Where capital flows towards opportunity
The PDI DACH Forum convenes leading institutional allocators and the most forward-thinking private credit managers.
This is the hub of capital demand and investor connection — where DACH-based LPs meet global managers with a clear goal: raise and deploy capital.
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 hosted by Fondsfrauen
Manuela M. Froehlich
Manuela M. Froehlich, Co-Founder & Partner, Fondsfrauen
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 - 09:45
Opening panel: Performing sectors for debt capital in the current cycle
Olivier Cassin,
Thomas Bayerl,
Mark Wilton,
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?
- Spreads and leverage levels
- How is private credit supporting the energy transition and what are the different approaches investors can take in this area?
- Can you play across strategies in the context of a transitionary economic environment to manage evolving risks and opportunities Asset-backed lending vs. junior, senior debt strategies?
Moderator: Olivier Cassin, Managing Director, Bfinance
Thomas Bayerl, Global Head of Illiquid Assets, MEAG
Mark Wilton, Head of European Investments, Corinthia Global Management
Florian Hofer, Managing Director, Private Credit Investments, Golding Capital Partners
09:45 - 10:05
Keynote: Geopolitical Risks and Market Outlook
Philipp Mühl
Philipp Mühl, Associate Director, Global Counsel
10:05 - 10:15
Short break
10:15 - 11:00
Panel: Changing dynamics in direct lending
James Newsome,
Amit Agarwal,
Luke Gillam,
Stuart Mathieson,
Axel Wehtje
- 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
Moderator: James Newsome, CEO, Arbour Partners
Amit Agarwal, President ＆ Head – Private Credit, EAAA Alternatives
Luke Gillam, Partner, Head of Direct Lending, AlbaCore Capital
Stuart Mathieson, Head of European Private Credit & Capital Solutions, Barings
Axel Wehtje, Partner, Park Square Capital
11:00 - 11:20
Interview: From Risk Premium to Market Opportunity - Private Lending in the US Non-Sponsored, Lower Middle Market
Dr. Gabriella Kindert,
Daniel Leger
Moderator: Dr. Gabriella Kindert, Independent Board Member, Neptune Leasing, a.o.
Daniel Leger, Senior Managing Director, Metropolitan Partners Group
11:20 - 11:50
Networking Break
Plenary
11:50 - 12:30
Panel: Growing scale and the market for mega-deals
Sabine Fischer,
Florian Jacob,
Roger Kempink,
Richard Sanders
- 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
Roger Kempink, Partner, Private Credit and Direct Lending Specialist, Apollo
Richard Sanders, Lead Asset Manager, Lifetri
12:30 - 13:05
Panel: Country Champions in the DACH mid-market
Olga Braun-Cangl,
Ralph Engelchor,
Sebastian Lorenz
- Which geographies across the DACH region are most appealing for lower and 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, Investment Managing Director, Cambridge Associates
Ralph Engelchor, Portfolio Manager Impact Investing, Achmea Investment Management
Sebastian Lorenz, Head of DACH, H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe
13:05 - 14:05
Networking lunch
Stream A
14:05 - 14:40
Restructuring ＆ Workouts
Nicole Waibel,
Robert Meyer zu Starten,
Daniel Heine
- 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
Moderator: Nicole Waibel, Managing Director, Crescent Credit
Daniel Heine, Managing Director Private Debt, Patrimonium Asset Management
Robert Meyer zu Starten, Managing Partner, Octane Capital
14:40 - 15:15
Growth lending opportunities
Andy Thomson,
Phil Fretwell,
Damian Hahnloser
- 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?
Moderator: Andy Thomson, Senior Editor, Private Debt Investor
Phil Fretwell, Co-Founder & Partner, AshGrove Capital
Damian Hahnhloser, Founder & Co-CIO,Growth Credit Partners
Stream B
14:05 - 14:40
Panel: The growing appeal of asset backed lending
Eberhard Schwarz,
Udai Bishnoi,
Charlie Dunlap,
Alan Shaffran
- 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?
Moderator: Eberhard Schwarz, Managing Director, Complementa
Udai Bishnoi, Global Head of Asset Based Finance, Sculptor Capital
Charlie Dunlap, Senior Managing Director, Cerberus Capital
Alan Shaffran, Senior Portfolio Manager, Magnetar Financial
Charlie Dunlap
Head of Global Financial Institutions Group Advisory and Senior Managing Director, Cerberus European Capital Advisors
Read bio
14:40 - 15:15
Panel: Going niche to gain a competitive edge
Boerge Grauel,
Kristina Matthews,
Malte Nowack,
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: Boerge Grauel, Partner, YIELCO Investments
Kristina Matthews, Partner, Falcon Investments
Malte Nowack, Senior Investment Manager, Perpetual Investors
Eugenio Sangermano, Managing Director, BF.capital GmbH
15:15 - 15:45
Afternoon Networking Break
Plenary
15:45 - 16:05
Presentation: New private credit strategies and European priorities
Priscilla Schnepper
Priscilla Schnepper, Senior Investment Manager Private Credit, European Investment Fund
16:05 - 16:50
LP Perspectives: Update on current deployment and investor focuses
Hans-Peter Dohr,
Sven Gralla,
Marc Schreier,
Natalia Shelestovych,
Marc Smid
- Appetite for private credit and allocations across the DACH market
- Have funds delivered for DACH LPs?
- How are investors approaching risk amidst political and economic uncertainty?
