Unveiling new opportunities across DACH private credit
The PDI DACH Forum convenes Europe’s most forward-thinking private credit managers and the region’s leading institutional allocators.
This is the hub of capital demand and investor connection—where DACH-based LPs meet global managers with a clear goal: raise and deploy in Europe’s third-largest private debt market.
Step into the room where relationships are built with purpose, capital flows towards opportunity, and the DACH region defines the future of private credit.
Thomas Lehner, Viridium Group
"Must visit for the German LP community"
Meet with leading DACH investors from the likes of:
Direct Access to DACH LPs
Attracting the most active allocators from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Strategic market intelligence
Position your strategies for growth and resilience.
Curated networking
Form partnerships and cultivate lasting relationships.
Priscilla Schnepper, EIF
"The conference had many valuable elements, including the discussions, networking opportunities, panels, roundtables and the LP Breakfast"
Access intelligence from the heart of the market
- The growth of private credit opportunities in the DACH market
- Investor sentiment and allocation requirements in a period of uncertainty
- Tariff turbulence, market forces and it’s implications for private credit
- Pushback from banks across the DACH region and how they are collaborating with alternative lenders
- Meet the allocator roundtables: Private Credit as a Portfolio Diversification Strategy
2025 Speakers include:
Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible allocators and institutional investors to join the event.
To qualify for a complimentary pass, you must meet the eligibility criteria in representing a pension fund, insurance company, sovereign wealth fund, private wealth manager, foundation, endowment, family office or corporate investment division.
Apply for a pass and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Pre-Event Resources
Raise your profile amongst the private debt community
Private Debt Investor hosts industry-leading events for global private debt and credit professionals. The networking events connect leading investors and fund managers to drive the asset class forward. Sponsorship gives you:
- VIP access
- Thought-leadership opportunities
- High-profile branding
- And much more…
For more information on available sponsorship opportunities, please contact Beth Piercy, Global Business Development Director – Private Debt.
beth.p@pei.group | +44 20 7566 5464
2025 Sponsors:
2025 Agenda
For more information on the event, please contact Hannah Ogun.
hannah.o@pei.group | +44 203 307 2473
View agenda page
Agenda
PDI DACH Forum 2025 - Day One - Tuesday 14th
08:00 - 08:55
Registration
08:00 - 08:55
Women’s breakfast
Plenary
08:55 - 09:00
PDI Welcome Address
09:00 - 09:05
Chairperson’s opening remarks
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg, Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments (BAI)
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Read bio
09:05 - 09:50
Keynote panel: Performing sectors for debt capital in the current cycle
Florian Hofer
- How are managers overweighting and underweighting different sectors in the current cycle?
- Implications of global market forces e.g. tariffs, policies, interest rates on certain sectors
- Where is borrower appetite strongest?
- Which sectors do LPs consider the most attractive?
- Spreads and leverage levels
- How have regional preferences shifted?
Florian Hofer, Managing Director, Private Credit Investments, Golding Capital Partners
09:50 - 10:15
Keynote
10:15 - 10:20
Short break
Plenary
10:20 - 11:00
Panel: Changing dynamics in direct lending
Amit Agarwal
- What are the biggest opportunities emerging in direct lending?
- What regulatory challenges are direct lenders facing?
- Market structure innovation: new entrants such as insurers and platforms and how this is shifting competitive dynamics?
- Product innovation – hybrid structures and new risk/return profiles being offered to LPs
- How managers are exploring new channels like tokenization, retail/private wealth platforms
Amit Agarwal, President ＆ Head – Private Credit, EAAA Alternatives
11:00 - 11:30
Networking Break
Plenary
11:30 - 12:10
Panel: Growing scale and the market for mega-deals
Sabine Fischer,
Florian Jacob
- Key areas mega sized GPs are expanding in
- The growing role of club and jumbo deals
- Direct Lending and Leveraged Loan markets – competitive or supplementary?
