjay holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BSc in Economics from George Washington University.

Damian Hahnloser

Founder and Co-CIO, Growth Credit Partners (GCP)

Damian founded Growth Credit Partners (GCP) in 2022 and is the Co-CIO. GCP is a dedicated, European-focused growth lending fund. Prior to founding GCP, Damian was a Partner at PrimeStone Capital, a concentrated public equities fund investing in European Mid-Cap stocks. Previously, Damian was the third member of GIC’s Private Credit Group, helping to grow the team to one of the largest global investors in Private Credit. He completed more than 30 direct credit deals, investing in 21 PE-sponsored companies. Before joining GIC, Damian started his career at Perella Weinberg Partners advising on M&A and IPO transactions. Damian holds an MA (Oxon) in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford.

Growth Credit Partners

Growth Credit Partners (GCP) is a dedicated, European-focused Growth Debt fund providing bespoke and impactful capital solutions to European growth companies. GCP provides tech-enabled companies with non-dilutive growth capital. Equity fundraising has become challenged and companies are increasingly seeking debt financing or hybrid solutions (both core GCP products) to optimise their capital structures. GCP addresses the fast-growing end-market of European growth companies. This is an area where equity funding has reached €60bn in 2022, growing 5x from 2017 but credit capital only presents a very small part of the funding mix.
GCP focuses on late-stage growth companies with proven unit economics and predictable business models that lend themselves to using credit solutions as well as on early-stage (often bootstrapped) companies with strong physical or financial collateral providing downside protection. GCP has closed two transactions year-to-date in 2023 totalling €72m. GCP was founded by Damian Hahnloser, Dennis Klieber (Blackstone, Lone Star, Centerbridge) and Lizzie Ball (Hogan Lovells, Barings, Shard Credit Partners).

Aurelie Hariton-Fardad

Managing Director, Head of EMEA Portfolio Management Private Credit, MetLife Investment Management

Aurélie Hariton-Fardad is a Managing Director and Head of EMEA Portfolio Management for MetLife Investment Management (MIM). She helps insurance companies and pension funds invest in infrastructure and corporate Private Credit strategies. Aurélie is also ESG Team Lead for Private Credit and a member of MIM’s ESG Integration Council.

Aurélie joined MIM’s Private Capital team in 2015 and was initially responsible for origination and executing corporate private placement transactions in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. She transitioned into Portfolio Management in 2022.

Prior to joining MIM, Aurélie was a Director at rating agency Standard and Poor’s, a Vice President in the Investment Banking division of Macquarie Capital, a Credit Analyst at in the Structured Finance business of GE Capital, and a consultant at economic consultancy Oxera.

Aurélie earned a M.Sc. in Regulation from the London School of Economics, a M.A. in Industrial Organisation from Université Paris Dauphine, and a law degree from Université of Lyon.

MetLife Investment Management

MetLife Investment Management (MIM) is a public fixed income, private debt, and real estate manager providing differentiated investment solutions to institutional investors worldwide. MIM is the institutional asset management business of MetLife, Inc., one of the world’s leading financial services companies. To support our goal of providing clients with strong risk adjusted returns and tailored solutions across our core competencies, MIM leverages the broader resources of the MetLife enterprise, which has more than 150 years of experience. Our robust fundamental research and risk management capabilities have been time tested across market cycles and support our investment process and deal sourcing. For more information, visit: metlife.com/investmentmanagement

Jennifer Hartviksen

Managing Director, Head of Global Credit, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)

Jennifer Hartviksen joined IMCO in 2020 and is responsible for the global credit asset class, a globally diversified portfolio of public and private credit assets across the risk spectrum.

Previously, Jennifer spent over six years at Invesco Ltd where she held senior positions including Head of Global High Yield, Senior Portfolio Manager, Multi-Sector Credit and, prior to that, Head of Fixed Income, Canada. She has also held senior roles at Fiera Quantum LP, CPPIB and Western Asset Management.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charterholder.

Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) manages $77.4 billion of assets on behalf of our clients. Designed exclusively to drive better investment outcomes for Ontario's broader public sector, IMCO operates under an independent, not-for-profit, cost recovery structure. We provide leading investment management services, including portfolio construction advice, better access to a diverse range of asset classes and sophisticated risk management capabilities. As one of Canada's largest institutional investors, we invest around the world and execute large transactions efficiently. Our scale gives clients access to a well-diversified global portfolio, including sought-after private and alternative asset classes. Follow us on LinkedIn and X @imcoinvest.

Carolyn Hastings

Partner, Bain Capital Credit

Ms. Hastings joined Bain Capital in 2008. She is a Partner in the Private Credit Group based in Bain Capital’s Boston office and a Credit Committee member. Previously, Ms. Hastings was an Associate at Thomas H. Lee Partners and an analyst in the Healthcare Group in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs ＆ Co. Ms. Hastings received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, a B.S.Ec. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Bain Capital Credit

Bain Capital, LP is one of the world’s leading private investment firms with approximately $180 billion of assets under management that creates lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. Since our founding in 1984, we’ve applied our insight and experience to organically expand into several asset classes including private equity, credit, public equity, venture capital and real estate. We leverage our shared platform to capture cross-asset class opportunities in strategic areas of focus. With offices on four continents, our global team aligns our interests with those of our investors for lasting impact.

Suresh Hegde

Head of Structured Private Debt, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Suresh is a Head of Structured Private Debt at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Prior to joining GSAM he worked at NN Investment Partners where he founded both the Structured Private Debt and Insurance Solutions businesses. He previously held roles in structured finance origination and credit structuring at JPMorgan, Bear Stearns, and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and as a credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s. Suresh started his career at Linklaters in London. He holds a BSc(Hons) in Political Science from the University of Bristol.

Elza Holmstedt Pell

Deputy Editor, Responsible Investor

Elza is the deputy editor of Responsible Investor. She joined RI in 2019 and has a particular interest in sustainable finance regulation, Previously, she was a freelance journalist and conference producer for three years, covering sustainable finance, renewable energy, infrastructure finance, energy policy and M＆A and organising sustainable finance events in Europe, the US and Asia. She has worked as a senior reporter covering renewable energy for infrastructure finance news service Inframation and covered the Nordic M＆A market for Mergermarket. She started her career as a journalist and assistant editor at Environmental Finance.

Johan Hultner

Managing Partner, ARCOS Capital

Johan Hultner is a Founder and Managing Partner of ARCOS Capital, a Traditional Senior Private Debt provider focusing on traditional senior secured lending to the mid-cap corporate market in Northern Europe (DACH, Benelux and the Nordic Region). Johan has over 30 years of experience in leveraged finance and corporate finance. Prior to joining ARCOS, Johan worked first with UBS for 12 years in London in corporate finance where he led teams advising corporates and private equity firms on M＆A, equity and debt related transactions. He then joined RBS for 13 years as Managing Director and was responsible for originating, structuring and managing corporate loans in the European Leveraged Finance market. Johan also served as Board member of RBS’ Leveraged Finance Division and as Chairman of the bank’s Leveraged Finance Credit Committee.

ARCOS Capital

ARCOS Capital is an independent long-term senior debt finance provider to mid-cap corporates in Europe. The ARCOS team has extensive experience within banking and private equity spanning over 30 years in sourcing, originating, arranging, executing and managing debt and private equity investments. As a result, ARCOS is well placed in providing optimal risk/return to its investors as well as being a solid long-term debt finance partner to corporates.

www.arcoscapital.com

You-Ha Hyun

Principal, Perpetual Investors

You-Ha Hyun leads the private debt program at Perpetual Investors GmbH, a German based professional single family office. In this role, he is mainly responsible for managing the private debt portfolio and focuses on manager selection across the broad spectrum of the private debt universe. You-Ha has more than 12 year experience in the alternative investment segment having done primary, secondary and co-investments at large institutional organizations such as an insurance company, a public organization and a fund-of-funds. You-Ha began his career in the M&A advisory business at KPMG and is an economist by training.

Natasha Jacobs

Investor Relations Manager, Pollen Capital

Natasha Jacobs serves as Investor Relations Manager at Pollen Street Capital

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Ari Jauho

Partner, Chairman, Certior Capital

Since 2011 Mr. Jauho is one of the Founding Partners and the Chairman of Certior Capital Ltd, focusing on private equity and private credit fund investing and co-investing. Previously Mr. Jauho was Partner at Access Capital after Access Capital bought Pohjola Private Equity Funds Limited in December 2010 where he was as Chief Investment Officer and Partner and he was responsible for investment activities of the company. Before this he worked between January 2004 and February 2007 for Proventure Oy as a Partner. He also acted as Chairman of the Board of Proventure Oy. This followed several years with a major Finnish insurance company The Pohjola Group PLC. There he was Vice President of Private Equity and Venture Capital responsible for private equity and private credit investments. Before taking up his private equity position in Pohjola, he was a Research Manager for listed equity investments at Securities Division. Mr. Jauho has a Masters' degree from the Helsinki School of Economics.

Certior Capital
Certior Capital is a value-add focused private equity and private credit advisory and an alternative investment fund manager firm providing new flexible ways for institutional investors to invest in alternative assets, especially in private equity and private credit. The firm was established in July 2011 by three seasoned private equity professionals who have been working together for over ten years.

Our core experience is from the European lower-end mid-market buyout and private credit markets, where the team's experience is one of the longest in Europe. Over the years Certior team members have closed all together close to 180 primary fund, secondary and co-investment transactions.

Certior Capital's service offering for institutional investors covers the whole spectrum of planning and running a private equity fund and private credit investment programme. We believe that in private equity and private credit the ultimate success factors are selection of right management teams and the alignment of interest between all parties.

Certior Capital is a registered AIFM and supervised by Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority.

Matthew Jones

Commercial Head Structured Finance, S&P Global Ratings

As Head of EMEA Specialized Finance, Matt and his team are responsible for Commercial Strategy and client relationships in markets covering Private Equity, Structured Finance, Infrastructure Finance and Financial Institutions in the region.

