BlackRock hires leader of SE Asia private credit efforts - Fund ...

BlackRock today appointed Yik Ley Chan to lead the firm’s private credit efforts in Southeast Asia. Chan will be based in Singapore and responsible for the origination and execution of private credit investments. The appointment takes effect in July 2024.

Chan (pictured) has 16 years’ experience in financial services, of which more than 13 years were spent on structuring private credit and financing solutions.

He was most recently Asia head of private credit at Jefferies, where he oversaw markets in Southeast Asia including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Chan previously had a senior structurer role for Credit Suisse, covering Southeast Asia and frontier markets.

Celia Yan, head of Apac private credit, BlackRock, said: “Southeast Asia is an exciting region offering promising opportunities for private credit, as corporates look for ways to finance transformation beyond traditional avenues.”

Deborah Ho, country head of Singapore and head of Southeast Asia, BlackRock, added: “We are pleased to have Yik Ley joining us to strengthen our on-the-ground investment capability. Client demand for private markets investments has increased dramatically – a trend we believe is here to stay.”

BlackRock’s global private debt platform manages $85bn across the asset class, according to the asset manager. The global private debt team comprises more than 210 investment professionals in over 18 cities globally as of December 2023, and holds more than 23 years’ cycle-tested investment experience.

BlackRock’s Apac private credit platform currently invests in opportunities throughout Australasia, South Korea, Japan, Greater China, India, and Southeast Asia.