New York-based private investment firm Turning Rock Partners has appointed Shahid Khoja as head of credit.

Khoja brings nearly 20 years of expertise in public and private credit investing and leveraged finance to the firm, with particular expertise in opportunistic credit, structured products and special situations.

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He was previously managing director and head of credit at Z Capital Partners, where he led a 12-person investment team and managed the firm’s overall credit strategy.

During his time at Z Capital Partners, he was responsible for investment execution across various funds, including opportunistic credit strategies and collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), while also serving on the firm’s credit investment committee.

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He also played an instrumental role in capital formation and investor engagement across ZCG’s credit platform.

Prior to that, he was a director at Garrison Investment Group focusing on private credit, syndicated loans, and stressed/distressed opportunities. He began his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the corporate credit products group.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Sha as our partner,” said David Markus, partner at Turning Rock Partners. “The depth of his experience and leadership in credit investing will be critical as we continue to grow our platform and build differentiated credit solutions for growth-oriented companies.”

“Turning Rock’s focus on credit and equity solutions for growing companies aligns closely with my experience and passion for creative, value-driven investing,” added Khoja.