Private Credit Investing

EDUCATIONAL MODULES

Why Private Credit?

Presenters

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Frank Fama

Global Co-Head of Credit Investment Group

Frank has more than 26 years of investment experience and is Global Co‑Head of the Credit Investment Group and a managing director with the firm. He leads and oversees the firm’s private credit research platform, performing due diligence on investments in direct lending opportunities, niche credit, and distressed markets, as well as monitoring investment firms and their portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Cambridge Associates, Frank was a managing director and global head of leveraged loans with State Street Corporation, where he managed a $5 billion proprietary portfolio of US dollar, euro, and sterling denominated leveraged loans. During his 14 years with State Street, he headed corporate credit research and established the investment platforms for investment grade corporate bonds, broadly syndicated loans, and CLOs.

His prior experience includes managing leveraged credit and structuring CLO portfolios for Bain Capital/Sankaty Advisors as well as originating, structuring, and investing in loans and mezzanine debt for BankBoston. Frank has extensive experience in corporate lending, from originating, issuing, and structuring leveraged loans through managing portfolios of loans, bonds, and CLO securities.

Heather Jablow

Head of Private Client Practice, North America

Heather is a Managing Director and Head of the Private Client Practice for North America. Heather has more than 15 years of industry experience and has been with Cambridge Associates since 2005. Based out of the Boston office, she oversees the firm’s work with our US-, Canada-, and Latin America-based family offices and private clients. Previously, Heather served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Private Client Practice. Since joining the firm, Heather has also worked directly with private clients and institutions on investment program construction, strategic and tactical asset allocation, and governance.

Prior to joining Cambridge Associates, Heather was a senior consultant with Ernst & Young, LLP’s corporate tax practice and a summer associate at Lehman Brothers.

Caryn Slotsky

Senior Investment Director, Private Investment Research

Caryn is a Senior Investment Director in the firm’s Boston office. She leads the Private Investment Strategy Research team, responsible for developing private investment thought leadership and analyses related to market environments, portfolio construction, private investment benchmarks, and operating metrics, among other topics. A 35-year veteran of the firm, Caryn’s insights and perspectives are leveraged across the entire Global Private Investment team and by several longstanding endowment clients.

Caryn began her career with Cambridge Associates in 1987 while she was still in college and transferred to the firm’s Boston office in 1988 upon graduation. Prior to becoming an investment director in 1996, she worked as the administrator and project manager on the firm’s first advisory service client. In 2000, Caryn began to focus on private investments, becoming a Private Investment Specialist, and in 2011 helped to form the Private Investment Strategy team.

Maria Sulser

Senior Investment Director, Private Client Practice

Maria is a Senior Investment Director at Cambridge Associates. She works with multi-national and U.S based families as well as select foundations and universities on asset allocation, strategy, governance, and manager selection. Prior to joining the firm, Maria was a Fixed Income Research Analyst for Franklin Templeton Investments in Mexico City. There, she played an integral role in the process of launching and managing the Mexican Debt Fund and the Inflation Linked Bond Fund. Maria was responsible for the due diligence and analysis of corporate and government issued debt, asset backed securities (mainly infrastructure and energy sector), and mortgage backed securities in Latin America. Additionally, Maria worked with endowments and pensions SMA’s helping clients manage liquidity and tactical allocation during periods of heightened market volatility in Mexico. Maria previously worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Mexico City where she traded short-term Mexican government bonds. Maria also worked as a consultant for Full Harvest Asset Management, a China-based Multi-Asset Quantitative Hedge Fund.

Maria Surina

Senior Investment Director, Real Assets Investment Group

Maria is a Senior Investment Director and a member of the Real Assets Investment Group. This global group sources and monitors real asset investments (real estate, infrastructure and global natural resources), manages real asset portfolios for clients, and researches trends that impact the real assets industry. Maria is a real estate specialist and focuses on investment idea generation and due diligence primarily in North American real estate markets and across different structures such as funds, co-investments, and direct investments. In addition, Maria works with US pensions and Middle Eastern families. Prior to joining Cambridge Associates in 2018, Maria had roles with Bain Capital Real Estate (the spin out of Harvard Management Company’s Real Estate Investment Group), DESCO Group (real estate operator of the Schnuck Markets grocery chain), and Altus Group. She has experience in portfolio management, direct real estate investment and asset management in the office sector, and worked as a commercial appraiser, completing property valuations, due diligence reports, and feasibility studies. Maria started her career in 2006.

