CZECH ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P. ANNOUNCES SEPARATION FROM VOYA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Czech Asset Management, L.P. ("CAM") and Voya Investment Management have made the decision to transfer the CAM business to entities affiliated with its founder and Chief Investment Officer, Stephen J. Czech. Going forward, CAM will operate as a separate and independently owned company led by Stephen J. Czech. 

Steve Czech, Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of CAM said, "CAM is well-positioned to capitalize on the rapidly growing demand for private credit, in general, and direct lending, in particular."

Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Stephen J. Czech.

About Czech Asset Management, L.P.: CAM, with approximately $5.5 billion of capital under management since inception, is a Stamford, CT-based direct lending and private credit investment advisory firm engaged in providing privately negotiated, asset-based and cash-flow first lien secured floating rate senior secured loans primarily to U.S. middle market companies.

About Stephen J. Czech: Mr. Czech has over 36 years of credit and corporate finance experience, a long track record of establishing and running direct lending credit funds and has been managing direct lending credit funds for 22 years. Said experience includes sourcing, structuring, underwriting, monitoring, and restructuring corporate loans. Prior to founding CAM in December of 2011, Mr. Czech was Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of SJC Onshore Direct Lending Fund, L.P. and the SJC Offshore Capital Finance Fund, L.P. (collectively," SJC"), a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Investment Management.  Mr. Czech joined SJC in January 2010. Prior to joining SJC, Mr. Czech was a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Gottex - SJC ("Gottex") from May 2009 to December 2009. Prior to joining Gottex, Mr. Czech was the founder, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Contrarian Capital Finance, L.P. ("Contrarian") from 2003 to 2008. During this period, Mr. Czech created and ran a direct lending fund in a nearly identical strategy to the current strategy he is now managing for CAM investors. Prior to joining Contrarian in 2003, Mr. Czech was employed by Credit Suisse First Boston ("CSFB"), where he was the head of the Mezzanine Finance Group from 2001 to 2003. Prior to joining CSFB, Mr. Czech was employed by Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette ("DLJ") from 1998 to 2001. At DLJ, Mr. Czech was a member of the Leveraged Finance Group. Mr. Czech was also a Senior Credit Officer of ABN AMRO's Leveraged Finance Group and a Vice President at Banc of America Securities.

Mr. Czech and his family are significant donors to, and advocates of, causes related to: (i) terminally ill children, (ii) active-duty and retired Navy SEALs and their families; (iii) tradesmen (i.e., carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, contractors, welders, pipefitters, riggers and hospitality industry workers), (iv) first responders (i.e., police, fire and EMTs); and (v) scholarships for underprivileged high-school students throughout the United States. Mr. Czech is the founder and Co-Chairman of the Mikey Czech Foundation, a lifetime member of The Navy SEAL Foundation National Leadership Council, a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a lifetime member of the University of Chicago's Founders Circle, Maroon Loyalty Society and Chicago Society, a Laureate member of the Dean's Society of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a member of Villanova University's President's Club, Matther Carr Society, a member of the Aesclepian Society of Harvard / Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a member of the Harvard / Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's President's Circle and a member of the Harvard / Dana-Farber Presidential Visiting Committee for Pediatric Oncology.

Mr. Czech received a B.S. from Marquette University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

SOURCE Czech Asset Management, L.P.