
The premier private debt event in North America
The 10th annual Private Debt Investor New York Forum brought together the North American private credit industry at a critical time for the asset class.
Rising interest rates, inflation, a real estate sector looking for financing alternatives, and regional banking collapses have all presented opportunities for innovative investors and managers. The forum covered actionable methods for firm differentiation in a highly competitive and dynamic market.
Attendees connected with North America’s leading investors, including CalSTRS, IMCO, Liberty Mutual, MassMutual, OTPP, and many more to:
- Discuss where LPs are looking to allocate funds
- Learn what they are looking for in a manager during the current macroeconomic uncertainty
- Gain actionable insight into current best practices and strategies for generating the highest returns
What does the forum offer?
Explore new trends in private debt
Learn about the most relevant topics across the asset class, including direct lending, specialty finance, and more.
Exchange ideas with your peers
Have meaningful conversations with private debt experts about top return strategies and best practices for securing capital.
Expand your investor network
Make valuable connections with investors and discuss their top considerations when allocating to private debt.
Key agenda themes from 2023
Industry experts discussed pressing topics across the private debt asset class, including:
- Macro trends and a push for real assets
- Main risk factors going into 2024
- Drive toward direct lending
- Trends in specialty finance
- ESG and DEI in private credit
- Private debt in middle markets
- And more!
2023 speakers

See what past attendees are saying about the forum
Testimonials
Kurt Bock
Chief Executive Officer, Country Financial
Absolutely invaluable! The perspectives from GPs, LPs, and industry analysts all in one place made this the most beneficial investor meeting I will attend this…
Jim McMullan
Head of Corporate Credit, CDPQ
Overall great retreat; an opportunity to step back and think about private debt opportunities and trends.
Brett Hickey
Chief Executive Officer, Star Mountain Capital
Well-organized conference with high-quality LPs and GPs along with high-quality content and technology for participants to engage.
Raise your profile among private debt decision makers
Build and develop your company’s brand image, strengthen your market credibility, and meet your investment and business goals. Sponsorship gives you:
- VIP access
- Thought-leadership opportunities
- High-profile branding
- And much more…
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Beth Piercy at beth.p@pei.group or +44 207 566 5464.
2023 sponsors
2023 speakers included...

Spyro Alexopoulos
Co-Head of Direct Lending, Golub Capital

Amit Bafna
Managing Director, Asset Management, Antares Capital

Michela Bariletti
Chief Credit Officer, Phoenix Group

Andrew Bellis
Partner, Global Head of Private Debt, Partners Group

Zak Bentley
Senior Reporter, Infrastructure Investor

Jennie Benza
Private Markets, General Electric Pension

Stephanie Berdik
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Garett Bjorkman
Managing Director, Portfolio Oversight, CIM

Andreas Boye
Co-head of Credit Opportunities in North America, Carlyle

William Brady
Partner, Paul Hastings

Christian Brehm
Chief Executive Officer, FC Capital

Christine Brennan
Operations Manager – Alternative Investments, New Jersey Pension Plan

Sarah Butcher
Head of Private Markets Distribution, Canada, Fiera Capital

Nicole Byrns
Alternative Asset Investor, Independent

Stephan Caron
Managing Director, Head of European Private Debt, BlackRock

Andrew Chen
Head of Real Estate Investments, Beach Point Capital Management

Marc Chowrimootoo
Managing Director & Portfolio Manager, Private Credit, Hayfin Capital Management

Noel Clapp
Investment Manager, GE Pension

Pierre-Yves Cyr
Senior Director, Capital Solutions, CDPQ

Dean D'Angelo
Partner, Stellus Capital Management

Gabriel Yomi Dabiri
Private Credit and Cross-Border Finance Leader, Polsinelli

Anna Dayn
Managing Partner, New End

Kerry Dolan
Managing Partner, Brinley Partners

Mark Dominé
Managing Director and Head of Originations, Fundamental Advisors LP

Grier Eliasek
President, Prospect Capital

Marianna Fassinotti
Head of Private Credit, The D. E. Shaw Group

Andersen Fisher
Portfolio Manager of the Special Situations Opportunity Funds, HPS Investment Partners, LLC

Matthew Freund
President, Barings Private Credit Corp.

