Our team

Jon Aisbitt

Chairman of the Board, Independent Director

Career

Prior to joining the Board of DBIP, from 2016 to 2022 Jon was the Chairman of Pension Insurance Corporation, a leading player in the fast-growing UK Pension Risk transfer market. From 2007 until 2016, Jon was Chairman of Man Group plc, the FTSE250 provider of alternative investment products with over $70 billion under management. Prior to joining Man Group plc, Jon was Deputy Chairman of Ocean Rig plc and Honorary Treasurer of the NSPCC. In his executive career, Jon was a partner at Goldman Sachs. He spent over 15 years in the Investment Banking Division based in New York, London and Sydney. He was the first head of the UK Investment Banking team. He began his corporate finance career at S.G.Warburg & Co. Ltd.

Education

Jon holds a degree in English Literature and Language from Oxford University and is an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (“ICAEW”).

Nicholas Lawson

Independent Director

Career

Nick is currently working as the Founder CEO of Ocean Wall Limited, an independent private company focused on niche alternatives and complex equity. From 2015 to 2019, Nick was a Partner and Head of Strategic Capital Solutions for Arrowgrass Capital Partners LLP. Prior to joining Arrowgrass Nick spent 17 years at Deutsche Bank in London where he built the No. 1-rated Special Situations and Merger Arbitrage desk and was Global Head of Macro and Synthetic Equity. Nick is the Founding Chair of ALMT, a children’s charity that he set up in 2006. It now funds over 140 projects worldwide.

Education

Nick attended Dulwich College and holds a degree in Economic History from The University of Exeter.

Alex Scott-Gall

Non-executive Director

Career

Alex joined Deutsche Bank in 2003 and is currently Head of Legal for the Investment Bank and the Non-Core Unit. Prior to this Alex held a number of senior legal roles at Deutsche Bank, including Co-General Counsel for the Corporate & Investment Bank and UKI, Global Co-Head of Global Markets Legal and Head of Legal for Emerging Markets & Commodities. Prior to joining DB, Alex was an Associate with Linklaters in the Corporate Finance department.

Education

Alex holds a degree in Modern History from Oxford University, was admitted to the Bar in 1999 and qualified as a solicitor in 2002.

Peter Yearley

Non-executive Director

Career

Peter has almost 40 years of experience in corporate finance, commercial banking and private equity. Peter recently retired after 19 years at Deutsche Bank where he was the Chief Risk Officer for the Investment Bank and Corporate Bank. He also held global responsibility for Credit Risk Management and Enterprise Risk Management. In addition, Peter was the Chief Risk Officer for the United Kingdom and Ireland (UKI). Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in 2003, Peter was a principal in private equity for Madison Investment Partners and also spent 11 years at UBS where he held various positions including senior banker in investment banking.

Education

Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Trinity College, Hartford, CT (USA).

Marie-Jeanne Deverdun

Non-executive Director

Career

Marie-Jeanne (MJ) joined Deutsche Bank in 2010 and is the Chief Operating Officer of the Corporate Bank and the Investment Bank. MJ was previously the Chief Financial Officer of the Investment Bank Division and has held a number of senior finance, risk and portfolio management functions. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, MJ spent 11 years with PriceWaterhouse in London and Paris across audit and consulting.

Education

MJ holds an MBA from Audencia Business School (Nantes, France).

Raheman Meghji

Chief Investment Officer

Career

Raheman joined Deutsche Bank in 2003, and has over 20 years of principal investing experience across sectors and the capital structure. Prior to his role as CIO of DBIP, Raheman was responsible for various equity and debt balance sheet investing businesses at DB. Between 2003 and 2011 Raheman was responsible for private equity investments in the infrastructure sector based in London and New York. In 2012, he established DB’s European Direct Lending and Opportunistic Credit businesses in Europe and has overseen investments of more than EUR6bn into private corporate credit across more than 50 investments. Raheman has also held responsibilities for DB’s energy and infrastructure financing businesses across Europe and North America.

Education

Raheman holds a BSc. in Economics (Econometrics and Mathematical Economics) and an MSc. in Politics of the World Economy, both from the London School of Economics.

