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
Mr. Alexopoulos joined Golub Capital in 2007 and is Co-Head of the Firm’s Direct Lending business. He is a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee and is responsible for overseeing origination, deal execution and capital markets. Mr. Alexopoulos wa… Read full bio
Amit Bafna
Managing Director, Asset Management, Antares Capital
Amit is a managing director in the Asset Management Group at Antares Capital. He is responsible for developing relationships and implementing programs with institutional investors. As part of GE and Antares, Amit served over 20 years in a wide range… Read full bio
Michela Bariletti
Chief Credit Officer, Phoenix Group
Michela joined Phoenix Asset Management as Chief Credit Officer in May 2021. In this role, Michela is leading the Credit Research and Ratings team for all asset strategies pursued by Phoenix Group, which have capabilities to assign internal ratings t… Read full bio
Andrew Bellis
Partner, Global Head of Private Debt, Partners Group
Andrew Bellis Is the global head of Private Debt, overseeing both the Direct Lending and Liquid Loan business units. He is based in New York and has been with Partners Group for six years. He has 23 vears of industry experience. Prior to Partners Gro… Read full bio
Zak Bentley
Senior Reporter, Infrastructure Investor
Zak Bentley is a senior reporter at Infrastructure Investor based in London. Zak joined Infrastructure Investor in 2016 from Centaur where he was a reporter at their Clean Energy Pipeline title. He has a detailed knowledge and experience of the finan… Read full bio
Jennie Benza
Private Markets, General Electric Pension
Ms. Benza serves as Investment Manager for the General Electric Pension focused on the private markets. She previously worked for Abbott Capital, where she was most recently a Principal and a member of the Investment Committee. Before joining Abbott,… Read full bio
Stephanie Berdik
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Stephanie Berdik is a partner in the Investment Funds Practice Group in the Boston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Stephanie’s practice focuses on advising U.S. and non-U.S. private investment fund sponsors on all aspects of their business, inclu… Read full bio
Garett Bjorkman
Managing Director, Portfolio Oversight, CIM
Garett Bjorkman is a Managing Director in the Portfolio Oversight Group. He leads Portfolio Oversight for CIM’s private real estate debt and Opportunity Zone investment strategies. Prior to joining CIM, Mr. Bjorkman worked at various real estate priv… Read full bio
Andreas Boye
Co-head of Credit Opportunities in North America, Carlyle
Mr. Boye is a Managing Director of the Carlyle Credit Opportunities Fund (“CCOF”), Co-Head of CCOF in North America based in New York. Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Boye was a Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners (f/k/a Highbridge Principal S… Read full bio
William Brady
Partner, Paul Hastings
William Brady is Head of the firm’s Alternative Lender and Private Credit Group, focused on the global private credit market. He is also a member of the Special Situations Group at Paul Hastings. Mr. Brady is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr.… Read full bio
Christian Brehm
Chief Executive Officer, FC Capital
Christian has over 17 years of experience within financial advisory, infrastructure, funds management, investment banking and structured finance. Throughout his career he mainly focused on advisory and investment mandates of institutional funds. As p… Read full bio
Christine Brennan
Operations Manager – Alternative Investments, New Jersey Pension Plan
Christine Brennan is the Operations Manager of the $25 billion Alternative Investments Portfolio for the New Jersey Pension Plan. She is responsible for cash flow management, performance and monitoring of the portfolio which comprises over 250 limite… Read full bio
Sarah Butcher
Head of Private Markets Distribution, Canada, Fiera Capital
Sarah Butcher is responsible for generating new business opportunities amongst Canadian institutional investors for Fiera Capital’s private market strategies. Sarah also has a leadership role in supporting Fiera Capital’s global growth across its pri… Read full bio
Nicole Byrns
Alternative Asset Investor, Independent
Nicole joined CPPIB in 2019 and focuses on investment opportunities across the structured credit sector including CLOs, consumer finance, and specialty finance sectors. Prior to joining CPPIB, Nicole worked at Deutsche Bank’s Global Credit Trading gr… Read full bio