Marc Friess
Partner, Proskauer

David Gaito
Head of Direct Lending, Fidelity Investments

Ed Goldstein
Chief Investment Officer, Coller Credit Secondaries

Laurence Gottlieb
Chairman and CEO, Fundamental Advisors LP

Dane Graham
Managing Director, 17Capital

Kevin Griffin
Founder and CIO, MGG Investment Group

Michael Gross
Co-Founder, SLR Capital Partners

Drew Guyette
Senior Partner & Co-Chief Credit Officer, Twin Brook Capital Partners

Greg Hardiman
Managing Director, 17Capital

Nate Hartley
Head of Origination, Americas, Channel Capital Advisors

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

Jesse Kirsch
Partner, Paul Hastings LLP

Avi Korn
Co-Head of Asset Based Finance, KKR

John Kyles
Managing Director, Head of the Credit Strategies, Portfolio Advisors

Leor Landa
Head of the Investment Management Practice, Davis Polk

Jess Larsen
Founder and CEO, Briarcliffe

Kevin Lawi
Managing Director, Private Credit Portfolio Manager - Head of Origination of Credit Investments Group, Credit Suisse Asset Management

Christina Lee
Managing Director and Assistant Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management

Aren LeeKong
Vice Chairman of Global Credit, Head of Direct Lending, & CEO of the Business Development Companies, Carlyle

Jeff Levin
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Direct Lending, Morgan Stanley Investment Management

Tim Lower
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Founder, Willow Tree Credit Partners LP

Kevin Magid
President, Audax Private Debt

Lin Maung
Senior Portfolio Manager, Private Equity, State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB)

Kevin McCormick
Managing Director, Campbell Lutyens

Joe McCurdy
Senior Managing Director, Head of Origination, Guggenheim Partners

Lane McDonald
Managing Director, Strategy & Operations, OMERS

Richard Melville
Editorial Director, US, PEI Group

Derek Miller
Managing Director, Fitch Ratings

Michelle Noyes
Managing Director, Head of Americas, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)

Obinna Onyeagoro
Consultant, Egon Zehnder

Armen Panossian
Head of Performing Credit and Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management

Margarita Pineda-Ucero
Managing Director, Portfolio Management, Audax Private Credit

Douglas Porter
Managing Director, MainePERS

Dharmy Rai
Director, BlackRock

Hallie Ransone
Managing Director, Liberty Mutual Investments

Brian Resnick
Partner, Davis Polk

Daniel Roddick
Founder, Ely Place Partners

Samantha Rowan
Editor, Real Estate Capital USA

Bill Sacher
Partner and Head of Private Credit, Adams Street Partners

Kenneth Saffold
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, o15 Capital Partners

Caroline Sandberg
Partner, Fried Frank

Erik Savi
Partner and Global Head of Carlyle Infrastructure Credit, The Carlyle Group

Randy Schwimmer
Co-Head of Senior Lending, Churchill Asset Management

Lori Scott
Managing Director, Impact Credit, Lafayette Square

Sengal Selassie
CEO & Founder, Brightwood

Andrew Smith
Head of Real Estate and Senior Managing Director, Kayne Anderson Real Estate

Andy Thomson
Senior Editor, Private Debt Investor

Phillip Titolo
Head of Direct Private Investments, MassMutual

Isaiah Toback
Partner, Deputy Co-Chief Investment Officer, Castlelake

David Traverso
Managing Director, Sales, Alter Domus North America

Bao Truong
Senior Managing Director, Centerbridge Partners, L.P.

William Tuttle
Investment Funds Partner, Kirkland and Ellis

Patti Unti
Head of CRE Equity, Waterfall Asset Management

Leslie Vargas
Senior Portfolio Manager, Resolution Life US

Barry Wilson
Managing Director, FIRSTavenue

Eric Wittleder
Managing Director, Infrastructure, Brookfield Asset Management

Christopher Wright
Managing Director and Head of Private Markets, Crescent Capital

Alfred Xue
Partner, Latham and Watkins

Michael Zawadzki
Global Chief Investment Officer, Blackstone Credit

Joe Zidle
Senior Managing Director, Chief Investment Strategist of the Private Wealth Solutions Group, Blackstone

Boris Ziser
Partner, Schulte Roth and Zabel
Pre-Event Resources
Agenda
Day 1 - Wednesday 6th
Registration & welcome breakfast
Women’s networking breakfast hosted by Kirkland & Ellis
Speaker:
Stephanie Berdik, Partner, Investment Funds, Kirkland & Ellis

PEI welcome
Speaker:
Erin Wolfe, Associate Director, Global Head of Content & Strategy, Private Debt, PEI7

