The PEI Private Credit Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Manulife | Comvest Credit Partners

Standing out from the crowd in direct lending is no easy feat. In an increasingly competitive market, private credit firms are looking for new ways to differentiate their offerings and meet LP demands. But what does this look like in practice?

In this episode, we speak with Greg Reynolds, partner, chief investment officer, and co-head of direct lending at Manulife | Comvest Credit Partners, to discuss how effective sourcing strategies, disciplined underwriting standards, and robust portfolio management can help managers find quality deals and minimise risk.

We also explore why LPs seeking diversification may want to consider raising their exposure to non-sponsored strategies.

This episode is sponsored by Castlelake

Asset-based finance (ABF) is widely considered to be the next big investment opportunity in private credit. Though not a new concept, it has recently attracted growing attention from institutional investors looking to diversify their credit portfolios beyond traditional corporate direct lending.

However, the breadth and complexity of the asset class require a closer look: understanding the nuances around origination, structuring, risk management and data feedback loops can help investors sift through the capital and new entrants moving into the space.

In this episode, Isaiah Toback, deputy co-chief investment officer at Castlelake, explains what investors should look for beneath the ABF label.

As fund managers and investors attempt to achieve diversification as a means to hedge themselves against emerging stresses in direct lending portfolios, is the nature of risk in strategies such as asset-based finance fully appreciated? This was one of the talking points at the New York Forum 2026, which forms part of a discussion in this episode between PEI Private Credit's Andy Thomson, Robin Blumenthal and Sergio Padilla.

Other key topics considered here: How is AI changing fund manager processes and allocation considerations? Which areas of the market are becoming the most competitive? And what are the key dynamics in rising strategies like opportunistic credit and secondaries?

This episode is sponsored by Arrow Global

As the private credit industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, so too does the opportunity set for the asset class when it comes to finding new ways of attracting LP capital. One region that is predicted to benefit from an influx of investor interest is Europe. PEI Private Credit’s LP Perspectives 2026 Study found that 42 percent of LPs surveyed intended to invest more in Western Europe over the course of this year.

But investing there is no simple task. The continent’s fragmented regulatory and legal frameworks – not to mention its distinct cultural differences – mean that a nuanced approach is required to put investor capital to best use.

In this episode, we speak with Zach Lewy, founder, CEO and chief investment officer of Arrow Global, to find out more about the strategies and sectors that hold the most interest for the firm in the region.  We also discuss how ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty – combined with increasing use of artificial intelligence technologies – will throw up opportunities and challenges alike over the coming months.

This episode is sponsored by Barings

Diversifying strategies is hugely popular with investors right now – and for good reason. Macroeconomic upheaval is prompting LPs to take a closer look at their credit portfolios and evaluate where their capital can deliver the strongest relative value.

Enter portfolio finance. The strategy is by no means new,  but it is gaining traction among institutional investors for its intrinsic diversification and capital preservation properties.

In this episode of The Private Debt Investor Podcast, we speak with Dadong Yan, Barings’ global head of portfolio finance, based in Boston, and Matt Hansford, a portfolio manager in the European team, about the spectrum of opportunities available in this segment of the market.

For professional investors/institutional only. This podcast should not be distributed to or relied on by retail/individual investors. Any forecasts in this material are based upon Barings opinion of the market at the date of preparation and are subject to change without notice, dependent upon many factors. Any prediction, projection or forecast is not necessarily indicative of the future or likely performance. Investment involves risk. The value of any investments and any income generated may go down as well as up and is not guaranteed by Barings or any other person. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.