Star Mountain hires MD to boost investor solutions team
Star Mountain Capital has appointed Bryan Johnson (pictured) as a managing director, based in Los Angeles.
The $4bn (£3.1bn) private credit fund manager, which focuses on lending to US businesses in the lower middle market, said that Johnson will work with investors on portfolio optimisation investments and potential liquidity needs through the firm’s secondaries business.
Johnson has nearly 20 years of expertise advising on strategic investment solutions to wealth managers, family offices and high-net-worth individuals.
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Most recently, he spent 15 years working at AQR Capital Management, prior to which he spent three years at Dimensional Fund Advisors.
“We are committed to providing our investors with the best resources and service possible in accessing the benefits of the less efficient and large US lower middle-market which can include a higher cash yield, tax advantages and portfolio constriction benefits of less correlated assets,” said Brett Hickey, Star Mountain Capital founder and chief executive. “We are thrilled for Bryan to join our Los Angeles office and add to our presence on the West Coast where Star Mountain has numerous important investors and investments.”
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Johnson said: “I’ve been impressed by Star Mountain’s leadership team and the existing client base of sophisticated clients and investors. I was also intrigued to learn how large and highly fragmented the lower middle-market is at nearly 50 per cent of the U.S. economy.
“This presents a great opportunity for investors to target higher potential returns by either providing liquidity to these smaller, yet resilient businesses or by providing liquidity to other investors through Star Mountain’s secondaries platform. Investors may benefit from exposure to this fragmented segment of the market and economy which many portfolios do not have exposure to. This is also a compelling and timely opportunity due to the expected increase in M&A activity with small businesses due to aging demographics. Star Mountain has a distinctive origination and underwriting platform to capitalize on these opportunities.”
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