- The emergence of investment grade private credit in the US
Moderator: Sabine Fischer, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, BB Alternative Partners
Florian Jacob, Director, Deutsche Bank
12:10 - 12:50
Panel: Country Champions in the DACH lower mid-market
Olga Braun-Cangl,
Priscilla Schnepper
- Which geographies across the DACH region are most appealing for lower middle market credit opportunities?
- How are the respective markets becoming competitive- increased banks/pan-European GPs coming down into local markets?
- Risk/reward opportunities
- What global GPs need to know about partnering in the DACH region and being locally on the ground
Moderator: Olga Braun-Cangl, Senior Investment Director, Cambridge Associates
Priscilla Schnepper, Senior Investment Manager Private Credit, European Investment Fund
12:50 - 13:50
Networking lunch
Stream A
13:50 - 14:30
Restructuring ＆ Workouts
- Outlook for private credit restructuring activity – impact of recent loosening of credit documentation
- Restructuring framework in the DACH – in court versus out of court solutions
- Required skillset to support turnarounds – how well set up are debt funds
14:30 - 15:10
Growth lending opportunities
- How is the rise in the European tech sector fuelling opportunities in growth lending?
- How should LPs approach growth lending as part of their private debt portfolios?
Stream B
13:50 - 14:30
Panel: The growing appeal of asset backed lending
- Why is ABL lending considered to be Private Credit 2.0?
- Which supply and demand factors are driving the market?
- What are the most attractive strategies for investors?
14:30 - 15:10
Panel: Going niche to gain a competitive edge
Dr. Matthias Unser,
Eugenio Sangermano
- Are sponsorless deals being overlooked?
- Where do LPs consider the most attractive opportunities across niche strategies (bridge financing, aviation, royalties, NAV financing, litigation finance etc.)
Moderator: Dr. Matthias Unser, Managing Director, YIELCO Investments
Eugenio Sangermano, Managing Director, BF.capital GmbH
15:10 - 15:40
Afternoon Networking Break
Plenary
15:40 - 16:20
LP Perspectives: Update on current deployment and investor focuses
Hans-Peter Dohr,
Sven Gralla
- How managers can best the fundraising market
- Appetite for private credit and allocations across the DACH market
- Have funds in DACH delivered for LPs?
- How are investors approaching risk amidst political and economic uncertainty? (Hapev, RAG-Stiftung, Zurich Insurance)
Hans-Peter Dohr, Managing Partner, ICA Institutional Capital Associates
Sven Gralla, Fund Manager Private Debt, LBBW Asset Management
16:20 - 16:45
Fireside chat: How banks are expanding their private credit capabilities
- How open are traditional banks to collaborate with the competition by participating in unitranches?
- How do fund managers and banks co-operate in the DACH region?
16:45 - 17:20
Meet the Allocator roundtables (LP hosted roundtables)
Ari Jauho
- Manager selection in a competitive landscape
- Building an effective diversified private debt portfolio
- Emerging growth areas in private debt (e.g. ABL, portfolio finance)
- Selection criteria in private credit
- The energy transition opportunity
- How to include niche strategies in a portfolio
- Special situations – a revamped opportunity? facilitated by Ari Jauho, Partner, Chairman, Certior Capital
- The evolution of infrastructure debt
- Real estate debt opportunities
17:20 - 18:20
Networking drinks
Agenda
PDI DACH Forum 2025 - Day Two - Wednesday 15th
08:00 - 08:55
Registration
08:00 - 08:55
LP think tank breakfast
Plenary
08:55 - 09:00
Chairperson’s Welcome Address
09:00 - 09:40
Panel: Deal sourcing approaches
Andy Thomson,
Michael Ewald
- Differentiation in sourcing strategies
- Own direct sourcing vs participation in deals originated by others
- Collaboration with banks
Moderator: Andy Thomson, Senior Editor, Private Debt Investor
Michael Ewald, Partner, Global Head of the Private Credit Group, Bain Capital
09:40 - 10:20
Panel: The current environment for opportunistic private credit
Reji Vettasseri
- How are current market conditions favouring opportunistic strategies?