Stephan Caron
Managing Director, Head of European Private Debt, BlackRock
Stephan Caron, Managing Director, is Head of European Private Debt within BlackRock Alternatives. In this role, he is responsible for leading the platform, originating and executing investment opportunities, leading the investment process and maintai… Read full bio
Andrew Chen
Head of Real Estate Investments, Beach Point Capital Management
Andrew Chen is a Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Investments at Beach Point Capital. He manages private commercial and residential real estate investing for the firm, and has nearly two decades of experience in real estate finance. Prior to… Read full bio
Marc Chowrimootoo
Managing Director & Portfolio Manager, Private Credit, Hayfin Capital Management
Mr. Chowrimootoo joined Hayfin in 2022 and is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager for Private Credit, focussing on sourcing, analysing investment opportunities, and providing portfolio management across the private credit strategies. Prior to j… Read full bio
Noel Clapp
Investment Manager, GE Pension
Noel Clapp is an Investment Manager at General Electric (“GE”), focusing on private markets investments for the GE Pension. Prior to GE, Mr. Clapp worked at a multi-family investment office, as well as in management consulting. Mr. Clapp graduated fr… Read full bio
Pierre-Yves Cyr
Senior Director, Capital Solutions, CDPQ
Pierre-Yves Cyr is Senior Director, Capital Solutions. He plays a key role in CDPQ’s Specialty Finance strategy, which includes identifying, negotiating and executing key transactions. Mr. Cyr joined CDPQ in 2017 and has led real assets, intellectual… Read full bio
Dean D'Angelo
Partner, Stellus Capital Management
Mr. D’Angelo is a founding partner of Stellus Capital Management and co-head of the Private Credit strategy and serves on its investment committee. He has over 25 years of investing, finance, and restructuring experience. From August 2005 to January… Read full bio
Gabriel Yomi Dabiri
Private Credit and Cross-Border Finance Leader, Polsinelli
Gabriel Yomi Dabiri is the Leader of Polsinelli's Private Credit and Cross-Border Finance practice and Office Managing Partner of Polsinelli's New York office. Gabriel is dual qualified, admitted to practice law as an attorney in New York and as a s… Read full bio
Anna Dayn
Managing Partner, New End
Anna Dayn is a Managing Partner and US head of New End, a family-office-anchored strategic advisory and capital formation firm in private markets. At New End, Anna partners and invests in high-growth companies, sponsors and investment platforms to pr… Read full bio
Kerry Dolan
Managing Partner, Brinley Partners
Kerry Dolan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Brinley and is the Chair of the Investment Committee. Prior to founding the firm in 2021, Kerry was a Managing Director on the Credit Investments team at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (“… Read full bio
Mark Dominé
Managing Director and Head of Originations, Fundamental Advisors LP
Mark Dominé is a Managing Director, Head of Originations at Fundamental Renewables. Prior to joining Fundamental Renewables in 2021, Mr. Dominé served in the same capacity at MMA Energy Capital. Mr. Dominé has 15 years of experience in the renewable… Read full bio
Grier Eliasek
President, Prospect Capital
Mr. Eliasek is President of Prospect Capital. At Prospect Capital, Mr. Eliasek is responsible for leading the Prospect team of professionals in the origination and assessment of investments. Prior to Prospect Capital, Mr. Eliasek served as a Managing… Read full bio
Marianna Fassinotti
Head of Private Credit, The D. E. Shaw Group
Marianna Fassinotti is a managing director of D. E. Shaw Co., L.P. and head of the D. E. Shaw group’s Private Credit investment unit operating from the firm’s New York office. Prior to joining the D. E. Shaw group in 2015, Ms. Fassinotti was a managi… Read full bio
Andersen Fisher
Portfolio Manager of the Special Situations Opportunity Funds, HPS Investment Partners, LLC
Mr. Fisher is a Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and Portfolio Manager of the Special Situations Opportunity Funds. Prior to joining HPS in 2018, Mr. Fisher was the Managing member of Tålamod Asset Management, a distressed credit investme… Read full bio
Matthew Freund
President, Barings Private Credit Corp.