Prior to his current role, Matt was Analytical Head of the Structured Credit group, with responsibility for ratings of cash and synthetic CLO, CDO, Structured Credit and SME transactions across EMEA. Previously, Matt was also Head of the ABS group, with responsibility for ratings across consumer and commercial asset classes. Prior to joining S&P Global Ratings, Matt worked at HBOS for nine years, where he worked in a number of senior analytical and leadership roles in Treasury ALM and Credit Risk functions.

Konstantin Karchinov

Partner, Veld Capital

Konstantin is a Partner of Veld Capital. Having joined as an Associate at the inception of the credit strategy in 2009, Konstantin has led transactions across a broad range of countries and asset types, demonstrating an exceptional investment track record. Following the carve-out of AnaCap Credit into Veld Capital in 2022, Konstantin is now responsible for all credit investments as Head of Credit.

Prior to joining Veld, Konstantin worked at J.P. Morgan's Principal Finance team in New York and London. Konstantin holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Richmond in Virginia and is a CFA charter holder.

Michael Katramados

Head of Structured Lending, Pollen Street

Michael is a Partner at Pollen Street and a member of the Investment Committee. He joined Pollen Street in 2017 and has over 15 years’ experience in credit investing and asset based lending. He leads the structured lending strategy, focused on providing senior secured, asset based finance to innovative and impactful businesses.

Prior to joining Pollen Street, Michael was a director and founding member of the Shawbrook wholesale lending team where he helped build a successful franchise. Prior to this he held asset based credit investment roles in Royal Bank of Scotland, Eiger Capital and Agathe Capital.

Michael holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the Warwick Business School, a BSc (1st class) in Economics and Econometrics from Southampton University and is a CFA Charterholder

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Dr. Gabriella Kindert

CEO Snappi Bank; Chair Neptune Leasing; Senior Advisor to CVI

Dr. Gabriella Kindert is an experienced banking and investment professional with a strong track record across various asset classes and geographies.

Her career began in 1998 at MeesPierson Corporate and Investment Banking, where she built a solid foundation in finance. She has since held several senior roles, including leading European Leveraged Loans at Fortis Investments, serving as Global Head of Loans at BNP Paribas Asset Management, and heading Alternative Credit at NN Investment Partners. From 2019 to 2024, she contributed her expertise as a board member and advisor to several FinTech companies and alternative lenders, focusing on strategic advice, international expansion and scaling operations.

Since early 2024, Dr. Kindert became CEO of Snappi Bank, an innovative digital bank majority-owned by Piraeus Bank. The fully licensed digitial bank specializes in payments and lending services, including BNPL solutions, and is positioned to expand these services across Europe.

She holds an M.A. in History and Economics, an MBA in Accounting and Finance and a Ph.D. in Finance.

Neptune Leasing, a.o.

Neptune Maritime Leasing Ltd is a dynamic maritime leasing platform focused on generating attractive, long-term, risk-adjusted returns for investors. Specializing in highly liquid maritime assets, Neptune supports global trade and economic growth while promoting environmental and social responsibility. With extensive industry experience, Neptune is known for its integrity, transparency, and strategic support, offering stable cash flows and inflation protection. Their mission is to assist management teams in achieving business goals and ensuring efficient decision-making and execution.
For more details, visit Neptune Leasing.

Matthias Kirchgaessner

Managing Partner, PLEXUS Research

Matthias Kirchgaessner has been Managing Partner of PLEXUS Research GmbH since 2021. He specializes in alternative investments such as hedge funds and private debt. He dedicates his work to research balanced risk-adjusted returns. Clients appreciate his experience and thoroughness, for example in conducting due diligence.

Prior to joining PLEXUS, the business administration graduate had been active as a consultant in the field of alternatives with his company CAAAC since end of 2011. Before founding the company, he was a senior product manager for customized hedge fund portfolios at Allianz Hedge Funds Partners in San Francisco and at Allianz Alternative Asset Management (and its successor company NEXAR Capital) in New York. Prior to these positions, he worked as a product manager at Deutsche Investment Trust (dit) and Allianz Global Investors (AGI).

PLEXUS Research

PLEXUS Research is an independent research boutique specializing in alternative investments, with focus on hedge funds and private debt. Our services are aimed at qualified and professional investors, including family offices, foundations, and pension funds.

We provide our clients with detailed analysis of investment opportunities globally, across different markets and asset classes, as well as thorough due diligence reviews of selected alternative asset managers.

We stand out for our worldwide network, which includes financial analysts, economists, entrepreneurs, fund managers, and other investors. This enables us to gain deep insights into global markets and provide detailed and competent investment analysis.

Our expertise and our commitment to excellence make us a trusted partner in the field of alternative investments.

Jiří Król

Global Head, Alternative Credit Council, Alternative Investment Management Association

Jiří is Global Head of the Alternative Credit Council, a trade body which was established to represent the interests of private credit and non-bank finance participants in asset management. The role of the Alternative Credit Council is to provide direction on the developments and trends in the alternative and private credit strategy space, through thought-leadership, research, education, high-level advocacy and policy guidance.

Jiří started his career at the Czech securities market regulator. He then moved to the European Commission’s Internal Market Directorate-General, where he was responsible for the drafting and negotiation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) implementing measures. Jiří was then appointed financial markets policy director in the Czech Ministry of Finance in 2007. In 2009, he led the Czech European Union Presidency’s work in the area of financial services. After the presidency, Jiří returned to the European Commission and worked on the coordination of financial services policy in relation to the Financial Stability Board and G20. Jiří studied International Relations, Economics and Politics at Tufts University, London School of Economics and Sciences Po.

Alternative Investment Management Association

The Alternative Credit Council (ACC) is a global body that represents asset management firms in the private credit and direct lending space. It currently represents 250 members that manage over US$800bn of private credit assets.
The ACC is an affiliate of AIMA and is governed by its own board which ultimately reports to the AIMA Council.
ACC members provide an important source of funding to the economy. They provide finance to mid-market corporates, SMEs, commercial and residential real estate developments, infrastructure as well the trade and receivables business.
The ACC’s core objectives are to provide guidance on policy and regulatory matters, support wider advocacy and educational efforts and generate industry research with the view to strengthening the sector's sustainability and wider economic and financial benefits.
Alternative credit, private debt or direct lending funds have grown substantially in recent years and are becoming a key segment of the asset management industry. The ACC seeks to explain the value of private credit by highlighting the sector's wider economic and financial stability benefits.

Matthew Layton

Partner (Head of Europe), Pearl Diver Capital

Matthew is a Partner at Pearl Diver Capital, Head of Europe, co-Head of Credit and a member of the investment committee. Matthew joined Pearl Diver Capital in 2009 and has 20 years of experience in structured credit, leveraged finance and high yield. As part of the senior management team, Matthew has helped grow the business into a leading global CLO investment house. Pearl Diver has also established themselves at the forefront of utilising data science in their approach to CLO investing. Prior to Pearl Diver, between 2003 and 2009, Matthew worked as a credit analyst for Alcentra where he covered a wide range of sectors including publishing, media, leisure, gaming, restaurant and waste management. Prior to Alcentra, Matthew was as an equity analyst for 2 years with Exeter Investment Group. Matthew is a member of the IMN Leveraged Finance Advisory Committee and is a regular speaker at industry events. As a CLO investor his experience covers portfolio management, origination, credit analysis of CLO loan portfolios, trading and structuring. As a loan analyst his experience includes investing in 1st and 2nd lien loans, mezzanine debt, high yield bonds, stressed debt and equity in levered private equity owned companies. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Wales, Swansea.

Daniel Leger

Managing Director, MGG Investment Group

Mr. Leger has over 18 years of experience in the asset management business. Prior to joining MGG, Mr. Leger was Head of Strategic Planning and Client Services at Akre Capital Management in Virginia where he helped grow the then 24 year old firm’s private partnership and mutual fund assets from $2 billion in 2013 to approximately $14 billion in 2019. Previously, he worked as Managing Director, Head of Marketing at Geosphere Capital, a $1.4 billion hedge fund based in New York City. Prior to that, he worked in a similar capacity at Steel Partners, a $5 billion global activist manager. Mr. Leger began his career in asset management at BRI Partners, a venture capital firm and joint venture with Mesirow Financial, that seeded hedge funds, helping grow their collective assets to in excess of $5 billion.

Domonique Lemonius

Research Manager, Funds, Private Debt Investor

Domonique Lemonius is a Research Manager at Private Equity International. Based in London, she is responsible for overseeing research and analysis of the private equity fund market globally. She is also responsible for several leading market rankings and reports such as the SI50 ranking and quarterly fundraising reports.

Ben Levenstein

Head of Private Credit & Alternative Income, Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

Ben is responsible for Private Credit in the Private Markets Group (‘PMG’) at USS Investment Management. The Private Credit business invests across the risk spectrum, both directly and through fiduciary managers. Ben oversees strategy, sourcing, underwriting and asset management across USS Private Credit business. Currently, PMG has total invested capital of £28.1bn.

Prior to joining PMG, Ben was Head of UK and European Equities at USS managing equity portfolios totalling £6bn. Ben began his career as an analyst at HSBC specialising in Utilities. He holds a BA in Business and Economics from the University of the West of England.

Jocelyn Lewis

Executive Director, Private Debt Strategy, Financial Services, S＆P Global Market Intelligence

Jocelyn Lewis has responsibility for the go-to-market strategy for our Private Debt Solution in S＆P Global Market Intelligence.
Ms. Lewis is responsible for our private debt strategy globally as well as product development and client engagement. Previously, she was the regional head of Private Valuation Services for North America at S＆P Global. Ms. Lewis joined S＆P Global in 2016 with direct lending, asset management, special situations, private credit and private equity experience. Previously, she was a member of Fortress Investment Group's Asset Management Group where she was a Vice President in the Credit Funds for eight years. Ms. Lewis managed various niche investment portfolios alongside joint venture partners and focused on restructuring distressed investments stemming from the 2008 financial crisis. Ms. Lewis also worked at D.B. Zwirn ＆ Co. focusing on asset management and Wells Fargo Capital Finance, where she was part of the asset-based lending portfolio management and audit teams.Ms. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami.

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Bertrand Loubieres

Head of Infrastructure Finance, AXA IM Alts

Bertrand is Head of Infrastructure Finance at AXA IM Alts. His responsibilities include managing a team of seven infrastructure specialists in underwriting infrastructure loans and bonds.