Chair remarks
Speaker:
Michelle Noyes, Managing Director, Head of Americas, AIMA

Michelle Noyes
Managing Director, Head of Americas, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Read bioOpening keynote
Macro trends & a push for real assets
- Main risk factors going into 2024. Impact of interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and cyclical risks on the balance sheets of portfolios
- Current state of the world’s markets as they pertain to civil unrest, covid concerns, the war in Ukraine, and the threat of additional Russian sanctions
- Addressing climbing interest rates and the effects of inflation, concerns over recessionary trends
- Diversification into other private credit asset classes such as infrastructure, real estate, and healthcare
Moderator:
Marc Friess, Partner, Proskauer
Speakers:
Michela Bariletti, Chief Credit Officer, Phoenix Group
Garett Bjorkman, Managing Director, Portfolio Oversight, CIM
Randy Schwimmer, Co-Head of Senior Lending, Churchill Asset Management
Michael Zawadzki, Global Chief Investment Officer, Blackstone Credit





Continued drive towards direct lending
- Supply and demand dynamics in the direct lending space
- Addressing concerns around profit margins due to inflation and rising interest rates
- How lending will change as we head into a recessionary period and the opportunities created
- An analysis of projected trends in performance, risk-adjusted returns, and value creation going into the new year
Moderator:
Alfred Xue, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Speakers:
Kevin Griffin, Founder & CIO, MGG Investment Group
Jeff Levin, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager & Head of Direct Lending, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
Kevin Magid, President, Audax Private Debt
Armen Panossian, Head of Performing Credit & Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management
Bill Sacher, Partner & Head of Private Credit, Adams Street Partners
Special situation & distressed debt in inflationary times
- Strategies to take advantage of unique opportunities for over-levered companies
- How are special situations and distressed credit combating inflation? What trends are we seeing in rescue finance and balance sheet restructuring?
- Where are investors deploying opportunistic capital?
- Identifying which sectors and strategies are providing the most opportunities while avoiding more vulnerable opportunities
Moderator:
Brian Resnick, Partner, Davis Polk
Speaker:
Marianna Fassinotti, Head of Private Credit, The D. E. Shaw Group
Andersen Fisher, Portfolio Manager of the Special Situations Opportunity Funds, HPS Investment Partners
Bao Truong, Senior Managing Director, Centerbridge



Andersen Fisher
Portfolio Manager of the Special Situations Opportunity Funds, HPS Investment Partners, LLC
Read bio
Networking break
Trends in specialty finance
- How are specialty finance companies changing business models to adapt to the current environment?
- Where is the opportunity for capital raising for specialty finance companies?
- What’s driving investor interest in asset-based lending, equipment finance and collateralized specialty finance products and securitization?
- Analysis of the drive for fintech in this space and the opportunities available with blockchain. What are the prospects for companies that want to securitize and tokenize hard assets and securities?
Moderator:
Boris Ziser, Partner, Schulte Roth & Zabel
Speakers:
Pierre-Yves Cyr, Senior Director, Capital Solutions, CDPQ
Laurence Gottlieb, Chairman & CEO, Fundamental Advisors LP
Michael Gross, Co-Founder, SLR Capital Partners
Isaiah Toback, Partner, Deputy Co-Chief Investment, Castlelake





Private vs. public market opportunities
- Pros to private and public debt benefits and the latest trends surrounding interest rate risk, liquidity, volatility relative to market moves, security, and duration risk
- Trends and opportunities in fixed income and its rise in popularity over private credit
- Changes in the CLO market
Moderator:
Caroline Sandberg, Partner, Finance, Fried Frank
Speakers:
Andrew Bellis, Partner, Head of Private Debt, Partners Group
Jennifer Hartviksen, Managing Director, Global Credit, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario
Kevin Lawi, Managing Director, Private Credit Portfolio Manager & Head of Origination of Credit Investments Group, Credit Suisse Asset Management
Derek Miller, Managing Director, Fitch Ratings
Identifying new business opportunities while balancing your existing portfolio
- What sectors to target and what sectors to avoid
- How to find new opportunities considering choppy economic waters and rising interest rates
- Proactive tips to take with respect to existing investments
Moderator:
William Brady, Partner, Paul Hastings
Speaker:
Hallie Ransone, Managing Director, Liberty Mutual Investments
Lori Scott, Managing Director, Lafayette Square
Sengal Selassie, CEO & Founder, Brightwood Capital Advisors
Networking lunch
Track A: DEI in private credit
- Link between DE&I and performance
- How to measure DE&I across portfolios
- LP expectations for private credit GPs
Moderator:
Obinna Onyeagoro, Consultant, Egon Zehnder
Speakers:
Christine Brennan, Operations Manager, Alternative Investments, New Jersey Pension Plan
Shamafa L. Khan, Managing Director, Head of Marketing and Investor Relations, Crayhill Capital Management
Kenneth Saffold, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, o15 Capital Partner