Matthew Freund serves as the Co-Portfolio Manager for Barings BDC. He is also President of Barings Capital Investment Corporation and Barings Private Credit Corporation. Mr. Freund is also a board member for Eclipse Business Credit, a specialty lende… Read full bio
Marc Friess
Partner, Proskauer
Marc B. Friess is a partner in the Private Credit Group and a member of the Corporate Department. He focuses his practice on commercial and corporate finance transactions and the representation of hedge funds, private equity funds, commercial finance… Read full bio
David Gaito
Head of Direct Lending, Fidelity Investments
David Gaito is head of direct lending in the High Income and Alternatives division at Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing,… Read full bio
Ed Goldstein
Chief Investment Officer, Coller Credit Secondaries
Ed is Chief Investment Officer for Coller Credit Secondaries, beyond his day-to-day origination activity, and is based in the firm’s New York office. Prior to joining Coller Capital in 2009 Ed was a Managing Director at GSO Capital Partners’ London a… Read full bio
Laurence Gottlieb
Chairman and CEO, Fundamental Advisors LP
Laurence L. Gottlieb is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Fundamental Advisors LP (“Fundamental”). Mr. Gottlieb has focused his career on revitalizing distressed assets and businesses. Prior to founding Fundamental, Mr. Gottlieb… Read full bio
Dane Graham
Managing Director, 17Capital
Dane is Managing Director at 17Capital, the go-to global source of strategic finance for investors in private equity. Dane has nearly two decades of strategic and financing advisory experience across the asset management, alternative asset management… Read full bio
Kevin Griffin
Founder and CIO, MGG Investment Group
Mr. Griffin founded MGG Investment Group in 2014 and is the CEO and CIO of the firm. Prior to launching MGG, Mr. Griffin was a Managing Director with Highbridge Principal Strategies, where he was a senior member of the Specialty Lending Platform and… Read full bio
Michael Gross
Co-Founder, SLR Capital Partners
Mr. Gross is a co-founder of SLR Capital Partners, a leading independent private credit manager with $12.5 billion of investable capital. Founded in 2006, SLR primarily invests in U.S. middle market companies in the form of cash flow, asset-based, an… Read full bio
Drew Guyette
Senior Partner & Co-Chief Credit Officer, Twin Brook Capital Partners
Drew Guyette joined Angelo Gordon in 2015 and is a Senior Partner and Co-Chief Credit Officer in the firm’s middle market direct lending business, Twin Brook Capital Partners. He is responsible for overseeing the Underwriting, Credit and Portfolio Ma… Read full bio
Greg Hardiman
Managing Director, 17Capital
Since joining 17Capital in 2019, Greg Hardiman has sourced, led and/or executed investments representing over $2 billion in capital, spanning NAV loans and preferred equity. During his time at the firm, Hardiman has helped lead the development of 17C… Read full bio
Nate Hartley
Head of Origination, Americas, Channel Capital Advisors
Nate has over 20 years of international banking experience, with a focus in securitisation and debt financing. Previously he has held roles at Credit Suisse, Barclays Capital and as CEO of Advance Global Capital. Nate has worked on credit facilities… Read full bio
Jennifer Hartviksen
Managing Director, 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 wher… Read full bio
Jesse Kirsch
Partner, Paul Hastings LLP
Jesse T. Kirsch is a partner in the Corporate practice of Paul Hastings, a member of the Global Finance Group and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Kirsch’s practice focuses on the representation of leading commercial and investment banks a… Read full bio
Avi Korn
Co-Head of Asset Based Finance, KKR
Avi Korn co-heads KKR’s Asset Based Finance group. The Asset Based Finance group focuses on non-corporate, private credit investments which are backed by financial or hard assets. Prior to joining KKR in 2018, Mr. Korn was a Portfolio Manager at Blue… Read full bio
