Direct Lending 2025
In the EU-4 alone, the Mid-Market contributes an estimated €1.11 trillion to GDP, generating more than one-third of all private sector revenue and accounting for 32% of the private sector workforce. But despite being such a robust, dynamic, and vibrant economic force, Mid-Market businesses often face challenges when trying to secure traditional bank financing.
Hosted by SS&C Intralinks in cooperation with SmithNovak, join us for a short webinar discussing how alternative lenders are filling this financing gap, what challenges they are facing, and where future opportunities lie.
Taking place on 17 September 2025, this event will feature a panel discussion with five senior executives from Europe’s leading Private Credit firms.
Complete our Online Request Form to register for access.
Moderator
Alan BainbridgePartner and Global Head of BanksNorton Rose FulbrightUK
Alan Bainbridge is a corporate partner at global law firm, Norton Rose Fulbright, based in London. Alan leads the global bank sector for the firm.
Mr Bainbridge focuses on strategic M&A and corporate advisory for banks and other financial institutions, and regularly advises on bank-specific legislation. Alan has advised on a number of both “buy” and “sell” sides of NPL transactions.
Prior to becoming a partner in 2007, he spent a number of years in our Hong Kong office. Alan was also previously a director of legal in Barclays' M&A legal team in London, where he advised the bank on a number of notable transactions.
Matthias MathieuManaging PartnerBRIGHT CAPITALGermany
Matthias co-founded Bright Capital in 2015 and serves as managing partner and member of the investment committee. Matthias is heading the firm’s investment activities and signs responsible for business development.
Prior to his current role, Matthias served as managing director of the Switzerland headquartered private equity firm, Mountain Lake Investment. Before starting his investment carrier, he was the chairman of the board at Peaches Group, a Frankfurt and London based IT service provider, covering more than 30 MNOs in Europe. Matthias founded the company back in 2006, sold it to a Private Equity investor and helped to IPO the business. In his early working days, he made a fast career at a global IT firm where in his last role he served as head of international business. Matthias has been a shareholder in a number of businesses throughout Germany. He looks back to more than a decade in c-level roles and on more than a decade as an investor in private companies.
Timothy AlexanderManaging Partner, Head of Global Capital SolutionsJackson Square PartnersUK
Timothy Alexander is a Managing Partner with Jackson Square Partners in London.
He has 20+ years’ experience in of structuring, investing and trading in debt securities and real estate at both buy-side and sell-side firms. He currently heads the EMEA capital advisory practice and has responsibility for originating, executing and distributing all parts of the capital structure for sponsors across corporate and real estate transactions.
Prior to launching Jackson Square Partners, he was Head of Europe - Distressed Debt & Special Situations at Sound Point Capital Management and was a Managing Director at UBS where he built the European Loans and Distressed credit trading, investing and financing businesses in London.
Jared RootManaging DirectorStepStone GroupUK
Jared is a Managing Partner and a member of the private debt team.
Prior to joining StepStone, Mr. Root was an investment banking credit analyst at J.P. Morgan, covering hedge funds. Before that, he was in a rotational analyst programme at J.P. Morgan Chase.
Mr. Root received a B.S. in business administration with a specialisation in finance from The Ohio State University.
Aymeric MartinExecutive Director - Private DebtTikehau CapitalFrance
Aymeric Martin started his career in 2007 at Macquarie Capital in London within the European private equity team and was involved in both the review of deal opportunities and extensive monitoring of two portfolio companies.
He pursued his investment experience in Paris within real estate investments at LaSalle Investment Management. In 2011, he joined the Transaction Services Department of Deloitte, where he participated in several buy-side and sell-side due diligence projects for both private equity and corporate clients in various sectors.
He joined the private debt team of Tikehau Capital in February 2016 where he was involved in 30+ transactions. Aymeric is based in Paris.
Allan NielsenPartner, European Direct LendingAres ManagementUK
Mr. Nielsen is a Partner in the Ares Credit Group, where he focuses on European direct lending.
Prior to joining Ares in 2015, Mr. Nielsen was a Senior Director in the International Acquisition Finance team at Mizuho Bank, where he focused on originating and structuring large-cap LBOs for Private Equity sponsors across Europe. Previously, Mr. Nielsen was part of the Mergers and Acquisitions team at Bear Stearns in London, where he focused on leveraged finance and corporate finance advisory.
Mr. Nielsen holds an M.Sc. from City University Business School (now Cass Business School) in Finance, Economics and Econometrics, and a B.A. (Hons) from South Bank University in Business Administration.
