Sector developments and company hires

FEAC promotes four in direct lending
First Eagle Alternative Credit (FEAC) has promoted four members of its tradable credit and direct lending investment teams. Within the tradable credit team, Robert Hickey has been named deputy cio, reporting to FEAC cio James Fellows.

Hickey joined the firm in 2004 and was formerly senior portfolio manager in the tradable credit team. He is a senior md and will continue to serve on the global investment committee and on the investment committee for tradable credit.

Within the direct lending team, Michelle Handy also becomes deputy cio, reporting to FEAC president Chris Flynn. Handy joined the firm in 2016 and was previously md and head of portfolio and underwriting for First Eagle’s direct lending platform. She will continue to serve as a member of the investment committee for direct lending and of the firm’s operating committee.

Meanwhile, mds Garrett Stephen and Howard Wu have been named co-heads of origination and structuring, having previously been originators in FEAC’s direct lending team. Stephen joined the firm in 2012, while Wu joined in 2007. Reporting to Flynn, the pair serve as rotating members of the direct lending team’s investment committee, covering loans in healthcare, information services and technology.

In other news…

EMEA
Merrill Goulding has joined Permira Credit as md, strategic opportunities, after seven years at The Carlyle Group. Goulding was promoted to md early last year, having served as European co-head of special situations since February 2021. He joins Permira’s growing strategic opportunities business, where he will report to strategic opportunities head, Ian Jackson, who was recruited to lead the strategy last year.