John Kyles
Managing Director, Head of the Credit Strategies, Portfolio Advisors
John joined Portfolio Advisors in 2009 and is Head of the Credit Strategies team. Previously, he was a Director at Citigroup, where he spent eight years in the Private Equity Placements Group. While at Citigroup, he structured and executed private pl… Read full bio
Leor Landa
Head of the Investment Management Practice, Davis Polk
Leor is the head of the Investment Management practice at Davis Polk. He advises a wide range of clients on the formation and operation of private investment funds, including private equity funds, hedge funds, credit funds, secondary funds, real esta… Read full bio
Jess Larsen
Founder and CEO, Briarcliffe
Jess Larsen has transformed Briarcliffe into a firm recognized as the leading private credit placement agency, including being selected as Private Debt Investor 2022 Advisory and Placement Agent of the Year (Americas). Though launched just two years… Read full bio
Kevin Lawi
Managing Director, Private Credit Portfolio Manager - Head of Origination of Credit Investments Group, Credit Suisse Asset Management
Kevin Lawi, Managing Director, is the Private Credit Portfolio Manager and Head of Origination of the Credit Investments Group (CIG) within Credit Suisse Asset Management. He joined CIG in 2021 to lead the origination and structuring of transactions… Read full bio
Christina Lee
Managing Director and Assistant Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management
Ms. Lee is a managing director and assistant portfolio manager for Oaktree’s U.S. Private Debt strategy. She joined the team in 2009 and is primarily responsible for originating, underwriting and executing new investment opportunities. Ms. Lee source… Read full bio
Aren LeeKong
Vice Chairman of Global Credit, Head of Direct Lending, & CEO of the Business Development Companies, Carlyle
Aren LeeKong is Vice Chairman of Global Credit, Head of Direct Lending, and CEO of the Business Development Companies at Carlyle. He serves on the Private Investment Committee at Carlyle. He is also Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board o… Read full bio
Jeff Levin
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Direct Lending, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
Jeff Levin is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley and is the Co-Head of Morgan Stanley’s North America Private Credit team, where he serves on the Investment Committee and is the Portfolio Manager and the Head of Direct Lending. Mr. Levin rejoined… Read full bio
Tim Lower
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Founder, Willow Tree Credit Partners LP
Prior to founding Willow Tree, Timothy Lower, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, was a founding member of the direct lending business of Ares, which grew from $165 million in AUM at inception in 2004 to over $30.7 billion by 2016. He was a Partner… Read full bio
Kevin Magid
President, Audax Private Debt
Kevin Magid is President of Audax Private Debt, a leading debt capital partner with over $34 billion invested across more than 1,100 companies and over $27 billion in capital raised. Mr. Magid joined Audax Group in 2000 and has led Audax Private Debt… Read full bio
Lin Maung
Senior Portfolio Manager, Private Equity, State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB)
Lin is a Senior Portfolio Manager on the private equity team at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), where he is responsible for evaluating commitments to funds and co-investments across private equity and private credit on behalf of the W… Read full bio
Kevin McCormick
Managing Director, Campbell Lutyens
Kevin joined Campbell Lutyens in 2021 as a member of the US fund placement team, focusing on project management, advisory and origination activities. Prior to joining Campbell Lutyens, Kevin spent eight years in Barclays’ Leveraged Finance group cove… Read full bio