Grzegorz Blicharz

Portfolio Manager

Career

Grzegorz has over 20 years' experience working in the financial services industry, including 18 years in the alternative asset investment space. From 2018 to 2022 Grzegorz was the Head of the Global Credit Trading Portfolios group, he was responsible for managing investments in performing and non-performing loan portfolios and CRE Special situations. In this role he was responsible for AUM of up EUR3bn. From 2008 to 2018, Grzegorz held various leadership roles in the Distressed Products Group, focusing on managing investments in distressed and non-core assets sold by financial institutions. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, from 2005 to 2008 Grzegorz worked at Bank of America International Special Situations Group. He started his career working for 6 years at KPMG Warsaw and London focusing on audit and financial due diligence engagement.

Education

Grzegorz holds an MA in Economics from the Warsaw School of Economics and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.

Appu Mundassery

Portfolio Manager

Career

Appu has over 20 years of investing experience across Europe and North America including establishing and leading multiple credit investment platforms. Most recently, he ran European direct and opportunistic lending for H.I.G. Capital, a transatlantic mid-market private equity firm, where he had a broad investment mandate to provide senior debt and junior capital in sponsored and unsponsored deals. Prior to this, he was a Partner at Highland Capital Management, where he helped found its European business (later sold to Carlyle), and a junior banker at Credit Suisse / DLJ.

Education

Appu holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a BS from Brown University, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Heng Cheam

Head of APAC*

Career

Heng joined Deutsche Bank in 2008, and has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to his role as Head of APAC, Heng held various leadership roles in Strategic Investment Group, focusing on private credit (both corporate and real assets) and special situations in Asia. Between 2005 and 2008, Heng worked on the principal investment desk at Bank of America with responsibilities for credit investments in Europe. From 2004 to 2005, Heng was a founding member of the European Leveraged Finance Group at Bank of America based in London. Heng started his career in Lehman Brothers New York in 2001 as an analyst.

Education

Heng holds a BA (Economics) from Williams College.

*DB Investment Partners Singapore (legal name: DB Investment Partners Pte. Ltd) has applied for a Capital Markets Services License for Fund Management with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and this is pending approval by MAS.

Dhruva Agarwal

Portfolio Manager*

Career

Dhruva has over 17 years of private credit investing experience across Europe and Asia. Most recently he led the private credit business for BlackRock in India. Prior to joining BlackRock, he was with Baring Private Equity Asia – India Credit fund.

Education

Dhruva holds a Master’s degree in Financial Economics from Oxford University and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Delhi University.

*DB Investment Partners Singapore (legal name: DB Investment Partners Pte. Ltd) has applied for a Capital Markets Services License for Fund Management with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and this is pending approval by MAS.

Adam Klimes

Chief Operating Officer

Career

Adam has over 20 years’ experience in the legal and financial services industries. From 2017-2021, Adam was UK Head of Legal for Deutsche Bank’s Fixed Income & Currencies (FIC) division. In this role was responsible for providing legal, structuring and regulatory advice across a broad range of transactions, regulatory initiatives and contentious matters. From 2005-2017, Adam held various leadership roles within Deutsche Bank’s Structured Finance legal team, with a focus on complex financing transactions. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, from 1999-2005 Adam was a transactional lawyer at Allen & Overy, specialising in leveraged loans and real estate finance.

Education

Adam holds an LLB from University College London and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2001.

Geoffrey de Souza

General Counsel

Career

Geoffrey joined Deutsche Bank in 2005 and has held a number of management roles in the legal department at DB, including 4 years as the Global Head of Alternatives Legal for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Geoffrey was an Associate with Clifford Chance working in both London and São Paulo, specialising in credit derivatives.

Education

Geoffrey holds an LLB from The University of Exeter and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2003.

Stefano Valente

Head of Compliance

Career

Stefano joined the Deutsche Bank Group in 2015 and is the Head of Compliance of DB Investment Partners. Prior to his current role, Stefano was Deputy Head of FIC Markets Compliance for UKI and EMEA (excluding Germany) at Deutsche Bank, with direct responsibility for the coverage of the credit, structured finance, distressed and emerging markets debt businesses. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Stefano was a Compliance Manager at the London Stock Exchange Group, where he was also registered with the UK Financial Conduct Authority as CF10 and CF11 for EuroMTS Limited. Stefano started his career as an associate lawyer and academic in Italy, specialising in financial markets regulation as well as corporate and insolvency law.

