Women in Fund Finance Event

WFF Americas: Learning and Career Forum

Name: WFF Americas: Learning and Career Forum
Start: 2024-11-20T14:00:00Z
End: 2024-11-20T19:00:00Z
Location: Mayer Brown (New York)

November 20, 2024

New York, New York

Women in Fund Finance is excited to invite you to our inaugural WFF Learning and Career Forum

Saba Ahmad

Turning Rock

Women Founders and Industry Leaders

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Saba Ahmad

President | Turning Rock

Saba Ahmad, President. Ms. Ahmad serves as President of the Firm. In this capacity, Ms. Ahmad oversees business operations and firm infrastructure. Previously, Ms. Ahmad spent five years at Turning Rock serving as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Turning Rock Partners, Ms. Ahmad spent over seven years at Fortress Investment Group as a Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Fortress Partners Fund. Ms. Ahmad was responsible for the finance and operations of the Fund’s multi-asset class portfolio as well as business management oversight. Ms. Ahmad was Chair of the Valuation Committee and also served on the Management Committee for Fortress Liquid Markets. Prior to joining Fortress, Ms. Ahmad spent three years in the operational due diligence group at UBP Asset Management. She began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Banking & Capital Markets audit group where her clients included investment banks, private equity funds, hedge funds and other global financial institutions. Ms. Ahmad graduated from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business with a dual degree in Accounting & Finance. Ms. Ahmad is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

Kevin Alexander

Ares Management

Creative Capital Solutions: How funds fund

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Kevin Alexander

Partner | Ares Management

Mr. Alexander is a Partner in the Ares Credit Group, where he focuses on alternative credit investments. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Ares Credit Group's Alternative Credit, Pathfinder and Pathfinder Core Investment Committees and the Ares Secondaries Group's Credit Investment Committee. Prior to joining Ares in 2019, Mr. Alexander was Deputy CEO and Head of Global Market, Americas at Natixis CIB. Previously, he worked at Deutsche Bank within the Interest Rate Derivatives Group. Mr. Alexander began his career as an Economic Analyst at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. He holds a B.S. from Washington and Lee University in Business Administration and Accounting and an M.A. from Fordham University in Economics.

Stephen Ardizzoni

Marathon Asset Management

Sara Casey

AB Private Credit Investors

Liquidity Solutions

3:45 PM | 2024-11-20

Sara Casey

Director | AB Private Credit Investors

Sara Casey is a Director with AB Private Credit Investors, where she is one of the initial senior team members involved in the development of the NAV Lending strategy. Her responsibilities include deal sourcing, structuring, underwriting and execution, and portfolio management. Prior to joining AB in 2023, Casey was a Principal at Hark Capital, where she sourced and executed NAV loans. Prior to Hark Capital, she was an Associate at Wells Fargo Securities. Casey is a member of the Fund Finance Association’s NextGen Committee and was the Fund Finance Association’s 2023 NextGen Member of the Year. She holds a BS in finance from Providence College.

Priyanka Chandran

BMO Capital Markets

Career Advancement/Pivot

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Priyanka Chandran

CFA Director | BMO Capital Markets

Priyanka Chandran is a Director with BMO Capital Markets (‘BMO’), where she manages a portfolio of traditional and alternative asset and wealth managers in North America. Priyanka joined BMO in 2018, based in Toronto and recently relocated to New York to enhance coverage and grow the subscription line portfolio in the US.

Prior to joining BMO, Priyanka spent 9 yrs. at Deutsche Bank across a broad range of roles. She started her career with the Industrials group, where she managed a portfolio of automotive and manufacturing businesses in India followed by stints in FX Sales and Structuring in India and China before relocating to London to work in the COO’s office.

Priyanka has a Bachelors in Information Technology and a Masters in Business Administration from the Institute of Management Development, Lausanne. She is also a CFA charter holder. In her spare time, Priyanka enjoys biking and playing the piano. She also loves travelling and learning languages

Lisa Chaney

Paul Hastings

Esther, Cho

KKR Infrastructure

Lending to Real Assets

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Esther, Cho

Director, Infrastructure & COO | KKR Infrastructure

Esther Cho (New York) joined KKR in 2021 and is a Director on the Infrastructure team as well as the
Chief Operating Officer of the KKR Diversified Core Infrastructure strategy.