Joe McCurdy
Senior Managing Director, Head of Origination, Guggenheim Partners
Mr. McCurdy is a Senior Managing Director and Head of Origination in the Corporate Credit Group. He leads Guggenheim’s effort in sourcing and structuring directly negotiated transactions for both middle market private debt investments and larger unde… Read full bio
Lane McDonald
Managing Director, Strategy ＆ Operations, OMERS
As Managing Director, Strategy & Operations, Lane works with investment and management teams to assess new investments and define and execute value-creation priorities. Lane is based in New York and joined the OMERS Private Equity team in 2022. P… Read full bio
Richard Melville
Editorial Director, US, PEI Group
Rich is an editorial leader with more than 25 years of experience in financial journalism. In his role at PEI Group, he leads the editorial teams for a group that includes Private Equity International, Buyouts, PE Hub, Venture Capital Journal, Privat… Read full bio
Derek Miller
Managing Director, Fitch Ratings
Derek Miller is a managing director at Fitch Ratings. He currently heads the U.S. Structured Credit group responsible for collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other structured credit ratings. The Structured Credit group assigns new issue CLO ra… Read full bio
Michelle Noyes
Managing Director, Head of Americas, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Michelle Noyes joined AIMA in 2012 as Chief Operating Officer of AIMA's New York office and became the Association’s Head of Americas in December 2017. Prior to AIMA, Michelle was Head of International Sales and Investor Relations for BRZ Investiment… Read full bio
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 ch… Read full bio
Armen Panossian
Head of Performing Credit and Portfolio Manager, Oaktree Capital Management
Mr. Panossian is a managing director and Oaktree’s Head of Performing Credit where his responsibilities include oversight of the firm’s performing credit activities including the senior loan, high yield bond, private credit, convertibles, structured… Read full bio
Margarita Pineda-Ucero
Managing Director, Portfolio Management, Audax Private Credit
Margarita is a Managing Director at Audax Private Debt, where she is responsible for overseeing the portfolio management activity across Audax Senior Debt portfolios. Prior to joining Audax in 2021, Margarita served as Senior Advisor in corporate tra… Read full bio
Douglas Porter
Managing Director, MainePERS
Doug Porter joined Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) in 2012 and is a Managing Director and Head of Alternative Credit. Doug is responsible for the Alternative Credit portfolio design and implementation of making private credit fun… Read full bio
Dharmy Rai
Director, BlackRock
Dharmy Rai – Director BlackRock Private Debt Product Strategy, responsible for product development, fundraising and investor relations across BlackRock’s private debt products. Prior to BlackRock Dharmy worked as an investment consultant at bfinance… Read full bio
Hallie Ransone
Managing Director, Liberty Mutual Investments
Hallie Ransone joined the Global Fixed Income team at Liberty Mutual Investments in 2020 where she leads the Private Credit business as a Portfolio Manager. Her responsibilities include developing and driving the platform's originations strategy, ove… Read full bio
Brian Resnick
Partner, Davis Polk
Brian is a partner in Davis Polk’s Restructuring group and head of the interdisciplinary Liability Management & Special Opportunities practice. He was named one of Law360’s six Bankruptcy MVPs in 2020, one of Turnarounds & Workouts’ 2022 “Out… Read full bio
Daniel Roddick
Founder, Ely Place Partners
Daniel Roddick CFA founded Ely Place Partners in 2018. 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 seco… Read full bio
Samantha Rowan
Editor, Real Estate Capital USA