Shamafa Khan
Managing Director, Head of Marketing and Investor Relations, Crayhill Capital Management
Read bio
Track B: BDCs
- Where are we seeing the most opportunity and why?
- What does investor appetite look like in the markets?
- Where are we seeing the biggest cashflows?
Moderator:
William Tuttle, Investment Funds Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Speakers:
Dean D’Angelo, Partner, Stellus Capital Management
Matthew Freund, Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager, Barings
Track A: Private debt real estate
- Identifying the best assets and sources for alpha
- loan structures and strategies for high performance
- Inflation concerns and interest rates in housing markets
Moderator:
Samantha Rowan, Editor, Real Estate Capital USA, PEI
Speakers:
Andrew Chen, Head of Real Estate Investments, Beach Point Capital Management
Andrew Smith, Head of Real Estate and Senior Managing Director, Kayne Anderson Real Estate
Patti Unti, Head of CRE Equity, Waterfall Asset Management




Track B: Private debt secondaries
- Opportunity and potential growth opportunities
- Benefits and risks of investing in private credit secondaries
Moderator:
Leor Landa, Head of the Investment Management Practice, Davis Polk
Speakers:
Ed Goldstein, Chief Investment Officer, Coller Credit Secondaries
John Kyles, Managing Director, Portfolio Advisors
Dan Roddick, Founder, Ely Place Partners
Networking break
Track A: US vs. EU debt markets
- Appetite for European credit amongst US investors
- Effects of the current global geopolitical environment
- Challenges of regulation and an increased push for global frameworks
Moderator:
Anna Dayn, Managing Partner, New End
Speakers:
Marc Chowrimootoo, Managing Director, Hayfin Capital Management
Nate Hartley, Head of Origination, Channel Capital Advisors
Dharmy Rai, Director, BlackRock
Track B: Sponsored vs. non-sponsored lending
- Benefits of both strategies in a portfolio
- Comparison of origination, execution, and performance
- Risk and returns and how they are driving appetite over one another
Moderator:
Barry Wilson, Managing Director, FIRSTavenue
Speakers:
Amit Bafna, Managing Director, Antares Capital
Christian Brehm, Chief Executive Officer, FC Capital
Kerry Dolan, Managing Partner, Brinley Partners
Christina Lee, Managing Director and Assistant Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management





Christina Lee
Managing Director and Assistant Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management
Read bioTrack A: Private debt infrastructure
- Key trends in the infra market as they pertain to ESG and macro forces
- How is infrastructure debt being considered in investor portfolios and how do we benchmark progress?
- Where are the areas of growth over the next several years?
Moderator:
Zak Bentley, Americas Editor, Infrastructure Investor, PEI
Speakers:
Erik Savi, Managing Director, Partner, and Global Head of Infrastructure Credit, Carlyle
Mark Domine, Managing Director & Head of Origination, Fundamental Advisors LP
Eric Wittleder, Managing Director, Infrastructure, Brookfield Asset Management




Track B: New strategies and emerging sectors
- Are investors willing to target more opportunistic strategies in exchange for a bit more risk?
- Deep dive into collateralized loan obligation (CLOs), asset-backed loans, venture debts specialty finance, fund finance, and NAV
financing - Is private debt secondaries the next wave?
Moderator:
Andy Thomson, Senior Editor, PEI Group
Speakers:
Greg Hardiman, Managing Director, 17 Capital
Joe McCurdy, Head of Origination, Guggenheim Partners
David Traverso, Managing Director, Alter Domus North America
Networking reception
Agenda
Day 2 - Thursday 7th
LP think tank breakfast
Speaker:
Nicole Byrns, Alternative Asset Investor, Independent, formerly CPPIB

GP working group breakfast
Speaker:
Jess Larsen, Founder & CEO, Briarcliffe Credit Partners

Chair remarks
Speaker:
Michelle Noyes, Managing Director, Head of Americas, AIMA

Michelle Noyes
Managing Director, Head of Americas, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Read bio10 years of private credit
- History of private credit and where we see the next 10 years going
- Trends in private credit and emerging asset classes
Moderator:
Richard Melville, Editorial Director, U.S., PEI
Speakers:
David Gaito, CFA, Head of Direct Lending, Fidelity Investments
Drew Guyette, Co-Chief Credit Officer & Senior Partner, Twin Brook Capital Partners, an Angelo Gordon Company
Avi Korn, Co-Head of Asset Based Finance, KKR
Margarita Pineda-Ucero, Managing Director, Audax Private Debt