Moderator: Hans-Peter Dohr, Managing Partner, ICA Institutional Capital Associates
Sven Gralla, Fund Manager Private Debt, LBBW Asset Management
Marc Schreier, Senior Portfolio Manager Private Assets, Baloise Asset Management
Natalia Shelestovych, Investment Manager Alternative Investments, Munich RE
Marc Smid, Senior Portfolio Manager-Global Private Debt, Allianz Global Investors
16:50 - 17:30
Meet the Allocator roundtables (LP hosted roundtables)
Alexander Schmitt,
Alexander Felix Schmidt,
Richard Sanders,
Ari Jauho,
May Rahmani
- Building an effective diversified private debt portfolio facilitated by Alexander Schmitt, Senior Portfolio Manager – Global Private Debt, Allianz Global Investors
- Selection criteria in private credit facilitated by Alexander Schmidt, Vice President-Private Credit Investments, Golding Capital
- How to include niche strategies in a portfolio facilitated by Richard Sanders, Lead Asset Manager, Lifetri
- Special situations – a revamped opportunity? facilitated by Ari Jauho, Partner, Chairman, Certior Capital
- Private credit opportunities in emerging markets facilitated by May Rahmani, Principal Banker, Debt Mobilisation Product Development, EBRD
May Rahmani
Principal Banker, Debt Mobilisation Product Development, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD)
Read bio
17:30 - 18:30
Networking drinks
Agenda
PDI DACH Forum 2025 - Day Two - Wednesday 15th
08:00 - 09:15
Registration
08:15 - 09:15
LP Breakfast in partnership with PineBridge
Joe Marsh,
Joseph Taylor
Moderator: Joe Marsh, EMEA Editor, Investors, PEI Group
Joseph Taylor, Managing Director, Head of Capital Markets, Private Credit, PineBridge Investments
Plenary
09:15 - 09:20
Chairperson’s Welcome Address
09:20 - 10:00
Panel: Deal sourcing approaches
Andy Thomson,
Mustafa Dincer,
Magnus Lilja,
Michael Ewald,
Ghislain Perisse
- 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
Mustafa Dincer, Founder, MD Advisors
Magnus Lilja, Managing Director, Head of DACH Investments, Corinthia Global Management
Michael Ewald, Partner, Global Head of the Private Credit Group, Bain Capital
Ghislain Perisse, Global Head of Insurance Solutions, Fidelity International
Magnus Lilja
Managing Director, European Investments- DACH & Nordics, Corinthia Global Management
Read bio
10:00 - 10:30
Panel: The current environment for opportunistic private credit
Michael Anderson,
Jonathan Dencker-Rasmussen,
Ari Jauho,
Reji Vettasseri
- How are current market conditions favouring opportunistic strategies?
- Outlook for real estate debt from an opportunistic/stressed angle
Moderator: Michael Anderson, Managing Director, Campbell Lutyens
Jonathan Dencker-Rasmussen, Director, Capital Solutions, LCM Partners
Ari Jauho, Partner, Chairman, Certior Capital
Reji Vettasseri, Lead Portfolio Manager – Private Markets, DECALIA
10:30 - 10:35
Short break
10:35 - 11:35
PDI Investment Committee
Dr. Gabriella Kindert,
Matthias Kirchgaessner,
Peter Gottron,
Daniel Heine,
Paolo Pendenza
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
Peter Gottron, Head of DACH & Poland, Beechbrook Capital
Daniel Heine, Managing Director Private Debt, Patrimonium Asset Management
Paolo Pendenza, Chief Executive Officer – Head of Private Debt, Equita Capital SGR
11:35 - 12:00
Morning Networking Break
Plenary
12:00 - 12:35
Panel: The future of fund structuring
Ian Milton,
David Hansen,
Johan Hultner,
Nedelina Lazarova,
Chen Xu
- Innovations occurring amidst the rise of more complex fund structures
- LP demand for open end and semi-liquid fund structures
- Which fund vehicles are used to attract wealth management clients
- Retalization of Private Markets
- Eltif 2.0 expectations vs. reality – how to get access to HNWI and Retail pools
Moderator: Ian Milton, Founder, Mercia Capital Partners
David Hansen, Head of Private Debt & Infrastructure, LBBW Asset Management
Johan Hultner, Managing Partner, ARCOS Capital Partners
Nedelina Lazarova, Head of Private Debt and Investment Manager, HQ Trust
Chen Xu, Portfolio Manager Private Debt, Klarphos
12:35 - 13:10
Panel: The expanding role of family offices in private credit
Joe Marsh,
Markus Schmidt,
Marcus Storr,
Justas Daujotas
- 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
Markus Schmidt, Principal, Senior Consultant, Mercer
Marcus Storr, Head of Alternative Investments, FERI
Justas Daujotas, Multi Asset Investment Manager, Willgrow
13:10 - 13:30
Closing LP keynote interview
Alexander Kosanke,
Martin Gratzfeld
Moderator: Alexander Kosanke, Director – Institutionelle Kundenbetreuung, Fidelity International
Martin Gratzfeld, Portfolio Manager, BarmeniaGothaer Asset Management
13:30 - 13:35
Closing Remarks
13:35 - 14:35
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)
Charlie Dunlap
Head of Global Financial Institutions Group Advisory and Senior Managing Director, Cerberus European Capital Advisors
May Rahmani
Principal Banker, Debt Mobilisation Product Development, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD)
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
Thanks for your interest
Thank you for your interest in this year’s DACH Forum. Your requested resource will be emailed to you shortly.
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Explore our event website for more information and be sure to secure your place when ready. We hope to see you in Munich this October.