Frank Fama

Global Co-Head of Credit Investment Group

Heather Jablow

Head of Private Client Practice North America

Caryn Slotsky

Senior Investment Director Private Investment Research Group

Maria Sulser

Senior Investment Director Private Client Practice

Maria Surina

Senior Investment Director Real Assets Research Group

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The Opportunities

What's Next for Private Credit?

Role in Portfolio Construction

Sourcing Opportunities

Utilizing Secondaries in Portfolio Construction

with MICHAEL DUNLEAVY

with RICHARD GRIMM

with KENLY DRAKE and ROHAN DUTT

with KEIRSTEN LAWTON

with VIJAY PADMANABHAN

with BRIAN MCDONNELL

Josh Zweig

Co-Head of US Private Equity

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Introduction to Investing at Cambridge Associates

Public Investments

For related materials, please see below

Josh Zweig

Co-Head US Private Equity Research

Josh is a Managing Director at Cambridge Associates’ Boston office. He co-leads the US Private Equity Research team, performing due diligence on investment opportunities in US buyouts, growth equity, and distressed markets, as well as monitoring investment firms and their portfolio companies. Josh also chairs Cambridge Associates’ Global Private Investment Research Committee. Before re-joining Cambridge Associates in 2013, Josh was in the equity research group at Macquarie Capital covering the Gaming & Lodging sector. Previously, he worked directly with a range of non-profit, family office, and pension clients at Cambridge Associates to build and manage long-term investment portfolios.

Additional Resources

Private Investments

5 mins

3 mins

SPEAK WITH THE TEAM

Explore real client case studies highlighting how different institutional types utilize secondaries in their portfolio

Credit Score: Why Bank Retrenchment Spells Opportunity for Pensions

Private Credit: Opportunities Abound

Private Credit Strategies: An Introduction

Connect with us

All financial investments involve risk. Depending on the type of investment, losses can be unlimited. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. These videos are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be investment advice. Any references to specific investments are for illustrative purposes only. The information herein does not constitute a personal recommendation or take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situations, or need of individual clients. Any information or opinions provided are as of the date of the video, and Cambridge Associates is under no obligation to update the information or communicate that any updates have been made. With regard to any references to broad-based securities indices, such indices are unmanaged and are not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed accounts or investment funds. Investments cannot be made directly in an index, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investors should carefully consider their specific objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs before making investment decisions. The information presented in this video is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Nothing contained in this report should be construed as the provision of tax or legal advice.

CASE STUDIES

THOUGHT PIECE

The private credit landscape has grown steadily over the past 15 years, cementing its importance and value in investor portfolios. In this video series, we explore what makes private credit investments so attractive and answer a number of key questions – including where to find opportunities, how to incorporate private credit in portfolio construction, and important drivers of success.

US Private Equity – Recent Market Dynamics

Keirsten Lawton, Co-Head of US Private Equity Research

Keirsten discusses the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 crisis, drawing comparisons to the Global Financial Crisis. She weighs in on mid-year PE expectations, valuations, and the response of GPs to the current environment.

Setting an Investment Policy & Principles of Portfolio Construction

Introduction to Investing at Cambridge Associates

Heather Jablow Head of Private Client Practice, North America

15 minute video

with MARIA SURINA

Real Estate

12 mins

Private Investments

Public Investments

with FRANK FAMA

Private Credit

6 mins

Explore the Video Series

PRIVATE CREDIT

The Private Credit Playbook: Understanding Opportunities for Family Investors

THOUGHT PIECE

Is Now a Good Time to Allocate to Private Credit Strategies?

THOUGHT PIECE

Private Credit Markets Are Growing in Size and Opportunity

THOUGHT PIECE

Private Credit: Opportunities Abound

THOUGHT PIECE

Private Credit Markets Are Growing in Size and Opportunity

THOUGHT PIECE

Learn more about our private credit team

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