- Outlook for real estate debt from an opportunistic/stressed angle
Reji Vettasseri, Lead Portfolio Manager – Private Markets, DECALIA
10:20 - 10:25
Short break
10:25 - 11:20
PDI Investment Committee
Dr. Gabriella Kindert,
Matthias Kirchgaessner,
Daniel Heine
Our PDI Investment Committee takes a look at three investment case studies from leading GPs in this unique interactive format.
Co-Moderators: Dr. Gabriella Kindert, Independent Board Member, Neptune Leasing, a.o. and Matthias Kirchgaessner, Managing Director, Plexus Research
Daniel Heine, Managing Director Private Debt, Patrimonium Asset Management
11:20 - 11:50
Morning Networking Break
Plenary
11:50 - 12:25
Panel: The future of fund structuring
Nedelina Lazarova
- Innovations occurring amidst the rise of more complex fund structures
- LP demand for open end and semi-liquid fund structures
- The case for private credit evergreen structures
- Which fund vehicles are used to attract wealth management clients
Nedelina Lazarova, Head of Private Debt and Investment Manager, HQ Trust
12:25 - 13:00
Panel: The expanding role of family offices in private credit
Joe Marsh,
Marcus Storr
- How family offices are opening up to alternatives- it is now a typical part of the portfolio of a family office
- What approaches family offices typically have to build a global portfolio
- Why have they started to look at private credit considering the previous focus was on private equity (incl. VC)
- Top strategies and regions of preference for family capital
Moderator: Joe Marsh, EMEA Editor, Investors, PEI Group
Marcus Storr, Head of Alternative Investments, FERI
Justas Daujotas, Multi Asset Investment Manager, Willgrow
13:00 - 13:20
Closing LP keynote interview
Martin Gratzfeld
Martin Gratzfeld, Portfolio Manager, BarmeniaGothaer Asset Management
13:20 - 13:25
Closing Remarks
13:25 - 14:25
Networking Lunch ＆ End of Conference
For more information on the event, please contact Hannah Ogun.
hannah.o@pei.group | +44 203 307 2473
2025 Speakers include:
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass
The PDI DACH Forum provides an unrivalled platform for institutional investors and allocators investing in private debt to gather.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Apply for a pass and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Discover targeted private debt strategies
Gain direct exposure to an audience of global managers.
Benchmark allocation strategies and risk frameworks
Compare portfolio structures and due diligence approaches alongside your peers.
Investor led sessions
Through roundtables, breakfasts and investor only discussions the forum is a key platform to connect and share knowledge.
Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible allocators and institutional investors to join the event.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Apply for a pass and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Our leading advisory board in 2025
Interested in speaking at PDI Germany Forum? Please contact Hannah Ogun today.
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Unmatched networking only at Germany Forum
2 days of unrivalled networking
Connect with familiar faces and meet with investors who are actively looking to expand their debt allocations. A series of networking programme including coffee breaks, lunch, and receptions will allow you to build meaningful connections.
6 Investor-led sessions
Understand investors’ sentiment towards different debt strategies and how their priorities have shifted during the changing market environment. An investor-only breakfast meeting will provide an intimate setting for knowledge and insight-sharing.
Interactive & Insightful
Join Meet the Allocator roundtables with like-minded leaders from across the DACH region to discover new opportunities and solutions to your pressing questions.
Year-on-year attending investors include:
Our networking at a glance
15/10/24
Networking receptions & breaks
Navigating a choppier fundraising market, the impact of amend-and extend, privagte debt secondaries market, and much more facilitied by a group of thought-leading private debt allocators and ivnestors.
16/10/24
PDI Investment Committees
Deep dive into three investment case studies from leading GPs in this unique interactive format.
Our attendee breakdown
View key insights from the conference
Day 1: Chairman’s opening remarks presentation
By Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets,
Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Day 1: Panel: Has the secondaries market finally come of age?
By Marcel Schindler
Head StepStone Private Debt, Partner,
StepStone Group
Join us again
26-27 March, 2025
Sands Expo and Convention Centre
APAC’s leading private debt conference