Education

Stefano holds a PhD in National and International Commercial Law from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, a Master of Laws from Columbia University Law School and a Law degree cum laude from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. In addition, Stefano obtained the CISI Diploma in Investment Compliance and qualified as a lawyer from the Milan Bar Association (currently not practising). He was a Fulbright Scholar in 2009/2010.

Karen Syradd

Head of Finance and Fund Operations

Career

Prior to joining the DBIP in March 2023, Karen was the Head of Finance at Blantyre Capital, a distressed and special situations alternative investment fund, for 6 years covering pre and post fund launch. Karen was freelance for 5 years consulting for Castlelake, CarVal Investors, Cargill and Black River. For 16 years she was employed by CarVal Investors and Cargill’s Capital Markets/ Value investment divisions in an array of middle and back-office roles, culminating in managing the operations and accounting for the European Distressed and Special Situations Division.

Education

Karen holds a BSc Hons degree in Chemistry from Bristol University and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (“ICAEW”). She is also a Fellow of the ICAEW.

Alexandra Simkin

Head of Investor Relations

Career

Alex has over 15 years of experience in investor relations and fundraising. Prior to joining DBIP, Alex was Head of Client Services at Park Square Capital, a leading European private credit manager. Alex started her career at Taconic Capital on the investor relations team.

Education

Alex holds a BA (Hons) in Chinese and Management from the University of Leeds.

Andrea Ridler

Investor Relations*

Career

Andrea has over 15 years of experience in the credit market. Andrea has been working at DB AG for 6 years, most recently in Sourcing within Distressed Products Group and as Credit Sales for Illiquid Credit. Andrea started her career at UniCredit Bank AG in Credit Trading.

Education

Andrea holds a BA in Business and Finance from the WHZ University of Applied Sciences and has a CEFA diploma (Certified European Financial Analyst).

(*employee of Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt)

Lingkun Li

Principal

Career

Lingkun has 6 years’ experience of analyzing, structuring and investing in private credit across sectors and capital structures. Prior to joining DBIP, Lingkun was a Senior Associate on the Private Credit direct lending team at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Lingkun started her career at Deutsche Bank in the European Direct Lending desk, focused on middle market lending.

Education

Lingkun holds a Master in Management (Finance Major) from HEC and a BSc. in Economics from Tsinghua University, School of Economics and Management. Lingkun is a CFA Charterholder.

Mark Chang

Principal*

Career

Mark joined Deutsche Bank in 2019,and has over 16 years’ of financing experience across Asia. Mark was most recently a credit analyst in the Asia Distressed Products Group within DB, based in Singapore, focusing on private credit and special situations. He has previously worked in credit risk management as well as structuring roles in the Asia Commodities trading desks of DB and Citigroup. He started his financial services career in project finance and prior to that was a geotechnical engineer in Chicago for 2 years.

Education

Mark holds a BS in Civil Engineering and Economics from Northwestern University, and a MS in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

*DB Investment Partners Singapore (legal name: DB Investment Partners Pte. Ltd) has applied for a Capital Markets Services License for Fund Management with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and this is pending approval by MAS.

Andy Chang

Associate*

Career

Andy has 5 years’ experience in corporate finance advisory and investments. Prior to joining DBIP, Andy was an Associate at RRJ Capital, an Asian investment firm with exposure across private equity, private credit and special situations. Andy started his career at Evercore in the Singapore office, focused on debt restructuring and M&A advisory.

Education

Andy holds a BBA (Hons) in Business Administration (Accountancy) from the National University of Singapore.

*DB Investment Partners Singapore (legal name: DB Investment Partners Pte. Ltd) has applied for a Capital Markets Services License for Fund Management with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and this is pending approval by MAS.

Liam O’Hara

Investment Associate

Career

Liam has 5 years’ experience in Mergers & Acquisitions, covering Banks, Specialty Finance and Diversified Financials. Prior to joining DBIP, Liam was an Associate in the Financial Institutions Group at Citi.

Education

Liam holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Administration from the University of Bath.

James Cheng

Associate

Career

James has 3 years’ experience in Restructuring and Debt Advisory. Prior to joining DBIP, James was a Senior Analyst in Rothschild & Co in London.

Education

James holds a MSc in Physics from Imperial College London.