Before joining AXA IM Alts in 2015, Bertrand headed the origination, structuring, and placement of all infrastruc-ture project and structured bond opportunities in EMEA and APAC at BNP Paribas. Prior to BNP Paribas, Ber-trand worked in the securitisation team at Morgan Stanley and before that held a series of roles focused on infrastructure and structured finance.

Bertrand has 22 years of experience in Infrastructure, Energy, Commodity and Export finance.

Bertrand obtained his MBA from ESSEC Business School in 1996.

Marco Lukesch

Head of Private Credit, Emso Asset Management Limited

Marco started his career as a consultant focused on financial services at Oliver, Wyman ＆ Co. He joined HBK Capital Management in 2005, where he was the co-head of EM. From 2013 onwards, he was co-head of EM at Pine River Capital Management, focusing on illiquid opportunities in CEEMEA and LatAm. He oversaw all aspects of investing: sourcing, structuring, trading, and management of illiquid positions. At Pine River, he was instrumental in creating a consumer-lending platform in Brazil, as well as tax-blocker subsidiaries. Marco joined Emso in 2017.
Marco graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. and a B.Sc. and was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Marco is also a CFA charterholder.

Emso Asset Management Limited

Emso is a specialist asset manager, seeking to deliver positive risk managed returns on fixed income investments in emerging markets.
Emso's team combines decades of experience with a research-driven investment culture, analyzing the political, legal, economic, and technical aspects of each investment to build portfolios for Emso's investors.
The team supplements frequent travel to investment markets with a global network, which has been developed over many decades. Emso's research and risk management are aimed at identifying opportunities, scrutinizing them, and checking and re-checking their investment premise.
Emso is employee-owned with offices in London, Greenwich and Miami and incorporates a technology driven operations platform directed at delivering high quality investment solutions for its global and predominantly institutional investor base.

Rhys Marsh

Portfolio Manager, Lombard Odier Asset Management

Rhys Marsh is a Portfolio Manager of the LOIM Sustainable Private Credit Strategy focused on providing senior secured loans to climate solutions. Before joining LOIM, Rhys was Managing Director and head of origination for the Avenue Sustainable Solutions Fund. Rhys has extensive experience in developing sustainable private credit platforms and solutions-based origination, including leading the formation of a renewables and distributed generation project finance lending platform at CIT Group Inc. Previously, Rhys assisted in the investment activities of the credit desk at LibertyView Capital, a Lehman Brothers-owned hedge fund, and began his career at Citigroup focused on corporate lending in the tech, media & telecom sectors. Rhys earned a B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, from Duke University (2005).

Lombard Odier Asset Management

Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM) is the asset management division of Lombard Odier Group, the 227-year-old independently owned Swiss private bank with offices across 18 countries. LOIM currently manages USD 66 billion (June 2022) in equity, fixed income, and alternative assets for institutions and private clients across the globe. In 2019, LOIM received a B-Corp certification from leading non-profit B-Lab, in recognition of its corporate sustainability practices.

Prasun Mathur

Head of Private Assets, Aviva UK Life

Prasun joined Aviva in October 2016 where he is responsible for investing in private assets and delivering associated P&L for Aviva UK. Currently, he focuses on investing optimally across a variety of fixed income asset classes. This involves market entry analysis into new asset classes, commercial and credit underwriting of individual private credit trades, and asset allocation insights by identifying key risk drivers.

He has led teams in large insurance companies to run investment and ALM strategies. Prior to joining Aviva, he headed up ALM strategy for Phoenix, and supported several M&A transactions. Prasun has over 12 years of experience in insurance ALM, investment strategy and new product development. Prior to joining Phoenix, Prasun worked for Standard Life and HSBC. Prasun holds a 5 year Masters in Math and Computing from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and an M.B.A. from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

Prasun is a regular in various insurance/buy-side conferences to talk about investments/ALM strategies/Risk analytics (viz. Buy-side Risk.net, RiskMinds, Insurance Asset Management, Insurance Asset Risk). He guides some conference agendas, and judges 2 key Insurance asset management awards.

Kristina Matthews

Partner, Falcon Investments

Kristina Matthews is a Partner, heading up Investor Relations and Fund Raising at Falcon Investment Advisors, a leading private credit provider focused on junior capital solutions. She joined the Falcon Team in May 2023 from Brightwood Capital Advisors where she was a Managing Director, Head of Investor Relations and ESG. While she led investor relations, Kristina primarily focused on business development and fundraising strategy along with oversight and implementation of the firm’s ESG policy. Her engagement commenced in February 2014 in a Consulting role which led to her joining Brightwood full time in May 2018. In 2012 she founded and was the Managing Partner of, Rising Tide Fund Advisors LLC, an entity providing consulting services to private credit and private equity firms. The prior 6 years she was a Managing Director at PineBridge Investments/AIG Investments and Head of Investor Relations for all Emerging Markets Private Equity. She was also part of the Central and Eastern European Private Equity Investment Team and was integrally involved in strategy, deal sourcing, and working with portfolio companies. She spent 6 years at Merrill Lynch as a Regional Sales Manager for Alternative Investments. She was a high-yield bond and distressed securities trader with BNP-Paribas, though most of her early career was as the Head of Sales for Currencies and Currency Derivatives. She holds an MBA in Economics and International Finance from New York University Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern University with a dual Major in Finance and International Business and a Minor in Economics.

Renato Meduri

Senior Vice President, Oaktree Capital Management

Renato is a senior vice president in Oaktree’s Opportunities group in London. Prior to joining the firm in 2014, Renato worked for the EMEA Leveraged Finance Group of Jefferies International in London. He received a B.S. degree with first-class honours in finance and economics from Lancaster University Management School and an M.Sc. degree in finance from IE Business School in Madrid. Renato is a native Italian speaker and is fluent Spanish and French.

Oaktree Capital Management

Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with $170 billion in assets under management as of 31 December 2022. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, private equity, real assets and listed equities. The firm has over 1,050 employees and offices in 20 cities worldwide. For additional information, please visit Oaktree’s website at http://www.oaktreecapital.com/.

David Merriman

Head of European Private Debt, Beechbrook Capital

David is Head of European Private Debt at Beechbrook Capital. He joined in 2018 and is responsible for Beechbrook’s European lending activities. He is highly experienced in both sponsored and non-sponsored corporate lending and is a member of the Investment Committee. Prior to Beechbrook, he worked at Bank of Ireland for over 30 years providing loans to mid-market and lower mid-market corporates.

Beechbrook Capital

Beechbrook Capital, a specialist direct lender founded in 2008, invests across the European lower mid-market. To date, it has raised over €1bn and invested in 90+ companies.
Beechbrook’s European private debt funds predominantly support private equity- owned companies with a typical enterprise value of €10 million to €100 million, investing between €5m and €25m per transaction. In addition to the European funds, the UK funds provide finance to predominantly sponsorless SMEs in the UK, investing between £5m and £25m per transaction.
The Beechbrook team consists of 20 plus investment professionals located in London, Frankfurt, Cork, Manchester and Birmingham. Beechbrook is a signatory to the UN PRI.

Sarah Miller

Senior Vice President, Manager Research, Redington

Sarah works as a Senior Vice President in the Manager Research Team where she has a primary focus on private market strategies and specialises in impact investing. Sarah also leads on Inclusion and Diversity within fund research as well as chairing Redington's Inclusion & Diversity Committee. Sarah joined Redington in July 2019 having previously worked at BMO Global Asset Management and Janus Henderson. She is a CFA charterholder and holds a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics with Psychology from the University of Birmingham.

Ian Milton

Founder ＆ CEO, Mercia Capital Partners

Since founding Mercia Capital Partners in 2013, Ian has helped GP’s to raise capital, principally from UK investors, for both first-time and later vintage private credit funds investing across the capital structure in a wide spectrum of strategies and geographies.
Mercia maintains an extensive network of institutional and private wealth investors and their advisers, helping LP’s extend their origination capabilities to the next wave of under-the-radar private fund management talent.

Prior to founding Mercia, Ian’s wide-ranging IR experience spanned a 30-year career in the European investment management, pensions and insurance industries, raising capital in public and private markets fixed income, equities and alternatives for the respective fund management businesses of Hill Samuel, Barings, Rothschild, Credit Agricole/Amundi and as a senior consultant with private credit placement adviser, Arbour Partners.

Mercia Capital Partners Ltd is an appointed representative of Messels Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Sanjay Mistry

Head of Alternative Credit, Pension Protection Fund

Sanjay Mistry is the Head of Alternative Credit and interim Head of Alternatives. As a senior portfolio manager with 25 years investment experience, he is responsible for setting the strategy and all investments within a portfolio, spanning all sub-investment grade credit markets. His mandate covers performing/non-performing, long/short, liquid/illiquid assets in corporate markets and asset backed sectors including infrastructure debt and real estate debt. Soon after joining the PPF, he worked with the CIO to redesign and expand the PPF’s Alternatives team to its current form. Over the years Sanjay has managed several commingled and single investor vehicles and has multiple Advisory Boards roles. Prior to the PPF he spent over 20 years with Mercer Alternatives, having begun his career with Eagle Star Life Assurance and graduated from City University with first-class honours in BSc Actuarial Science. He is a member of the Institute of Actuaries and holds the CFA’s IMC.

Pension Protection Fund

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is a public corporation, set up by the Pensions Act 2004, and run by an independent Board. The PPF reports to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. When an employer becomes insolvent and its pension scheme can’t afford to pay its promised pensions, the PPF compensate scheme members for the pensions they have lost. The PPF take over responsibility for paying compensation once they’ve assessed that a scheme can’t afford to buy benefits from an insurance company which are equal to, or more than, the PPF would pay. Before the PPF, members of these schemes could have faced significant financial uncertainty and hardship.