Investor panel
- Key priorities for private debt investors
- Emerging investment strategies across the direct lending capital structure
- Increased focus from investors on ESG, real estate, and infrastructure debt and their yield returns
Moderator:
Phillip Titolo, Head of Direct Private Investments, MassMutual
Speakers:
Jennie Benza, Private Markets, General Electric Pension
Lin Maung, Senior Portfolio Manager, Private Equity, State of Wisconsin Investment Board
Douglas Porter, Managing Director, MainePERS
Leslie Vargas, Senior Portfolio Manager, Resolution Life



Lin Maung
Senior Portfolio Manager, Private Equity, State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB)
Read bio

Direct lending in middle markets
- Building out the definition of the middle market outside of deal size and what that means for performance, risk–adjusted returns, and value creation
- Differentiators between lower and upper segments of private credit
- Analysis of alpha that can be generated by investors
Moderator:
Gabriel Yomi Dabiri, Private Credit & Cross-Border Finance Leader, Polsinelli
Speakers:
Stephan Caron, Managing Director, Head of European Private Debt, BlackRock
Aren LeeKong, Vice Chairman of Global Credit, Head of Direct Lending, & CEO of the Business Development Companies, Carlyle
Tim Lower, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Founder, Willow Tree Credit Partners LP
Lane McDonald, Managing Director, OMERS Private Equity
Networking break
Private credit in M&A transactions
- Addressing the highly competitive M&A market by providing more flexibility and certainty from loans to fund acquisition
- An analysis of direct loans outpacing syndicated loans in the middle market
- Future of existing borrowers doing add–on acquisitions
Moderator:
Jesse Kirsch, Partner, Paul Hastings LLP.
Speakers:
Andreas Boye, Co-head of Credit Opportunities in North America, Carlyle
Dane Graham, Managing Director, 17Capital
Christopher Wright, Managing Director and Head of Private Markets, Crescent Capital
Deploying capital across different strategies
- Which asset classes and sectors are well-positioned to perform against the current economic backdrop?
- How, if at all, are you adjusting your underwriting to capture this opportunity set?
- What are the risks to your central thesis and how do you mitigate potential impacts to investment returns?
Moderator:
Kevin McCormick, Managing Director, Campbell Lutyens
Speakers:
Sarah Butcher, Head of Private Markets Distribution, Fiera Capital
Nicole Byrns, Alternative Asset Investor, Independent
Noel Clapp, Investment Manager, Pension Investments, GE Pension
Grier Eliasek, President, Prospect Capital





Closing keynote: World view of an economist
Interviewer:
Jason Mulvihill, Founder & President, Capitol Asset Strategies
Speaker:
Joseph Zidle, Senior Managing Director & Chief Investment Strategist, BlackStone
Lunch & end of conference
Hotel & venue
New York Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway New York, New York 10036
All conference sessions will take place at New York Marriott Marquis.
There is also a room block at the hotel reserved for attendees. If you would like to book a room in the block, please use the link below or call reservations at +1 212 398 1900.
Connect with private debt investors and fund managers
Form invaluable relationships with the expansive community of asset managers, institutional investors, and other private debt professionals attending the forum.
Ensure you are at the forefront of the latest trends affecting your investment strategies by participating in networking sessions and having important conversations with industry leaders.
Network with institutional investors
Take advantage of the unique opportunity to meet institutional investors and discuss how private credit strategies fit into their portfolios.
Participate in invaluable discussions
Improve your strategy for allocating funds to private debt and generating high returns through conversations with private debt leaders.
Create lasting connections
Build your network of knowledgeable and experienced contacts within the private debt sector by networking with your fellow attendees.
Apply for a complimentary institutional investor pass
The Private Debt Investor New York Forum is the largest meeting place for private debt professionals in North America. A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible 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, foundation, endowment, trust, family office, hospital/healthcare system, or corporate investment division.
Apply for a pass today and a member of our team will follow up with you.
What to expect at the forum...
Gain exclusive insights
Enrich your network, build lasting relationships, and exchange valuable perspectives with your investor peers.
Explore new opportunities
Discover private debt opportunities across strategies such as direct lending, secondaries, and real assets.
Meet with industry experts
Arrange one-to-one meetings and network with the biggest leaders engaged in the private debt asset class.
Investors at PDI New York 2023
The forum is the largest gathering in North America for institutional investors and other professionals part of the private debt community.
Download the preliminary attendee list to see which of your peers have already confirmed to attend for 2023.
The lineup includes pensions, insurance companies, and more
Hear from a variety of institutional investors