She was previously a member of the Finance group and the Controller for the KKR Diversified Core
Infrastructure strategy. Prior to joining KKR, she was a vice president in JP Morgan Asset Management’s
infrastructure investments group as the assistant controller within the finance team. Previously, she
worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and RSM US LLP, focusing on alternative investment funds.

Ms. Cho holds a B.S. in Accounting from CUNY Bernard Baruch College and is a Certified Public
Accountant

Sarah Elliott

National Australia Bank Limited

Lending to Real Assets

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Sarah Elliott

Head of Client Coverage | National Australia Bank Limited

Sarah Elliott is Head of Client Coverage for NAB North America, and leads the Financial Sponsors, Infrastructure, Renewables, Asset Finance, Insurance, Banks, and Corporates coverage teams. Sarah is a member of NAB’s North American Executive Leadership team and Risk Committee. In the Financial Sponsors space, Sarah and her team work with open and closed-end Funds across the fund finance spectrum including subscription finance, NAV and Hybrid facilities, as well as FX and interest rate hedging. With 17 years’ experience in the market, Sarah has been based in New York for over 5 years, and during this time has led Fund Finance deals for some of the largest global Sponsors. Before NAB, Sarah was a Finance Attorney at top tier Australian law firm King & Wood Mallesons working with Funds across Fund Finance, Real Estate, Leveraged and Project Finance and DCM. Sarah holds qualifications in law (University of Sydney) and a degree in liberal arts, as well as business, finance and accounting certifications.

Fischer, Renee (Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP)

Renee Fischer

Career Advancement/Pivot

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Renee Fischer

Attorney - Fund Finance

Partner, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

Renee is an incoming Partner in Banking and Finance at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukani ("Gordon Rees"), focusing her practice on representing banks and financial institutions in subscription and NAV based financing transactions. Gordon Rees is a national law firm with over 1,500 lawyers and with offices in all 50 states. They are an active participant in the fund finance space, having represented numerous financial providers throughout the United States, and have developed a streamlined and efficient practice specializing in high volume transaction flow.

Renee began her career as an Associate in the Banking and Asset Finance group at Linklaters. After being seconded to BNP Paribas ("BNPP"), she was recruited by BNPP to head their legal team for Fund Derivatives. Over the next 8 years, Renee built out the legal team, streamlined legal documentation and revamped internal policies and procedures, reducing the need for external counsel and making transaction execution streamlined and efficient. Prior to the financial crisis, BNPP had the largest fund finance book of business on The Street, was the only bank on The Street to bring all fund finance execution work in-house and was known in the industry for their seamless, end-to-end 'white glove' approach to transaction execution.

After the financial crisis and wind down of the Fund Derivatives desk at BNPP, Renee spent 5 years at Credit Suisse as Head of Legal for Domestic and International Lending (Private Bank), Head of Legal - Ultra High Net Worth Lending (Investment Banking and Capital Markets) and as Head of Legal for Fund Linked Products (Global Banking). Renee was then recruited by the Structured Finance team at Bank of America ("BofA") and spent two years reporting into Structuring as a Senior Structurer in Fund Finance before moving to Trading as Global Head of Product Governance for Equities.

From 2022 until 2024 Renee worked as Counsel in the Fund Finance group at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. She holds a J.D. from Pace Law School.

Ed Goldstein

Coller Capital

Jennifer Gray

ECP

Lending to Real Assets

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Jennifer Gray

Managing Director, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer | ECP

Ms. Gray is Senior Managing Director, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at ECP. She chairs the Compliance Committee and co-chairs the ESG Committee. Ms. Gray previously served on the board for NESCO Holdings, Inc. (now known as Custom Truck One Source) and Ramaco Resources.

Prior to joining ECP in 2008, Ms. Gray was an Associate at the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP. Ms. Gray represented both lenders and borrowers in several joint venture, financing, acquisition and development transactions.

Ms. Gray received her B.S. in International Business and J.D. from Pepperdine University.

Kirsten Hagen

Brinley Partners

Women Founders and Industry Leaders

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Kirsten Hagen

Co-Founder and Partner | Brinley Partners

Kirsten Hagen is a co-founder and partner of Brinley Partners, and a member of the Investment Committee. Brinley Partners (“Brinley”) is an alternative investment firm focused on providing private credit solutions to high quality companies in the large cap and middle market space. Brinley’s first flagship fund, Brinley Private Debt Fund I, closed in 2021 with ~$3 billion total capital inclusive of leverage. The firm currently has ~$4.5 billion assets under management and directly originates performing credit and preferred equity investments in transactions primarily backed by private equity sponsors. Brinley lends across the capital structure including secured credit, unsecured credit and preferred equity while focusing on top tier, resilient companies in defensive sectors of the market.