Philippe Mojon

Head of NAV Financing, AXA IM PRIME

Philippe is an Executive Director in the Structuring & Private Debt Team where he leads the firm’s NAV Financing efforts and is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing NAV Financing transactions.
Philippe joined AXA IM Prime in 2022 upon launch of the platform from AXA Group where he was with the Group Investment Team focusing on alternative credit. During his time with the Group Investment Team, he covered a wide range of credit products, including NAV Financing. Previously, he was with BNP Paribas from 2001 to 2019 where he held various senior positions in Paris and New York in the Asset-Backed Group (Global Markets) and Asset-Based Group (Corporate & Institutional Banking). When starting as a junior banker in Paris, he joined the European Securitization Group of the bank serving the needs of third-party issuers. When in New York from 2006 to 2013, he was promoted Director and responsible for originating and structuring ABS (Asset-Backed Security) and ABCP (Asset-Backed Commercial Paper) transactions across several asset classes, most notably accounts receivable, credit cards and equipment leases. Back in Paris in 2013, he moved to Corporate & Institutional Banking and focused on asset-based solutions funded directly by the bank’s balance sheet and pioneered new asset classes like handset receivables.
Philippe studied at ESSEC Business School and Paris Dauphine University

Charlotte Moore

Freelance journalist and communications consultant, Independent

Charlotte Moore is an award-winning journalist and communications consultant who has written about investments and pensions for 17 years. She writes for a number of well-respected trade magazines including IPE, Professional Pensions and PLSA Viewpoint magazine. She specialises in how institutions like pension schemes can invest sustainably and as well as penning frequent articles on the topic also holds regular salons where panellists are invited to debate different sustainable investment topics. In her spare time she is a not very strong Olympic weightlifter.

George Moros

Executive Director, Wimmer Financial

George is an Executive Director with a specialty in real estate. George is part of the deal origination and capital raising teams for real estate development projects across asset classes and regions. George studied Economics and has prior real estate finance experience in London and New York City as well as a spell of macroeconomic policy experience at the United Nations HQ.

Ross Morrow

Co-Founder ＆ Executive Director, DunPort Capital Management

Ross Morrow is a Co-Founder ＆ Executive Director of DunPort Capital Management. Prior to establishing DunPort, Ross was a Senior Analyst at BlueBay, where he was responsible for the origination, execution and management of debt investments in Irish SMEs. Ross also worked in the debt advisory and restructuring team at Lazard, where he advised European middle market and high yield borrowers. Prior to Lazard he worked for Hawkpoint’s debt advisory ＆ restructuring practice, Acision as Group Treasurer and Anglo Irish Bank as a leveraged finance banker focused on the UK and Ireland. He has a BComm degree in Finance from University College Dublin, an MSc in International Business from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School in Ireland, is a CFA charter holder and has an MBA from Cass Business School in London.

DunPort Capital Management

DunPort Capital Management (“DunPort”) is an Irish based alternatives investment management company focused on the private debt asset class with a particular focus on the European lower mid-market. DunPort was founded in 2017 by Pat Walsh and Ross Morrow who successfully established the first private debt platform in Ireland in 2013. Based in Dublin, Ireland and with an office in London, DunPort has rapidly evolved since its formation and is now the leading provider of non-bank debt capital to SMEs and mid-sized corporates in the Irish market and an established player in the UK lower mid-market. In addition, DunPort has an emerging presence in the fast, growing Benelux lower mid-market. DunPort has delivered over €1bn in loans originated across 54 companies and has a demonstrable track record of delivering strong risk adjusted returns to its investor base which is made up of large institutional investors, Irish pension funds and family offices.

Shaun Mullin

Managing Director, European Private Credit, Morgan Stanley Investment Management

Mr. Mullin is a Managing Director and a member of the Investment Committee. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he was a Principal at Sixth Street Partners where he helped to develop the firm's thematic focus on European financial services investments in addition to software and technology enabled business services transactions. Before joining Sixth Street Partners, Mr. Mullin was a Managing Director in the Growth and Leveraged Finance team at Investec Bank plc where he focused on a combination of senior, junior and minority equity investments across a diverse range of sectors including software, technology-led business services and financial services. In addition, he was a sitting member of the bank’s front office investment committee and was responsible for managing a portfolio of investments.

Vinit Nagarajan

Managing Director, Head of Direct Investments, Private Credit Group, GIC

Vinit heads the Direct Investing business within GIC’s private credit group. He is a member of the Credit and TMT investment committee. Vinit was previously in GIC’s private equity team responsible for tech, media and telecom investing in Europe. Vinit joined GIC in 2010 and previously worked at Deutsche Bank. He has a Masters degree in Finance from Cambridge University and an Undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Dalit Nuttall

Principal, West Valley Capital

Following an institutional career with Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Wachovia, Dalit founded WestValley Capital in 2007 to connect preferred solution providers with European pension funds, insurance companies and asset managers in ways that address the investors’ market views and required considerations. Dalit has over 20 years’ experience working across asset classes within private markets and is a Committee Member of Women in Private Debt. Within the world of philanthropy Dalit is Co-Chair of Films Without Borders, and she sits on the Capital Committee of London’s South Bank Centre.

Peter J. Olds

Partner, Private Investment Funds, Proskauer

Peter Olds is a partner in Proskauer’s Private Funds Group. He specializes in advising on the establishment of private funds globally and also acts for a number of large private fund investors, across the full range of alternative asset classes including private credit and real estate debt. Peter’s practice has a particular focus on open-ended credit funds, and on the growing influence of ESG on the credit fund market.

Proskauer

We are 800+ lawyers serving clients from 12 offices located in the leading financial and business centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The world’s leading organizations, companies and corporations choose us to be their representatives in their most critical situations. The Firm’s Private Credit Group is made up of cross-disciplinary finance and restructuring experts exclusively dedicated to private credit investors. It includes over 75 restructuring and transactional lawyers focused on representing credit funds, business development companies and other direct lending funds in the restructuring of “clubbed” and syndicated credits and preferred equity investments. Over the past five years, Proskauer has worked on over 1,000 deals for more than 75 private credit clients globally with an aggregate transaction value exceeding $300 billion.

Adriana Oller

Founder and Partner, Resilience Partners

Adriana Oller started her career as a principal investor over 20 years ago and continued providing direct lending solutions to SME’s. Specifically focused on established and profitable Spanish companies, which could not find suitable financing solutions for their growth plans in the traditional banking system and were not willing to give equity away to third party investors. In 2013, Adriana founded Resilience Partners to provide those solutions to SMEs. She has over 20 years of investment experience, since 2001 mid-market companies in Spain and Europe. She started her career in JP Morgan in Madrid and NYC offices, has an MBA from London Business School, thanks to a scholarship from La Caixa/ British Council, and a BA in Business ＆ Economics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Paris Dauphine.

Resilience Partners

Resilience Partners is a direct lending fund which seeks to provide growth capital to privately-held SMEs in Spain and Europe. Resilience Partners brings together local knowledge and access, alongside a global mindset, to assist best-in-class SMEs execute their growth plans by offering them flexible/bespoke long term financing solutions. It is composed by one of the most experienced teams in the asset class in Spain, is currently investing Resilience Partners Fund II on the back of Fund I success and is backed by leading institutional investors.

Obinna Onyeagoro

Consultant, Egon Zehnder

Based in London, Obinna (Obi) is a core member in Egon Zehnder's Global Infrastructure Practice. Obi's focus is to build close, trusted relationships advising senior executives both on the fund level and the portfolio companies on their leadership challenges across the broader infrastructure strategies including core, core plus, and value add, as well as hybrid and multistrategy private equity platforms, and energy related organisations.

Before joining EZ, Obinna headed the Financial Sponsors (Private Equity Coverage) Group for EMEA at Standard Chartered Bank's Corporate & Investment Bank, focusing on private equity and project finance clients, corporates, infrastructure funds, SWFs and other financial sponsors. Earlier he was an investment banker with Deutsche Bank Securities in New York on the Leveraged Finance team and later was an investment professional at RREEF Infrastructure Investments. Obinna began his career as a consultant at Accenture, focusing on strategy consulting for technology-enabled organisations.

Obi earned a BS in electrical engineering from Boston University, a Master's in education policy with a technology focus from Harvard University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is passionate about technology, education, ESG, impact investing, and emerging markets with an emphasis clean/renewable energies, and energy transition.

Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder is the world’s leadership advisory Firm, sharing one goal: To transform people, organizations and the world through great leadership. We know what great leaders can do and are passionate about delivering the best leadership services for our clients. As One Firm, our more than 460 Consultants in 68 offices and 40 countries globally bring our individual strengths to form one powerful collaborative team. We partner closely with public and private corporations, family-owned enterprises and non-profit and government agencies to provide board advisory services, CEO search and succession, executive search, executive assessment, leadership development and cultural and organizational transformation. We share a commitment and pride in doing work that contributes to shaping successful leaders, stronger companies and a better world.

Abbas Owainati

Macro Strategist, Brightwell

Abbas Owainati is a macro strategist for Brightwell. Brightwell manages the BT Pension Scheme, UK’s largest defined benefit corporate retirement plan, with £47bn in assets. Abbas’ responsibilities cover macroeconomic research and formulating the dynamic asset allocation strategy. Abbas joined BTPSM in 2018 having previously been a macro strategist for Quilter Investors’ multi-asset offering since 2008.

Chris Palmer

Head of Illiquid Assets Origination, Phoenix Group

Chris is Head of Illiquid Assets Origination at Phoenix Group plc, with prime responsibility for the deployment and economic returns of Phoenix Group's private credit portfolios. He was previously an Investment Director at ReAssure, leading up to the acquisition of ReAssure by Phoenix, for £3.25bn in 2020 and before that Head of Market Risk, Credit & Real Estate at Swiss Re.
The Phoenix Illiquid Assets team originates, executes and has portfolio management responsibility for the Group’s investments in commercial real estate debt, infrastructure debt, local authority funding, social housing, private placements and structured finance, including swap repacks. Assets are held in support the heritage annuity and the open pensions businesses, including BPA.
Chris has over 30 years' experience in structuring, pricing and investing in fixed income securities and in private debt, working in London, Hong Kong and New York; he began his career in corporate lending and M&A with Lloyds Bank. Chris ran the credit trading desk at Allied Irish Bank, was a Portfolio Manager of Old Mutual's Strategic Bond Fund and also of Legal & General's High Income Trust. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics & Finance from the University of Cambridge, is a Fellow of the London Institute of Banking & Finance and was previously a trustee and then CIO of the £1bn Swiss Re GB Pension Scheme. Chris is also Chair of the Trustees of SportingWellness, a registered charity supporting the mental wellbeing of young athletes across the UK.

