Ares names James Garforth principal for Asia direct lending

Ares Management Corp, a global alternative investment firm, has announced the appointment of James Garforth as the principal for its Asia direct lending business, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters. Garforth, who leaves his role at BGH Capital in Melbourne, will be based in Hong Kong and report to Peter Graf, the partner and head of Asia direct lending at Ares.

Prior to joining BGH Capital, Garforth worked at KKR Capital Markets in Sydney and spent nearly a decade at Credit Suisse, where he held positions in leveraged finance and financial sponsors in New York and Sydney. Garforth, a finance and economics graduate from the University of Queensland, will succeed Brian Garth, who recently left Ares to join a competitor.