Prior to Brinley, Kirsten spent 20 years with Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., where she most recently was Head of Americas Senior Debt in the Private Credit Group, overseeing the leveraged loan investing strategy in North America and closely involved in the mezzanine debt and preferred equity investing businesses. Kirsten served on the Goldman Sachs Bank USA Management Committee and the Goldman Sachs Bank USA Client and Business Standards Committee. Before spending almost 15 years in the Principal Investment Area, Kirsten held various positions in the Leveraged Finance Group and the Investment Banking Division. She has over 20 years of investing and leveraged finance experience and has invested over $25 billion across the capital structure.

Kirsten previously served on the Board of Directors of Avantor, American Tire Distributors, FullBeauty Brands, Signature Hospital and H20+. Kirsten currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lehigh Valley Health Network where she is a member of the executive, audit, nominating and governance and finance committees.

Jane Hansen

Jane Hanson, former NBC News Anchor, Forbes Contributor & Coach to CEO’s

1:45 PM | 2024-11-20

Jane Hansen

Former NBC News Anchor Forbes Contributor & Coach to CEO’s

Emmy Award-winning television journalist and communications coach Jane Hanson has dedicated over 30 years to helping people master the art of communication. Her distinguished career began as a reporter and anchor for NBC New York, and today she continues her impact as a communications coach and Forbes contributor, where she focuses on business, leadership, and transition.

Jane works with an impressive array of clients, including C-suite executives across finance, technology, startups, pharmaceuticals, fashion, media, and more. Her coaching spans a diverse range of professionals—from scientists to chefs and restaurateurs—helping them communicate with clarity and confidence. She frequently partners with financial institutions and Private Wealth managers to host seminars and private sessions aimed at enhancing client communication.

Throughout her career at NBC, Jane anchored iconic programs like Today in New York and The Today Show, covering pivotal moments like 9/11, Yankees victory parades, Wall Street trends, and Washington politics. Her reporting took her around the globe, from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia to the depths below New York City for her award-winning program, Jane’s New York. She most recently hosted New York Live.

Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Jane has earned nine Emmy Awards and was named "Correspondent of the Year" by New York's Police Detectives and Firefighters. In addition to these honors, she has received numerous accolades for her community service. Today, Jane continues to serve as a sought-after speaker, interviewer, panel moderator, and podcaster, sharing her expertise on topics ranging from healthcare and science to pop culture, finance, and religion.

Mariel Healy

TD Cowen

Jenny Hong

Macquarie Asset Management

Lending to Real Assets

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Jenny Hong

Senior Vice President | Macquarie Asset Management

Jenny Hong is a Senior Vice President on the Macquarie Asset Management Real Assets Capital Markets team, covering North America and Latin America. As part of Capital Markets, Jenny is responsible for debt financing and banking strategy across MAM’s portfolio companies, leveraging 13+ years of debt origination and structuring experience.

Prior to MAM, Jenny was a Senior Director on the Leveraged Finance team at TD Securities where she structured and led debt solutions for corporate and sponsor clients across the Digital Infrastructure and Diversified Industries sectors. Financings spanned a variety of debt markets, including pro rata, institutional and real estate. Jenny joined TD from RBC Capital Markets, where she focused on underwriting leveraged transactions in the Telecommunications, Media and Technology sectors.

Jenny received a Bachelor of Science from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College with a double major in Finance and Accounting and a minor in Mathematics. Her interests include outdoor activities (running, snowboarding, hiking), cooking and traveling.

Sara Klymkowsky

Royalty Pharma

Chris LiPuma

Fortress Investment Group LLC

Life Sciences

3:45 PM | 2024-11-20

Chris LiPuma

Managing Director – Intellectual Property Group a | Fortress Investment Group LLC

Mr. LiPuma is a Managing Director in San Francisco in Fortress’s Intellectual Property Group, where he focuses on a wide variety of investment opportunities in connection with intellectual property, life sciences, and academic institutions.