Rakesh Pavithran

Head of European Origination – Private Credit, Credit Suisse Asset Management

Rakesh Pavithran leads origination efforts in Europe for CSAM Private Credit having joined the business at inception in late 2020. Rakesh has over 17 years of experience in leveraged finance and was previously a senior banker in the Financial Sponsors Group within Credit Suisse Investment Banking, with client coverage responsibilities across a range of Private Equity and Sovereign Wealth Funds. He also previously held roles at CVC Credit Partners, worked in both London and New York, with responsibilities across their performing and special situations strategies. Rakesh graduated with a BSc (Hons.) in Economics from University College London.

Credit Suisse Asset Management

Credit Suisse Asset Management (CSAM), a division of Credit Suisse AG, is a client-centric organization dedicated to providing focused investment solutions to investors worldwide by leveraging the Firm’s best ideas, access, resources, and capabilities globally. With approximately $435.1 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2022, CSAM is a focused asset manager with expertise in Alternative Investments and select Traditional Investments globally.

Andrea Pescatori

CEO and Managing Partner, Ver Capital SGRpA

Founder of Ver Capital. Before establishing Ver Capital, Andrea earned 15 years of experience in fixed income and capital markets at Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Hill Samuel and Finprogetti. Andrea holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi University in Milan and graduated, magna cum laude, in Economics from La Sapienza University in Rome.

Ver Capital

Ver Capital is an independent Italian fund management Company focused on alternative investment funds. The senior management team has worked together since 2006, and combines a broad experience in the alternative asset classes such as liquid and illiquid credit and equity. The Company offers investors exposure on various strategies in the European Credit Markets: leveraged loans, private debt and direct lending, high-yield and investment-grade bonds, trade receivables, transition energy and special situation. With over €1 billion of assets under management, its investment approach is based on securing in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of companies and, more generally, of the invested assets. The investors base is varied and diversified and includes banks, insurance companies, pension funds, foundations, family offices and funds of funds. Ver Capital signed the Principle for Responsible Investment – PRI – incorporating ESG factors in the investment decisions. The Transition Energy strategy is an Article 9 SFDR compliant fund and the new credit funds to be launched this year are all Article 8.

Jason Proctor

Managing Director, Truffle Private Markets

Jason is Managing Director of Truffle and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee. Jason has spent his career selecting and investing in a range of private markets funds on behalf of some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated institutional investors. Prior to Truffle, Jason was a Vice President at StepStone, one of the largest private markets investment firms with activities across private equity, private debt real estate and infrastructure. At StepStone, Jason was responsible for private debt investments, working closely with Truffle’s Chairman John Bohill on the development of StepStone’s private debt group. Jason started his career at Partners Capital, a private investment office serving endowments and UHNW investors, where he also covered private markets investments. Jason graduated with a degree in Physics from the University of Bristol and is a CFA charterholder.

Truffle Private Markets

Truffle Private Markets (“Truffle”) is a private markets solutions provider, establishing long term partnerships with wealth managers, family offices and finance boutiques. Truffle combines private markets investments with a range of digital implementation solutions. Our coverage includes fund investments and co- investments across private equity & VC, private debt, real estate & infrastructure, executed through single fund feeders and multi-fund programs.

Chris Quayle

Managing Director, DC Advisory

Chris is a Managing Director in the DC Advisory Infrastructure team based in London, with over 12 years’ experience in infrastructure financing.

Recent transactions include advising on Cory’s equity capital raise and debt financing for the Riverside 2 Energy from Waste project, debt financings for Equitix Funds II, III and IV and the Cross London Trains (Thameslink) £1.7bn refinancing.

Prior to joining DC Advisory, Chris was a Director at HSBC where he worked in the Debt Capital Markets and Infrastructure Financing teams.

Chris graduated from the University of Oxford with a Mathematics degree.

Company profile: DC Advisory

DC Advisory is an international investment bank committed to making a difference. As part of an established global business we offer access to over 700 professionals in 22 locations throughout Asia, Europe and the US. Across 11 industry focused teams, we offer tailored, independent advice on M&A, debt raisings and restructurings, private capital and access to unrivalled Asia investment knowledge.

DC Advisory’s unique infrastructure platform combines M&A, debt and specific green-focused acumen to deliver genuine competitive advantage for clients, offering unparalleled access to infrastructure funds, financial sponsors, banks, institutional lenders and rating agencies.

Stephen Quinn

Senior Managing Director, 17Capital

Stephen is a Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of 17Capital’s Credit Offering and a member of the Investment Committee at 17Capital, the go-to global source of strategic finance for investors in private equity. Stephen joined the firm in 2019 from Lloyds Banking Group, where he was the Global Head of Financial Sponsors with responsibility for one of the largest fund finance businesses globally. Stephen has worked with private equity managers for almost 20 years and co-authored 17Capital’s report on NAV Lending and the emerging opportunity for private debt investors.

17Capital

17Capital is the go-to global source of strategic finance for investors in private equity. It specializes in providing non-dilutive capital to high-quality private equity management companies, funds, and institutional investors as part of their toolkit for value creation and portfolio management.

17Capital offers portfolio finance across the capital structure, providing a broad range of financing options. Investments are structured to support clients’ objectives, while keeping the interests of GPs and LPs aligned.

Since inception, 17Capital has raised $11 billion and has deployed over $9 billion across over 90 investments. In March 2022, 17Capital announced a strategic partnership with Oaktree in which Oaktree will acquire a majority stake in 17Capital. The partnership will give 17Capital access to Oaktree’s deep global network. Following the closing of the transaction, 17Capital, will continue to operate as an independent business, with its own product offerings and investment, marketing, and support teams

Patrick Raffard

Partner, Head of Business Development, Rivage Investment

Patrick joined Rivage Investment in 2016 as the Head of Business Development.

Patrick started his career as an interest rate swaps trader for BNP and Commerz Financial Products. He moved to a marketing position, in charge of sales of derivative products to East European corporates for Credit Lyonnais. From 2000 until 2012, Patrick worked at Edmond de Rothschild Investment Managers as the Head of Business Development. He was responsible for the coverage of many European institutional investors and distributors on asset management products such as structured products, fixed income funds and hedge funds. He moved to Kepler Cheuvreux in 2013 where he intermediated illiquid assets. He met then Rivage Investment and started a fund-raising activity during the first marketing campaign of Rivage’s commingled infrastructure debt fund. He is today a Partner and in charge of the relations between Rivage and institutional investors.
Patrick graduated from Sciences Po Paris.

Rivage Investment is a leading independent asset manager, with EUR 7.6 b of AUM, focused on managing private debt financing European infrastructure projects and French public sector on behalf of institutional investors. The company was created in 2010 and is owned by its employees.
We have been able to build robust portfolios and provide attractive relative value to our investors looking for duration and yield during the last ten years, we are now focused on the same targets plus a strong commitment on impact investing.
We are convinced that sustainability is the very crux of long-term infrastructure projects we invest in, hence we currently emphasize this parameter and actively participate to the financing of energy transition in Europe through Article 8 and 9 funds along all our range of products.

Faisal Ramzan

Partner, Proskauer

Faisal's practice focuses on complex cross-border and domestic finance transactions and credit arrangements, particularly those financings that involve private sources of capital. He structures and negotiates a wide range of financing facilities such as senior secured financings, mezzanine debt, second-lien loans, bifurcated and stretched senior unitranche facilities, holdco loans and other innovative, first-in-kind structures. He represents a broad array of lenders and investors, including private debt funds, alternative lenders, mezzanine funds, second lien lenders, hedge funds and specialty finance companies, often in the context of leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, refinancings and restructurings. Faisal has extensive experience in intercreditor and interlender issues, secured creditor and debt restructurings and he regularly negotiates intercreditor and subordination agreements, agreements among lenders and other complex interlender agreements.

Proskauer

We are 800+ lawyers serving clients from 12 offices located in the leading financial and business centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The world’s leading organizations, companies and corporations choose us to be their representatives in their most critical situations. The Firm’s Private Credit Group is made up of cross-disciplinary finance and restructuring experts exclusively dedicated to private credit investors. It includes over 75 restructuring and transactional lawyers focused on representing credit funds, business development companies and other direct lending funds in the restructuring of “clubbed” and syndicated credits and preferred equity investments. Over the past five years, Proskauer has worked on over 1,000 deals for more than 75 private credit clients globally with an aggregate transaction value exceeding $300 billion.

David Renshaw

Managing Director and Co-Head of European Debt Platform, Fiera Real Estate

David joined Fiera Real Estate in September 2022 and is Managing Director and Co-Head of Fiera Real Estate’s European Debt Platform. Prior to joining Fiera Real Estate, David held a senior position in the pan-European real estate debt team at Cheyne Capital where he was responsible for originating new debt investments, underwriting c.€500m of new deals over 24 months and launching the Iberian lending platform. At Fiera Real Estate, David is responsible for fund management and overall strategy of the debt business, leading on capital raising, governance and portfolio risk management.

Fiera Real Estate

Fiera Real Estate is a leading investment management company with offices in North America and Europe and a team of over 80 employees. The firm globally manages over USD$7.0 billion of commercial real estate through a range of investment funds and accounts as at 31 December, 2023. The highly diverse nature of its portfolio – in terms of both geographies and types of properties – combined with a range of high-quality strategies provides investors with opportunities to diversify their exposure and customize their investment experience within the real estate asset class.

Fiera Real Estate is wholly owned by Fiera Capital Corporation, a leading independent global asset management firm with more than USD122.1 billion of AUM as at 31 December, 2023. Fiera Capital provides Fiera Real Estate with access to global investment market intelligence, which enhances its ability to innovate within a framework that emphasizes risk assessment and mitigation.

