Alcentra boosts London credit team

Alcentra has enhanced its focus on marketing its debt strategies to institutional investors with the expansion of its team with two new hires.

Nicholas Pont joins the firm from PIMCO, where he spent almost a decade. His most recent role at the firm was leading the firm’s UK & Ireland business development division, where he was responsible for distribution to the firm’s institutional investor clients.

Working alongside Pont will be Sam Morse, who arrives from Muzinich. He was a director of institutional sales, but will now work as an executive director at Alcentra. Reporting to Pont, he will assist in marketing the firm’s debt strategies to prospective clients.

David Forbes-Nixon, chief executive of Alcentra, said: “Both are joining at a time when our alternative credit strategies are experiencing strong traction among UK institutional investors. We seek to offer products with a combination of high income, short duration and capital preservation that contributes to attractive absolute and risk adjusted returns.”

It is a busy time for Alcentra. Yesterday, PDI reported on the firm’s recently established partnership with the investment advisory arm of Steadfast Companies. According to an SEC filing, the firms are aiming to raise a total of $3 billion in capital commitments for their fund targeting investments in the mid-market space.

Titled Steadfast Alcentra Global Credit Fund, the platform is targeting companies with revenues between $25 million and $750 million with a primary focus on the North American market, but with an openness to invest in Western Europe.

Earlier this year, the firm raised €2 billion for its European Direct Lending Fund and has deployed €400 million so far.