Prior to joining Fortress in 2018, Mr. LiPuma headed business development for Kastle Therapeutics, a private equity backed biotechnology company acquiring ultra-orphan drugs. Before joining Kastle he was with OrbiMed Advisors, a life sciences focused asset management firm. At OrbiMed he worked on royalty monetizations, direct lending to late development stage and early commercial stage life sciences companies, and several private equity transactions focused on acquiring legacy assets from big pharma. He started his career as an investment banker at Leerink Partners.

Mr. LiPuma holds a B.A. from Hamilton College

Val Mack

FTI Consulting

Creative Capital Solutions: How funds fund

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Val Mack

Managing Director | FTI Consulting

Val Mack is a Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting.

Ms. Mack advises companies on how to prepare for and approach shareholder activists and navigate M&A. Additionally, she advises private capital on how to build their brands through profile raising and transaction communications. She advises with a keen eye for creating opportunities and managing risk.

Before joining FTI Consulting, Ms. Mack worked for Elliott Management on communications and public affairs as the hedge fund grew assets under management (“AUM”) from approximately $35 billion to approximately $50 billion and built the firm’s private equity arm. Her role encompassed communications on regulatory issues, investment-specific efforts, media prep for executives, reputation management and quarterly investor communications.

Ms. Mack spent a decade in U.S. politics as a communications advisor and opposition researcher working on elections in more than 30 states and worked on two presidential primary campaigns. She also worked in the U.S. Senate and in the Massachusetts State House.

Ms. Mack holds a B.A. in communication studies, cum laude, from Northeastern University.

Jeff Maier

Citizens

Liquidity Solutions

3:45 PM | 2024-11-20

Jeff Maier

Managing Director | Citizens

Jeff Maier is a Senior Managing Director on the Private Equity Finance team at Citizens Private Bank and based in New York. Jeff has worked in private capital since 2002 when he joined JPMorgan’s proprietary private equity group, JPMorgan Partners (JPMP). After the spin-out of JPMP in 2005, Jeff helped launch JPMorgan’s Private Equity Fund Services, a leading third-party provider of banking and fund administration services to private equity sponsors globally. In 2012, Jeff joined Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to lead their Global Fund Banking group out of New York. During his tenure at SVB, Jeff was able to grow the New York Private Equity and Venture portfolio from $1B to over $6B in loan commitments. In 2017, Jeff and his business partner, Scott Aleali, joined First Republic Bank (FRB) to lead their Private Equity Finance business in New York. During their tenure at FRB, Jeff and his team originated over $8B in loan commitments. Jeff has extensive middle office, back-office, and business development expertise in private capital, including banking and lending to some of the leading private capital sponsors in the world. His team has experience lending to Funds, Management Companies, and GP entities.

Jeff holds a law degree from the University of Missouri and a B.S. from Illinois State University. He was a founding Board Member of the Fund Finance Association and current co-host of #FundFanatics.

Cat Middleton

The Venture Collective

Women Founders and Industry Leaders

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Cat Middleton

General Partner | The Venture Collective

Cat is a people first investor, former operator, and accidental work therapist.

By way of background, Cat spent the first chapter of her career as an early stage operator before joining the partnership at Primary Ventures for the better part of five years. During her tenure at the firm, she laid the foundation for a best-in-class post-investment approach that helped founders see around corners and iterate quickly through mistakes, but also meaningfully informed the firm's follow-on reserve strategy.

Today, she is a General Partner and founding team member at The Venture Collective (TVC), a transformational, early-stage venture firm backed by world class entrepreneurs and business leaders. Led by a seasoned team of venture investors, ex-founders, and investment management executives, they invest their capital, time, and network into transformative technological and scientific innovations solving for the world’s biggest problems.

In line with her passion for diversifying the face of wealth over time, Cat is involved with organizations like All Raise and Chief while also supporting future of work innovation by working closely with companies like ADP Ventures and communities like PeopleTech Partners. If you'd like to get in touch, she is @thecatmiddleton on all the social networks.

Stephanie Miller

Hazeltree Fund Services

Bree Mitchell

NAB

Julia Monfrini Peev

PACE Healthcare Capital

Montaperto, Deborah (Morgan Stanley Wealth Management)

Deborah Montaperto

Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management

Michael Orphanides

BMO Capital Markets

Career Advancement/Pivot

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Michael Orphanides

Managing Director | BMO Capital Markets

Michael Orphanides joined BMO in May 2019 as MD and Head, Asset & Wealth Managers, Corporate Banking, part of the Global FIG franchise. He is responsible for managing a team focused on the delivery of corporate banking products and services for the sector.