Richard Roberts

Principal, Head of Origination and M&A, Arrow Global Group

Richard leads Origination and is a Fund Principal for Arrow’s ACO Funds. He is also responsible for Arrow’s M&A strategy alongside leading origination across the Platforms and Aggregation Vehicles. Richard joined Arrow in 2017 after 19 years at GE Capital in Private Equity and M&A roles. He led the acquisitions of the Mars, EI, Whitestar Italy, Drydens & Norfin platforms and has been heavily involved managing subsequent origination flows. At his time at GE Capital, he was a senior member of the GE Capital M&A/Corporate Development team responsible for the sale of more than $30 billion platform/portfolio sales in the 2012-2017 GE Capital disposal plan. Richard is Chair of Marie Curie’s annual London Brain Game.

Arrow Global Group

Founded in 2005, Arrow Global is a leading vertically integrated European fund manager specialising in credit and real estate. Arrow operates 18 specialist asset management and servicing platforms with 2,500 employees across five prioritised markets (UK, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and the Netherlands), which provide propriety deal flow and execution capabilities. It has invested over €7bn of capital over the last 16 years including co-invest, across a broad range of credit investment opportunities. Arrow manages €79 billion of third-party servicing AUM using multiple key European regulatory licences. Arrow’s highly experienced management team has collectively overseen more than 3,000 deals with a strong return profile. It has total FUM of €5.3 billion (as at Q3 2022)

Sonia Rocher

Sonia Rocher, Managing Director

Sonia joined BlackRock in 2015 and is a founding member of the European Private Debt platform, as part of BlackRock’s $47bn global private credit platform. With over 18 years of experience, Sonia is a senior portfolio manager focusing on originating, underwriting and monitoring senior secured loans across Europe. In addition, Sonia leads on sustainability and ESG for private credit globally at BlackRock, where she is responsible for ESG integration, improving ESG data and active engagement with portfolio companies to support them on their transition journey.

Sonia actively participates in industry conferences and provides expert views across media, particularly on private debt’s intersection with sustainability. She sits on the board of Alternative Credit Council (ACC) – a global representative body for private credit fund managers and is an affiliate of the Alternative Investment Management Association. In addition to sitting on various other ESG private credit committees.

Prior to joining BlackRock, Sonia was part of RBS' Corporate & Institutional Banking Division where she spent 10 years in roles of increasing responsibility in leveraged finance. In her last role she was in their Financial Sponsor Group focusing on aligning capital and risk appetite for new leveraged finance transactions and leveraged finance origination. Prior to RBS, she was a senior auditor and transaction services at KPMG in Paris. She started her career at Société Générale in Leveraged Finance Mid Cap and M&A teams in Paris and London.

Daniel Roddick

Founder, Ely Place Partners

Daniel Roddick CFA founded Ely Place Partners in 2018. Daniel has 20 years of experience in private equity advisory, formerly running the placement division of EPIC Private Equity. Prior to that he worked at Campbell Lutyens and McKinsey and Co. Daniel read Engineering, Economics and Management at Oxford University, has an MA from Royal Academy of Music and is a CFA charter holder.

Ely Place Partners

Ely Place is a specialist adviser in alternative assets. It assists PE, credit, infrastructure and venture GPs raise capital from institutional investors, and acts as a specialist adviser on secondary and co-investment transactions. In addition, the team offers GP advisory services including fundraising strategy, documentation, presentation support and investor relations.

Daniel Humphrey Rodriguez

Head of Private Markets Research, PDI

Daniel Humphrey Rodriguez is PDI’s Head of Private Markets Research. Based in London, he is responsible for leading PDI’s research and analysis of private market GPs globally. He is also responsible for a number of leading market rankings and reports such as the PDI 100 and PEI 300. Daniel graduated from Royal Holloway University of London with an Upper Second class Honours degree in Mathematics and Management.

David Ross

Managing Director & Head of Private Credit, Northleaf Capital Partners

David is head of Northleaf's private credit program and a member of the Private Credit and Private Equity Investment Committees. David oversees all aspects of Northleaf’s private credit investment activities, including the origination, evaluation and monitoring of private credit investments globally. In addition, he is involved in Northleaf’s investor relations and business development activities.

Prior to joining Northleaf, David was at Bain Capital Credit, a leading global credit specialist, as a Managing Director, Global Head of Sourcing and a member of Bain Capital's Opportunistic Credit and Private Credit team. Previously, David served as the Co-Head of Bain Capital Credit's London office from 2009 to 2013. David began his career with Credit Suisse First Boston in Investment Banking before joining Bain Capital Credit in 2003.

David received a B.A. from Harvard College.

Northleaf Capital Partners

Northleaf Capital Partners is a global private markets investment firm with US$22 billion in private equity, private credit and infrastructure commitments raised to date from public, corporate and multi-employer pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions and family offices. Northleaf’s 200-person team is located in Toronto, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Menlo Park, Montreal, New York and Tokyo. Northleaf sources, evaluates and manages private markets investments globally, with a focus on mid-market companies and assets.

James Ruane

Managing Director, Capital Solutions, International, CDPQ

James Ruane has been Managing Director, Capital Solutions, International since January 2022. Based in the London office, he develops the international strategy for the Capital Solutions team in Europe, Asia and South America. He is also responsible for business development related to the North American transportation and finance subsectors. He sits on the Management Committee of the Fixed Income team, the Infrastructure Debt Investment Committee, and the Executive Committee for Europe.

Mr. Ruane has over 20 years of investment and finance experience. During his career, he has acquired extensive expertise in credit and private equity, as well as a deep understanding of financial institutions. Before joining CDPQ, he held several management positions, including in large organizations such as Bayview Asset Management, Deutsche Bank and Apax Partners.
Mr. Ruane holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School in Boston and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Business from Trinity College Dublin. During his studies, he also spent a year at Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

CDPQ

At CDPQ, we invest constructively to generate sustainable returns over the long term. As a global investment group managing funds for public pension and insurance plans, we work alongside our partners to build enterprises that drive performance and progress. We are active in the major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. As at December 31, 2022, CDPQ’s net assets totalled CAD 402 billion. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

Steve Ruby

Senior Managing Director, Audax Private Debt

Steve is the Co-Head of Origination at Audax Private Debt, a leading debt capital partner with over $34 billion invested across more than 1,250 companies and over $27 billion in capital raised. Steve oversees our unitranche and junior debt investment teams. He is responsible for originating and executing new investments and monitoring portfolio companies. Steve is also a member of our credit committee for originated investments.

Prior to joining Audax in 2003, Steve was an Analyst at Greenwich Street Capital Partners. He also previously worked as a Financial Analyst at DLJ Investment Partners, which became Credit Suisse Private Equity’s dedicated mezzanine fund.

Steve received an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a BA from the University of Western Ontario.

Audax Private Debt

Based in New York, Audax Private Debt is a leading debt capital partner for North American middle-market companies. Since its inception in 2000, Audax Private Debt has invested over $34 billion across more than 1,250 companies in support of over 275 private equity sponsors and has raised more than $27 billion in capital. The platform offers its clients a range of financing solutions, including first lien, stretch senior, unitranche, second lien, and subordinated debt, as well as equity co-investments. With more than 50 investment professionals and over 180 employees, Audax Private Debt provides financing certainty, add-on investment capability, and the experience and collaborative approach to partner with private equity firms and their portfolio companies.

Daljit Sandhu

COO ＆ Co-Founder, Precede Capital Partners

Daljit Sandhu is the Co-Founder and COO of Precede Capital Partners, a real estate lending platform that delivers large-ticket financing solutions to real estate developers for projects across the UK.

In her role as COO, Sandhu is responsible for overseeing strategy, people management, marketing, IT and governance. Since the launch of Precede Capital in March 2021, she has led the build-out of an experienced team which has originated and arranged loans totalling £1.5 billion, financing the construction of properties across the residential, retirement living and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sectors.

Prior to founding Precede Capital, Sandhu served as co-founder and COO of Urban Exposure, building the company over nearly two decades into the UK’s leading residential development financier while extending more than £1.7B in development finance and £3B in real estate finance overall.

Alexander Schmitt

Senior Portfolio Manager – Global Private Debt, Allianz Global Investors

Alex is a senior portfolio manager for global private debt with a focus on infrastructure and real estate debt at Allianz Global Investors. Prior to joining Allianz Global Investors in 2021, Alex was part of Allianz Investment Management’s Private Debt team where he oversaw Allianz’s global infrastructure and real estate debt portfolios. Previous work experience include various roles at Allianz Investment Management and postings at Allianz Global Investors and PIMCO.

Allianz Global Investors

Allianz Global Investors is one of the world's leading asset managers with a wide range of private market strategies, some of which have track-records stretching back for a decade, including private debt, private equity, infrastructure equity and debt, renewables. AllianzGI’s teams manage over EUR 90bn of assets in private market strategies as of 31 Dec 2021.

Raphael Schorr

Partner and Deputy CIO, HighVista Strategies

Raphi Schorr is a Partner and Deputy CIO at HighVista Strategies. He joined the firm in 2004 and currently leads the private investments team. With nearly two decades of experience, Raphi brings a strong background in risk management and specializes in niche alternative strategies that offer exposure to hard-to-access markets, such as structured credit, uncorrelated assets, and emerging markets. Prior to joining HighVista, Raphi worked at Spirit Airlines where he was part of the management team that helped grow the airline into one of the most successful airlines in the US. Raphi holds an AB from Harvard College and an SM and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Department of Defense Fellow.

Sebastian Schroff

Lead Portfolio Manager Private Debt, Allianz Global Investors

Sebastian is the Lead Portfolio Manager for Global Private Debt at Allianz Global Investors. Previously, he was responsible for the Private Debt Portfolio of Allianz Group and the Alternative Investment Portfolio of the Germany Life & Health portfolios.

Other roles before joining Allianz include founding and exiting a fintech company, heading a research center for exchange trading, adjunct lecturer at the University of Hohenheim and doing a PhD in Behavioral Finance.

Sebastian is a CFA Charterholder.

Helene Schütrumpf

Director, Ely Place Partners

Helene Schütrumpf has over 15 years of experience in financial markets, having started her career in proprietary trading at Merrill Lynch, analysing credit and structured credit products. She has been fundraising for Private Equity, Private Credit and Infrastructure funds for 10 years, successfully closing capital from LPs in Europe, Asia and North America. She has also brokered secondary market transactions across a variety of geographies and fund vintages. Helene has a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and has passed all three levels of the CFA Exam. She is a German national and represented the German National Team for Basketball in 2003.