Samantha Rowan is the editor of Real Estate Capital USA, a PEI Media publication which sits alongside Real Estate Capital Europe and PERE. Prior to joining PEI, Sam was the editor of publications that included Real Estate Finance & Investment, Se… Read full bio
Bill Sacher
Partner and Head of Private Credit, Adams Street Partners
Bill leads the investment, portfolio construction, and fundraising efforts of the Private Credit Team, and manages key relationships with general partners in North America and Europe. Prior to joining Adams Street, Bill was head of the US Private Deb… Read full bio
Kenneth Saffold
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, o15 Capital Partners
Kenneth Saffold is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at o15 Capital Partners, a private credit impact focused investment firm that makes investments in lower middle market business in the Healthcare, Business Services, and Education industries. Kenne… Read full bio
Caroline Sandberg
Partner, Fried Frank
Caroline Sandberg represents lenders, private and public companies, and private equity sponsors on a wide variety of financing transactions. Clients turn to Caroline in connection with syndicated and non-syndicated senior facilities, unitranche facil… Read full bio
Erik Savi
Partner and Global Head of Carlyle Infrastructure Credit, The Carlyle Group
Mr. Savi is Partner and Global Head of Carlyle Infrastructure Credit. He is based in New York. Mr. Savi is responsible for overseeing and originating private investment grade, below investment grade, and mezzanine debt investments in global infrastru… Read full bio
Randy Schwimmer
Co-Head of Senior Lending, Churchill Asset Management
Randy is co-head of senior lending and oversees senior lending origination and capital markets for Churchill Asset Management, an investment specialist of Nuveen. Randy has broad experience in middle market finance and is widely credited with develop… Read full bio
Lori Scott
Managing Director, Impact Credit, Lafayette Square
Lori Scott is the Managing Director, Impact Credit at Lafayette Square, a middle market private debt firm, and is responsible for creating investment opportunities in overlooked places and underserved markets nationally. She also serves on the Invest… Read full bio
Sengal Selassie
CEO & Founder, Brightwood
Sengal Selassie is the CEO and Founder of Brightwood. Mr. Selassie has been involved in all phases of the firm's development since its founding in 2010. He is a member of the Executive Committee and serves on the Investment Committee of all Brightwoo… Read full bio
Andrew Smith
Head of Real Estate and Senior Managing Director, Kayne Anderson Real Estate
Andrew Smith is head of real estate debt and senior managing director for KA Real Estate. He is co-portfolio manager for the debt platform and is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, acquiring and managing the portfolio of commercial real estate r… Read full bio
Andy Thomson
Senior Editor, Private Debt Investor
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 fi… Read full bio
Phillip Titolo
Head of Direct Private Investments, MassMutual
Phillip Titolo is currently Head of Direct Private Investments and Portfolio Manager, Alternatives – Investment Management for the MassMutual Life Insurance Co. general account portfolio, focusing on strategic asset allocation and external investment… Read full bio
Isaiah Toback
Partner, Deputy Co-Chief Investment Officer, Castlelake
Mr. Toback joined Castlelake in 2015 and is deputy co-chief investment officer. In this role, Mr. Toback is responsible for guiding and executing the firm’s global investment strategy across asset classes, overseeing the firm’s Value and Income fund… Read full bio
David Traverso
Managing Director, Sales, Alter Domus North America
Dave joined Cortland Capital Market Services LLC (“Cortland”) in 2012. Cortland became part of the Alter Domus Group in March 2018. With a strong operational background, Dave joined the Business Development team in New York in July 2015 to help grow… Read full bio
Bao Truong
Senior Managing Director, Centerbridge Partners, L.P.