Prior to joining BMO, Michael held various roles across Coverage and Credit, covering FIG at Barclays, he started his Banking career in 2005 based in London. In 2008, Michael was responsible for establishing and developing coverage of US Funds & Asset Managers. He then moved to New York in 2011 to build the broader coverage of Financial Institutions in the Americas, where he was Head of FIG Corporate Banking, Americas. He was responsible for managing a team focused on the delivery of corporate banking products and services across Banks, Broker Dealers, Insurance, Funds & Asset Managers and Financial Technology sectors.

Michael has a BSc (Hons) in Computing of Mechanical Engineering from Brunel University.

Caitlin Schwietering

Bank of America

Career Advancement/Pivot

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Caitlin Schwietering

Vice President- Subscription Finance | Bank of America

CAITLIN SCHWIETERING serves as a Vice President on the Subscription Finance team. She and her team are responsible for structuring and executing subscription secured financing transactions for a variety of fund structures.

Caitlin joined Bank of America in 2016 through the Global Risk Development Program (GRDP) and has served in a variety of roles including Global Financial Crimes Compliance (GRDP); Global Wealth Investment Management Compliance (GRDP); and Internal Enterprise Investigations.

At Bank of America, Caitlin is a member of LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development) for Women, and has a leadership role on the Power of 10 Onboarding Committee, which focuses on the development and advancement of diverse leaders. Caitlin previously served as a member of the Legal Department Brand Ambassador Network, as well as the Charlotte Market Leaders Program.

Beyond her corporate achievements, Caitlin is actively involved in her community through contributions to her church and previous service on the Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte Young Professionals Board and Young Affiliates of the Mint Museum Board.

Caitlin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Finance and Marketing from North Carolina State University. She resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, Cole

Dee Dee Sklar

Women in Fund Finance

Liquidity Solutions

3:45 PM | 2024-11-20

Dee Dee Sklar

Co-Chair | Women in Fund Finance

Dee Dee Sklar is a Board and Advisor Candidate. As a senior banking executive with global experience in banking and alternatives, she has managed global businesses providing financing and other solutions to private equity firms, portfolio companies, and asset managers across three international banks. Dee Dee retired from her role as Vice Chair, Subscription Finance at Wells Fargo. She is the current Global Co-Chair of Women In Fund Finance and is a part of the Fund Finance Association’s business development initiatives. She is a member of the Cerberus Operating and Advisory Company Competitiveness Council , 17Capital’s Strategic Advisory Board and Tealbook’s AI Supply Chain Technology’s Business Advisory Board.

Rebecca Tabb

Mubadala Capital

Creative Capital Solutions: How funds fund

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Rebecca Tabb

General Counsel | Mubadala Capital

Rebecca Tabb currently serves as the General Counsel – Funds at Mubadala Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Mubadala. In her role, she oversees all legal and regulatory matters related to third party investors and fund formation. Prior to her current role, Ms. Tabb was the chief compliance officer and legal counsel at Owl Rock Capital at its inception, and an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP with a focus on capital markets and asset management. Ms. Tabb also served as an academic fellow at the Stanford Law School, Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance. She holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she was the Nathan Abbott Scholar, which is awarded to the student with the highest cumulative grade point average at graduation, an M.Sc. in economics from UCL and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Rima Terradista

Raymond James Financial

Career Advancement/Pivot

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Rima Terradista

Chief Credit Risk Officer | Raymond James Financial

Ms. Terradista is the Chief Credit Risk Officer (“CCRO”) at Raymond James, where she leads the strategic direction and credit risk management of the firm’s diverse credit portfolio. She joined Raymond James five years ago to establish and head its in-house Credit Review function before she transitioned into the CCRO role in January 2024. With over 35 years of extensive credit management and underwriting expertise, Ms. Terradista is a seasoned professional known for her ability to successfully establish and grow businesses while conservatively managing and mitigating risk across diverse sectors and markets.

Prior to this role, Ms. Terradista served as the Executive Director of Middle Market Sponsor Finance at the SMBC New York branch, playing a pivotal role in originating and managing a portfolio of Middle Market loans while fostering relationships with private equity sponsors and borrowers.

Her career journey also includes serving as a Senior Portfolio Manager at US Bank, where she underwrote and managed a diverse portfolio of assets. Earlier in her career, Ms. Terradista served as Co-Head of Leveraged Finance at Allied Irish Banks, establishing, and launching the bank’s North American Leverage Finance business unit covering large cap, middle market, and asset-based lending.