Diana Sepulveda

Senior Portfolio Manager, Infrastructure Debt Investments, HSBC Asset Management

Diana is a Senior Portfolio Manager, Infrastructure Debt Investments, at HSBC Asset Management. She has been working in infrastructure finance since 2000 and is experienced in structuring and executing infrastructure financings across developed and emerging markets.
She began her career as a financial adviser in Portugal, advising on Portugal’s first road PPP tenders. In 2004 she continued her focus on structuring PFI and transportation PPP projects in the UK and Europe, at Deloitte’s London based project finance team. She then joined FSA, a monoline, where she underwrote and closed credit guarantees of infrastructure debt across Europe. In 2011 she joined Swiss Re’s Bank Trade and Infrastructure team, where she led the origination, underwriting and execution of debt participations in the commodity trade finance and infrastructure sectors globally.
Diana has a degree in Economics from Porto University and an Executive MBA from London Business School in London.

HSBC Asset Management

HSBC Asset Management is a major global asset management firm managing assets totalling USD617 billion as at 31 December 2022, with well-established businesses in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Americas and the Middle East. We are the asset management division of, and wholly-owned by HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC Group), one of the largest financial services organisations in the world. Our investment capabilities span across different asset classes - equities, fixed income, multi-asset, liquidity and alternatives. HSBC Asset Management is well placed to provide a globally-consistent, disciplined investment process across our capabilities, drawing on the local knowledge and extensive expertise of our team of over 600 investment professionals across over 20 locations around the world.
For more details, please visit www.assetmanagement.hsbc.co.uk

Saad Sheikh

Partner, Enko Capital

Saad Sheikh is a Partner at Enko Capital and co-heads its private credit strategy, located in the London office. Prior to joining Enko, Saad was a Principal at TLG Capital, where he was responsible for deal origination, structuring, and execution for their emerging markets private credit fund. Saad focused on various industries in Africa, including healthcare, fintech and consumer goods. Prior to that Saad was at Accenture where he focused on M&A and transformation projects. From 2005 to 2012, Saad focused on infrastructure projects at Nokia. Saad holds a bachelor’s degree in computer systems and electronics engineering. He also has an Executive master’s in business administration from Imperial Business School, London

Deborah Shire

Deputy Head of AXA IM Alts, AXA Investment Managers

Deborah Shire is Deputy Head of AXA IM Alts, a global leader in alternative investments, with €186bn+ in assets under management.

Deborah was appointed Deputy Head of AXA IM Alts in 2020 and has over 26 years of experience in alternative markets, joining AXA in 1996.

In 2000, Deborah co-founded the Alternative Credit platform, now part of AXA IM Alts, growing it from a €3.5bn business to one of the largest managers of alternative credit assets in Europe. Deborah led the development of a performing and diversified product range including leveraged loans, ABS, CLOs, ILS, Mortgages, Regulatory Capital and Impact investment.

Deborah holds a Diploma of Financial Analyst and is a graduate of Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace in Engineering.

Parvoleta Shtereva

CIO, Gemcorp Capital Management Ltd

Parvoleta Shtereva is responsible for the firm’s investment portfolio as well as execution and management of investments. She is one of the founders of the firm and is a member of the Investment Committee and Management Committee. Parvoleta has spent most of her career managing credit portfolios for Black River Asset Management and Goldman Sachs. She has 29 years of experience working across Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Gemcorp Capital Management Ltd

Gemcorp Capital is a dedicated alternative independent asset manager, focused on private asset investments in Emerging Markets, including key exposures in Sub-Sahara Africa. Gemcorp focuses on investment themes that address targeted growth and development in EM across telecoms, Fintech, access to finance, energy transition, agricultural and other strategic sectors and industries. Founded in 2014, the firm has executed over $7bn worth of credit and equity investments through dedicated fund offerings as well as strategic co-investment syndications and managed accounts. Headquartered in London and regulated by the FCA, Gemcorp Capital is truly embedded in the markets in which we serve and is 100% owned by the Gemcorp management team. As a signatory of the UN PRI, ESG is integral to our research, investment and risk management processes. Gemcorp Capital seeks to make a meaningful impact through our active investments and is committed to making continuous measurable contributions towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Karen Simeone

Managing Director, HarbourVest Partners

Karen Simeone joined HarbourVest in 2018 and focuses on investments in senior and junior private credit transactions.

Throughout her career, Karen has managed all aspects of the private credit investment process including sourcing, evaluating, structuring, underwriting and managing secured debt securities of middle market companies. Prior to joining the Firm, Karen was a managing director at TCW in the Direct Lending Group (formerly Regiment Capital’s direct lending team). Karen previously worked at Stairway Capital and HVB Group. Karen began her career at J.P. Morgan as part of the leveraged finance group and later became a member of the high yield research team.

Karen received a BS from Georgetown University in 1998 and studied at the London School of Economics.

HarbourVest

HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets firm with 40 years of experience and globally more than $98 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2022. We have had a deep presence in the UK market for over 30 years, stewarding close to £13bn in capital for over 100 UK clients since 1983. Our interwoven platform provides clients access to global primary funds, secondary transactions, direct co-investments, real assets and infrastructure, and private credit. Our strengths extend across strategies, enabled by our team of more than 850 employees, including more than 180 investment professionals across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Across our private markets platform, our team has committed more than $51 billion to newly-formed funds, completed over $41 billion in secondary purchases, and invested over $28 billion in directly operating companies. We partner strategically and plan our offerings innovatively to provide our clients with access, insight, and global opportunities.

Nick Smith

Managing Director, Private Credit, Alternative Credit Council, AIMA

Nick Smith joined AIMA in February 2017 and is the Managing Director, Private Credit for AIMA’s private credit affiliate, the Alternative Credit Council (ACC). His role focuses on public policy and regulatory issues affecting private credit managers as well as the ACC’s active research and events programme.
Nick has 10+ years of experience in public affairs having previously worked in advocacy roles for the retail, banking and asset finance sectors. Nick has a degree in Politics and Modern History from the University of Manchester and Chairs the networking group Labour in the City.

Alternative Credit Council

The Alternative Credit Council (ACC) is a global body that represents asset management firms in the private credit and direct lending space. It currently represents 200 members that manage over $450bn of private credit assets. The ACC is an affiliate of AIMA and is governed by its own board which ultimately reports to the AIMA Council.

ACC members provide an important source of funding to the economy. They provide finance to mid-market corporates, SMEs, commercial and residential real estate developments, infrastructure as well the trade and receivables business.

The ACC’s core objectives are to provide guidance on policy and regulatory matters, support wider advocacy and educational efforts and generate industry research with the view to strengthening the sector's sustainability and wider economic and financial benefits.

Alternative credit, private debt or direct lending funds have grown substantially in recent years and are becoming a key segment of the asset management industry. The ACC seeks to explain the value of private credit by highlighting the sector's wider economic and financial stability benefits.

Merary Soto-Saunders

Global Head of Diversity, Equity ＆ Inclusion, CVC Capital Partners

Merary is responsible for driving initiatives and policies that will make CVC and its portfolio companies more diverse and inclusive, and providing all employees the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Merary drives CVC’s DE&I strategy and oversees the implementation of initiatives to create a more inclusive culture including CVC’s mentoring programmes, global diversity and equality training, and enhanced parental leave benefits. Merary will also work closely with CVC’s portfolio companies to help develop their policies for attracting and hiring underrepresented talent in their individual markets.
Prior to this role Merary joined CVC in 2018 as Head of Human Resources for CVC Credit Partners. In her career, Merary has led HR functions for finance and technology organisations operating in 27 countries across North America, South America, Africa & Europe, supporting growth, and expansion.

CVC Capital Partners

CVC is a leading private equity and investment advisory firm with a network of 25 offices throughout Europe, Asia and the US, with approximately €137 billion of assets under management. CVC has six complementary strategies across private equity, secondaries and credit, for which we have secured commitments in excess of €165 billion from some of the world's leading institutional investors across its private equity and credit strategies. Funds managed or advised by CVC are invested in over 100 companies worldwide, which have combined annual sales of approximately €100 billion and employ more than 550,000 people. For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Matias Sottile

Managing Director, Ayres Partners

Matias Sottile is the founder of Ayres Partners, a boutique financial and strategy advisory firm specializing in funding of energy transition, digital infrastructure and infrastructure funds across investment grade and emerging markets. Ayres Partners advises private investors, infrastructure funds and asset managers on funding projects and specific sector funds. Matias was responsible of Infrastructure Debt at RiverRock AM, held several senior management roles at Santander bank as European Head of Infrastructure Finance and Leveraged Finance and Head of Credit and Infrastructure for Poland and Germany. Matias has extensive expertise in energy and infrastructure, having been responsible for originating and executing transactions across Europe, the Nordics, CEE and LatAm. Matias has total investment experience of c. USD5bn across all geographies and sectors.
Matias holds a master’s in economics and Utilities from the University of Barcelona, and an MBA from IAE/IESE Business School with a specialization in Corporate Finance through the Schulich Business School in York University (Canada).

Justin Staadecker

Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, HPS Investment Partners

Justin Staadecker is a Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and a Portfolio Manager of the Asset Value Funds.
Prior to joining HPS in 2013, Mr. Staadecker was Managing Director and Co-Head of the European Special Situations Credit Opportunities business at Fortress Investment Group. Mr. Staadecker was responsible for its European illiquid credit effort, including portfolio acquisitions and senior/subordinated debt financings. Mr. Staadecker’s portfolio investment activities included residential mortgages, SME and consumer NPLs, and a variety of transportation assets, as well as establishing special servicers for such assets in various jurisdictions.

Prior to joining Fortress, Mr. Staadecker was in the Financial Sponsors Group at Deutsche Bank, where he was responsible for underwriting corporate financings that include bank debt, high-yield bonds and mezzanine.

Mr. Staadecker holds a BA in Philosophy from Ohio State University and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from Case Western University.