Bao joined Centerbridge in 2010 and focuses on investments across a range of sectors. Prior to joining Centerbridge, Bao was a Managing Director and Partner in the credit business of Fortress Investment Group LLC, from 2004 to 2010. While at Fortress… Read full bio
William Tuttle
Investment Funds Partner, Kirkland and Ellis
William Tuttle is an investment funds partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and focuses his practice on capital markets and corporate matters. Will focuses his practice on structuring, formation, capital raising, strateg… Read full bio
Patti Unti
Head of CRE Equity, Waterfall Asset Management
Patti Unti is a Managing Director at Waterfall Asset Management and Head of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Equity Strategy. Patti has over 25 years of commercial real estate experience across numerous disciplines including equity and debt acquisit… Read full bio
Leslie Vargas
Senior Portfolio Manager, Resolution Life US
Leslie is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Resolution Life US in New York. Leslie manages investments and executes the investment strategy across the asset class spectrum with a focus on private assets and alternatives and leverages relationships with t… Read full bio
Barry Wilson
Managing Director, FIRSTavenue
Barry Wilson is Managing Director at FIRSTavenue and leads our North American private credit origination and distribution efforts. Barry founded Wilson Capital Advisors a leading fund advisory and capital formation firm in 2017 globally raising over… Read full bio
Eric Wittleder
Managing Director, Infrastructure, Brookfield Asset Management
Eric Wittleder is a Managing Director in Brookfield’s Infrastructure Group. In this role, he is responsible for infrastructure investment activities for the Brookfield Infrastructure Debt Fund, in the Americas and supports the oversight of the underw… Read full bio
Christopher Wright
Managing Director and Head of Private Markets, Crescent Capital
Mr. Wright is a Managing Director, the Head of Private Markets, and a member of Crescent Capital’s Management Committee. Prior to joining Crescent in 2001, Mr. Wright completed the Financial Management Program with the General Electric Company and up… Read full bio
Alfred Xue
Partner, Latham and Watkins
Alfred Xue serves as Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Banking Practice. Mr. Xue is a member of the Private Capital, Banking, Capital Markets, and Restructuring & Special Situations Practices. He represents lead arrangers, direct lenders, and other… Read full bio
Michael Zawadzki
Global Chief Investment Officer, Blackstone Credit
Michael Zawadzki is the Global Chief Investment Officer of Blackstone Credit. Mr. Zawadzki sits on the various investment committees of Blackstone Credit and also serves as a Portfolio Manager for the Blackstone Private Credit Fund (BCRED), Blackston… Read full bio
Joe Zidle
Senior Managing Director, Chief Investment Strategist of the Private Wealth Solutions Group, Blackstone
Joe Zidle is a Senior Managing Director and the Chief Investment Strategist in the Private Wealth Solutions group. Previously, he worked at Richard Bernstein Advisors, an independent investment advisor, where he was responsible for portfolio strategy… Read full bio
Boris Ziser
Partner, Schulte Roth and Zabel
Boris Ziser is co-head of the firm’s Finance and Derivatives Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. With almost 30 years of experience across diverse asset classes, Boris focuses on asset-backed securitizations, warehouse facilities, s… Read full bio
Pre-Event Resources
View agenda page
Agenda
Day 1 - Wednesday 6th
Breakfast
08:00 - 08:30
Registration & welcome breakfast
08:00 - 08:30
Women’s networking breakfast hosted by Kirkland & Ellis
Stephanie Berdik
Speaker:
Stephanie Berdik, Partner, Investment Funds, Kirkland & Ellis
Welcome
08:30 - 08:35
PEI welcome
Erin Wolfe
Speaker:
Erin Wolfe, Associate Director, Global Head of Content & Strategy, Private Debt, PEI7
08:35 - 08:40
Chair remarks
Michelle Noyes
Speaker:
Michelle Noyes, Managing Director, Head of Americas, AIMA
Michelle Noyes
Managing Director, Head of Americas, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Read bio
Plenary sessions
08:40 - 09:10
Opening keynote
Spyro Alexopoulos,
Andy Thomson
09:10 - 09:50
Macro trends & a push for real assets
Marc Friess,