Ms. Terradista holds B.S. and M.B.A. degrees in Finance from St. John’s University, complemented by formal Credit Training from Manufacturers’ Hanover Trust.

Ms. Terradista immigrated to the U.S. from the Middle East at the age of 16. She met her husband and raised two children in New York City before relocating to Florida in 2019 to join Raymond James. She now enjoys the Sunshine State and focuses on improving her tennis and pickleball games in her spare time. She is passionate about traveling the world and experiencing various cultures.

Adriana Tibbits

Sidley Austin LLP

Life Sciences

3:45 PM | 2024-11-20

Adriana Tibbits

Partner | Sidley Austin LLP

ADRIANA TIBBITTS is a partner at Sidley Austin and a member of the firm’s Global Life Sciences team. Adriana works with clients in the life sciences industry on a broad range of transactional matters, including collaboration and license agreements, co-promotion and other commercialization agreements, joint ventures, M&A, financing transactions, including royalty financing, and the acquisition of pharmaceutical royalty streams. She also represents clients on general corporate and commercial matters. Clients consult Adriana for her experience with technologies that have been the subject of significant interest within the life sciences industry over the past five years, including cell and gene therapies and digital health.

Annie Wallis

Sidley Austin LLP

Creative Capital Solutions: How funds fund

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Annie Wallis

Partner | Sidley Austin LLP

Annie Wallis is a partner in the Chicago office. She practices in the Global Finance group. Her practice includes secured and unsecured lending transactions, cash flow and asset based leverage facilities, merger and acquisition financing, mezzanine and second lien financings, debt restructurings, private debt and financings of alternative assets, including financings for investment funds and asset managers (such as NAV facilities, fund-of-fund facilities, margin loans, and capital call facilities), and film, media and entertainment financing. She represents lenders, participants, agents, sponsors, originators and borrowers in single-bank and syndicated credits. Her clients include investment banks, commercial banks, hedge funds, private equity funds and public and private companies.

Annie completed a two-month assignment in Sidley’s Sydney, Australia office, representing foreign private issuers and investment banks in a number of different institutional debt private placements, including traditional 4(a)(2) private placements and Rule 144A offerings.

Variety has named Annie to its Legal Impact Report for 2019 and 2021, and its Dealmakers Impact Report for 2020. She was recognized for her work on behalf of MUFG Union Bank in connection with the Weinstein Co. and Open Road Films bankruptcies, representing The Raine Group in the launch of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, and for her work in representing film production and distribution company Neon Rated.

Bryony Widdup

Hogan Lovells

Career Advancement/Pivot

4:40 PM | 2024-11-20

Bryony Widdup

Partner – Corporate & Finance | Hogan Lovells

Bryony is a finance and fintech lawyer, with over 15 years’ experience advising on fundraising solutions in the financial services sector.

Known for her dedication to clients, Bryony is skilled in transaction structuring, in finance for funds, broader lending platforms (including blockchain based offerings) and digital assets including token structuring and issuance. She is passionate about sustainable finance and investment solutions, including green, social and sustainability linked instruments, transition finance and impact investing. Bryony is ranked as a leading individual in the Legal 500 UK 2024 for Fund Finance; the publication noting that she is ‘highly skilled in fund financing’.

Bryony’s experience includes advising*:

-Hayfin Capital Management LLP, a leading international credit platform, on its ongoing fund finance matters for multiple structures, including capital call, hybrid and other financings.
- HICL Infrastructure PLC, a UK based infrastructure investment company, in relation to facilities including
innovative letter of credit and sustainability linked arrangements to support HICL’s existing and future
infrastructure projects and investments.
- A market leading secondaries fund on a US$600m NAV facility, and subsequent US$100m upsize, provided by Goldman Sachs Bank USA the proceeds of which were to be used to provide leverage for ongoing investments purposes.
- A special situations fund on a LIBOR transition matter relation to a fund finance facility.
- A leading real estate finance fund on a fund finance facility followed by a subsequent amendment and restatement with facility step down including negotiation of RFR terms.
- Pantheon on numerous debt facilities to Pantheon managed vehicles in connection with the acquisition of a portfolio of fund interests and the acquisition of a portfolio of infrastructure assets.