Edward Talmor-Gera

Founding Managing Partner, NewVest

Edward Talmor-Gera is the Founding Managing Partner and CEO of NewVest and is based in Tel Aviv. He is also the Co-Founder of Fund Placement Israel (FPI), a boutique private capital placement agent in Israel that has successfully raised over $5 billion of new relationship LP commitments for top private investment firms.

Edward leads private equity teaching at the Israel Finance Institute, including the training of investment committee members of institutional investors and an annual private equity course for capital markets executives. He also lectures at the Israel College of Management and is the Private Equity Industry Coach at London Business School. Edward is a frequent speaker on private markets to Israel’s leading institutional investors, and he has been asked by the Bank of Israel and the Ministry of Finance to opine on the asset class and the regulatory environment governing both domestic GPs and LPs.

Prior to founding FPI, Edward had several finance and investment banking roles with Arison Investments (one of Israel’s largest family offices), Goldman Sachs, and Rothschild. He started his professional career, following his military service, with Sotheby’s. Edward previously served as a NC Captain in the Special Forces Unit of the Israel Defence Force.
Edward holds an Executive MBA from the London Business School and a BS in Mathematics from Tel-Aviv University.

Andy Thomson

Senior Editor, Private Debt Investor, PEI Group

Andy has been with PEI Group since 2003, working on a number of titles including as Editor of Private Equity International and Senior Editor of Infrastructure Investor. Since H2 2015, he took over responsibility for Real Estate Capital and, in the first half of 2016, became Editor of Private Debt Investor. He is a regular writer for the magazines and websites and has also often contributed to our events as a panel moderator. Prior to joining PEI, Andy had senior roles at venture capital portal Venturedome.com and at Thomson Financial. Andy was voted State Street’s Alternatives Journalist of the Year in 2022.

Toni Vainio

Partner, Pantheon

Toni is a Partner in Pantheon’s Global Private Credit Investment and European Investment Teams. He previously worked in the private markets team at Cambridge Associates, where he advised institutional investors on their private market investment programs and conducted research and due diligence on private market funds, managers, and markets. Toni has an MPhil in economics from the University of Oxford and a BEng in engineering with business finance, which was jointly taught at University College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is fluent in Finnish, Spanish and English.

Pantheon

Pantheon is a leading global private markets specialist currently investing on behalf of more than 1,000 investors, including public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and private wealth clients. Founded in 1982, Pantheon has an established reputation across private market asset classes and through the full investment life cycle, from primary fund commitments to direct co-investments and secondary purchases of existing fund interests and assets. The firm's investment solutions cover all stages and geographies, and include flagship fund offerings as well as integrated programs and customized solutions. As of September 30, 2023 Pantheon had $88.9 billion assets under management and advice and the firm currently has a global workforce of more than 460 employees, including in excess of 140 investment professionals, located across 10 offices on three continents.

Richard von Gusovius

Partner, Campbell Lutyens

Richard joined Campbell Lutyens in 2006. He is the Co-Head of Global Private Debt and is also Head of Sales for Europe, the Middle East and APAC, and a member of the Executive Committee. Richard joined Campbell Lutyens’ secondary practice before taking over responsibility for institutional coverage in the German speaking territories. In 2015, he established Campbell Lutyens’ private debt practice, which is now a recognised leader in its field advising on a range of private credit strategies in North America and Europe.

Prior to joining Campbell Lutyens, Richard worked at GMT Communications Partners and Vision Capital after having worked in M&A at J.P.Morgan and PricewaterhouseCoopers in Switzerland. He graduated from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland with a master’s in finance & accounting. He is fluent in German and Dutch.

Orla Walsh

Managing Director, European Private Debt, StepStone Group

Ms. Walsh is a member of the European Private Debt team, and leads the London based Investment Team. She has worked across illiquid credit investments; Primary Commingled Funds, SMA’s, Secondary GP/ LP transactions, and European Co-Investments. She is the Investment Team Lead on both Secondaries and Co-Investments.
Prior to StepStone, Ms. Walsh was an Associate within Goldman Sachs International’s Credit Finance division, where she worked on the sourcing and execution of leveraged finance transactions across high yield and leveraged loans in the EMEA region, as well as managing the leveraged loan credit portfolio. Before that she was a member of the transaction, monitoring, and restructuring team within Project Finance at the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg.
Ms. Walsh holds a BBS, M.A. (Dubl.) degree, from Trinity College Dublin.

StepStone Group

StepStone Group is a global private markets specialist that currently oversees more than $588 billion of private capital allocations, including over $137 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2022. In 2021, StepStone allocated more than US$75 billion across fund investments, secondary investments and co-investments on behalf of some of the world’s most influential and sophisticated investors. StepStone provides both discretionary and non-discretionary investment services in private markets. StepStone Private Debt (“SPD”) was formed in 1998 and offers comprehensive coverage of the entire private debt spectrum from performing (senior to junior/ mezzanine) to non-performing across the corporate, real estate, infrastructure sectors and credit specialties. The private debt strategy is differentiated primarily by its multi-manager approach and the SPD platform containing several GP managed accounts negotiated with selected international loan managers. Due to economies of scale on our platform, our negotiated terms with the managers offer an advantageous cost structure, meaning that additional costs may be neutralized.

Dr. Lulu Wang

Portfolio Strategist – Global Private Markets' Solutions, abrdn

Dr. Lulu Wang leads the Research and Strategy function of the Global Private Markets Fund (GPMF) and Aberdeen Diversified Income and estate, infrastructure and natural resources Growth Fund in abrdn. Her focus is on the analysis of fundamental drivers of private markets and the application of economic forecasts, thematic ideas, and market insights across the global private classes. Lulu is also responsible for the production thought-leadership projects, to provide a strategic and tactical asset allocation on the major asset classes between public and private markets globally. She is a Board member of the GPMF ICAV and Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

Lulu started her career in 1999 and holds a Bsc first class and Msc degrees in international banking and Finance and a PhD in international real estate portfolio diversification.’

Dominic Webb

Reporter, Responsible Investor

Dominic is a senior reporter for Responsible Investor, writing across a range of topics including fixed income, EU and UK regulatory issues, the US and investment stewardship. Since joining Responsible Investor in January 2021, he has won awards for his coverage of sustainability-linked bond markets and was named Willis Towers Watson's Sustainable Investment Journalist of the Year in 2022. He has a Master' Degree in Journalism from Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Responsible Investor

Responsible Investor is the single source for the latest thinking on sustainable finance for investors globally across all asset classes. With a dedicated team of award-winning journalists, Responsible Investor delivers news, market analysis, and data examining ESG and sustainability across financial markets. It provides readers with a clear understanding of how investors are incorporating ESG into their investment policies and processes.

Adam Wheeler

Co-Head of Global Private Finance, Barings

Adam Wheeler is Co-Head of Barings’ Global Private Finance Group and a member of the firm’s North American, European and Asia-Pacific Private Finance Investment Committees. He is responsible for leading a team that originates, underwrites and manages global private finance investments. Adam has worked in the industry since 1994 and his experience has encompassed mezzanine investing, private debt investing, originating, structuring and underwriting leveraged loans. Prior to joining the firm in 2009, he worked for AMP Capital Investors as the head of the Australian and New Zealand Private Debt business where he was responsible for managing a team that originated, arranged and invested in mezzanine and related private debt financings. He was also a member of the AMP Capital Private Debt Investment Committee. Before AMP, he held origination, underwriting and advisory positions at Rabobank Corporate Finance, N.M. Rothschild & Sons and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Adam holds a B.Com. and L.L.B. from the University of New South Wales, a G.D.M. from the Australian Graduate School of Management, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Barings

Barings is a $349+ billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment.

*As of June 30, 2022

The next phase for private credit markets

Meet global institutional investors including:

What can you expect at the summit?

Meet key institutional investors

Event content with value

Build your private debt network

2023 Confirmed attendees include:

Grow your private debt network

Meet our Keynote

Keynote Interview: The ingredients for success in private credit

Head of Private Debt Fund of Funds, Generali Investments Partners SGR

Founder and Partner, MD Advisors

Chief Executive Officer, European Leveraged Finance Association (ELFA)

Managing Director, Head of EMEA Portfolio Management Private Credit, MetLife Investment Management

Managing Director - Global Credit, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)

Managing Director and CIO, Apolis S.A.M.

Partner, Pantheon

Senior Investment Director, Direct Private Credit (London), AustralianSuper

Head of Infrastructure Finance, AXA IM Alts

Head of Private Assets, Aviva UK Life

CEO, Pensions for Purpose

President & Co-Founder, MGG Investment Group

Managing Director, HarbourVest Partners

Head of Private Markets, Phoenix Asset Management, Phoenix Group plc

Key event themes include:

2023 in numbers

300+ Attendees

100+ Speakers

100+ Investors

What our delegates say?

Luca Di Rico

Racing Capital

Amin Doulai

King & Spalding

Stephen McKenna

Altum Group

Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass

Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass

2023 confirmed investor attendees include

Investors at PDI Europe 2023

What to expect?

What to expect on the event day

300+ Attendees

75+ Speakers

100+ Institutional Investors

5+ Networking hours

Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass

Agenda

Day 1- Direct Lending - Tuesday 9th

Registration ＆ Welcome Coffee

PDI Europe Summit Welcome Address

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Dalit Nuttall

Opening Panel: What rising rates and inflationary pressures mean for private debt market

Penny Cochrane

Michael Curtis

Daniel Leger

Sanjay Mistry

Steve Ruby

Adam Wheeler

Panel: Which asset classes and sectors to deploy debt capital in once the cycle bottoms out

Faisal Ramzan

Ilya Gertsberg

Carolyn Hastings

Ross Morrow

Shaun Mullin

David Ross

Networking Coffee Break

LP Views- How emerging players can try to compete

Rebecca Davis

Marco Busca

Nicolas Ferretjans

Sebastian Schroff

Deep dive: New strategies emerging among fund managers

Karan Chopra

Joe Abrams

Damian Hahnloser

Ari Jauho

Philippe Mojon

Stephen Quinn

300+
Attendees

100+
Speakers

100+
Investors

300+
Attendees

75+
Speakers

100+
Institutional Investors

5+
Networking hours