Michela Bariletti ,
Garett Bjorkman,
Randy Schwimmer,
Michael Zawadzki
- 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
09:50 - 10:40
Continued drive towards direct lending
Alfred Xue ,
Kevin Griffin,
Jeff Levin,
Kevin Magid,
Armen Panossian,
Bill Sacher
- 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
10:40 - 11:20
Special situation & distressed debt in inflationary times
Brian Resnick,
Marianna Fassinotti,
Andersen Fisher,
Bao Truong
- 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
11:20 - 11:50
Networking break
Plenary sessions
11:50 - 12:30
Trends in specialty finance
Boris Ziser,
Pierre-Yves Cyr,
Laurence Gottlieb,
Michael Gross,
Isaiah Toback
- 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
12:30 - 13:10
Private vs. public market opportunities
Caroline Sandberg,
Andrew Bellis,
Jennifer Hartviksen,
Kevin Lawi,
Derek Miller
- 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
13:10 - 13:50
Identifying new business opportunities while balancing your existing portfolio
William Brady,
Hallie Ransone,
Lori Scott,
Sengal Selassie
- 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
Lunch
13:50 - 14:50
Networking lunch
Breakout sessions
14:50 - 15:30
Track A: DEI in private credit
Obinna Onyeagoro,
Christine Brennan,
Shamafa Khan,
Kenneth Saffold
- 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
14:50 - 15:30
Track B: BDCs
William Tuttle,
Dean D'Angelo,
Matthew Freund
- 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
Breakout sessions
15:30 - 16:10
Track A: Private debt real estate
Samantha Rowan,
Andrew Chen,
Andrew Smith,
Patti Unti
- 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
15:30 - 16:10
Track B: Private debt secondaries
Leor Landa,
Ed Goldstein,
John Kyles,
Daniel Roddick
- 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
16:10 - 16:40
Networking break
Breakout sessions
16:40 - 17:20
Track A: US vs. EU debt markets
Anna Dayn,
Marc Chowrimootoo,
Nate Hartley,
Dharmy Rai
- 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
16:40 - 17:20
Track B: Sponsored vs. non-sponsored lending
Barry Wilson,
Amit Bafna,
Christian Brehm,
Kerry Dolan ,
Christina Lee
- 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 bio
Breakout sessions
17:20 - 18:00
Track A: Private debt infrastructure
Zak Bentley,
Mark Dominé ,
Erik Savi,
Eric Wittleder
- 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
17:20 - 18:00
Track B: New strategies and emerging sectors
Andy Thomson,
Greg Hardiman,
Joe McCurdy,
David Traverso
- 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
End of day 1
18:00 - 19:00
Networking reception
Agenda
Day 2 - Thursday 7th
Breakfast
08:00 - 09:00
LP think tank breakfast
Nicole Byrns
Speaker:
Nicole Byrns, Alternative Asset Investor, Independent, formerly CPPIB
08:00 - 09:00
GP working group breakfast
Jess Larsen
Speaker:
Jess Larsen, Founder & CEO, Briarcliffe Credit Partners
Welcome
09:00 - 09:02
Chair remarks
Michelle Noyes
Speaker:
Michelle Noyes, Managing Director, Head of Americas, AIMA
Michelle Noyes
Managing Director, Head of Americas, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Read bio
09:02 - 09:40
10 years of private credit
Richard Melville,
David Gaito,
Drew Guyette,
Avi Korn,
Margarita Pineda-Ucero
- 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
Plenary sessions
09:40 - 10:20
Investor panel
Phillip Titolo ,
Jennie Benza,
Lin Maung,
Douglas Porter ,
Leslie Vargas
- 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
10:20 - 11:00
Direct lending in middle markets
Gabriel Yomi Dabiri,
Stephan Caron,
Aren LeeKong,
Lane McDonald,
Tim Lower
- 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
11:00 - 11:30
Networking break
Plenary sessions
11:30 - 12:10
Private credit in M&A transactions
Jesse Kirsch ,
Andreas Boye ,
Dane Graham,
Christopher Wright
- 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
12:10 - 12:50
Deploying capital across different strategies
Kevin McCormick,
Sarah Butcher,
Nicole Byrns,
Noel Clapp,
Grier Eliasek
- 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
End of day 2
12:50 - 13:30
Closing keynote: World view of an economist
Jason Mulvihill,
Joseph Zidle
Interviewer:
Jason Mulvihill, Founder & President, Capitol Asset Strategies
Speaker:
Joseph Zidle, Senior Managing Director & Chief Investment Strategist, BlackStone
13:30 - 13:30
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