Cassie Winn

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Lending to Real Assets

2:50 PM | 2024-11-20

Cassie Winn

Executive Director, Investor Relations | J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Cassie Winn, Executive Director, is a member of the Infrastructure Investment Group’s Client Strategy
team and focuses on investor relations, reporting and ESG strategy, initiatives and implementation.

Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Cassie was the Product Specialist for the Infrastructure Investing strategy at
Oaktree Capital where she focused on client communications and reporting, product launches and due
diligence. Prior to Oaktree, Cassie served as Vice President of communications at Highstar Capital. Cassie
began her career on the Investor Relations team at Clearlake Capital Group

Alliance Bernstein - Private Credit Investors

AB NAV Lending was established in 2023 to provide non-dilutive flexible fund financing solutions to private equity funds and their general partners. AB NAV Lending is a natural extension of AB Private Credit Investors (AB-PCI) - AllianceBernstein's private corporate credit platform that was established in 2014. As of December 2024, AB-PCI has committed $30+ billion across more than 375 portfolio companies, primarily in directly originated and privately negotiated senior secured loans to financial sponsor-backed borrowers in the US middle market. AB-PCI's team of 80+ professionals manages more than $18 billion of capital available for investment. Visit here for more information on AB-PCI.

Ares Management

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2024, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had approximately $464 billion of assets under management, with more than 3,100 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

BMO Capital Markets

BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.41 trillion as of October 31, 2024. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society. 

Mayer Brown

Mayer Brown, the founding sponsor of the Annual Subscription Facility and Fund Finance Symposium, is a global legal services organization advising clients across the Americas, Asia and Europe. Our presence in the world’s leading markets enables us to offer clients access to local market knowledge combined with global reach. Mayer Brown’s finance platform is based on the Firm’s global position and our balanced and integrated practice, which encompasses all the focused skill sets that our clients demand— from cross-border acquisition finance and international capital markets work to project finance, structured finance, and derivatives.

Mayer Brown is a market leader and has acted as Adviser to Lenders and Funds on over 500 subscription credit facilities in the last two years. The firm has relationships with every major US lender along with the majority of active lenders in the European and Asian markets. The team has led transactions funded by balance sheet lenders and commercial paper conduits as well as large syndicated facilities to accommodate various types of insurance companies. Its lawyers are experienced documenting the full suite of fund and portfolio-level financings including subscription-backed credit facilities, NAV facilities, private placements, equity commitment facilities, hybrid facilities, open-end fund facilities, management fee credit lines and an assortment of leveraged asset level transactions.

Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management

National Australia Bank (NAB)

National Australia Bank (NAB) is a leading Australian bank. Our global Corporate and Institutional Bank serves Financial Institutions and Corporates through our offices in Australia, Asia the US and Europe. The New York based team provide full relationship services, originating and executing product solutions with a focus on infrastructure, sustainability and investor solutions. We work with some of the leading participants in the infrastructure sector – leading deals across all market segments including renewables, energy, resources, transport and commodities – and coordinate closely across fund and asset level exposures. We have a dedicated Funds business which operates globally through US, UK, Asia and Australia which provides banking and markets solutions for asset managers and financial sponsors. We are an agent for subscription financing and credit facilities for private and publicly listed funds.

Sidley Austin LLP

Sidley is an elite global law firm powered by lawyers who practice at the highest level of the profession. Backed by 158 years of experience, we deliver superior service to a high-caliber group of market-leading clients worldwide, while placing a premium on collaboration and diversity. Our firm boasts a roster of 2,300 lawyers who wield deep experience in transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters spanning over 50 legal disciplines and industries.

Our fund finance practice is a team of highly skilled and dedicated practitioners at the forefront of the rapidly expanding fund finance market. With vast experience in all types of fund financing products we build and maintain deep relationships with fund, borrower, and lender side clients. We have experience with every major investment fund strategy and asset class, including many esoteric asset classes, and we represent our clients in all aspects of the structuring, negotiation, administration, restructuring, and termination of fund finance transactions. With 21 offices situated in major commercial and financial capitals around the world, our lawyers possess the cultural awareness and legal acumen needed to advise clients in today’s global economy.

We are nationally recognized by several industry publications, including:

Tier 1 national ranking in Banking and Finance Law

U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” (2010 – 2024)

Consistently recognized as a leading firm for Banking and Finance

Chambers USA (2007 – 2024)

Mayer Brown (New York)

: 1221 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10020
New York City, New York 10020

: https://www.mayerbrown.com/en

Mayer Brown NYC - 1221 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10020