RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund Appoints New Managing Directors

BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund, an RLJ portfolio company, today announced the appointments of investment veterans Salo Aizenberg and Seth I. Friedman as Managing Directors to coordinate the Fund's investment and business development activities. They will report to Managing Partner, Trevoir D. Gregg.

"We are excited to welcome Salo Aizenberg and Seth I. Friedman to RLJ Credit's investment team," said Gregg, who co-founded RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund with Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies. "They each bring an exceptional level of investment experience and business development relationships as our Fund continues to grow and provide access to financing for small businesses across the country," he concluded.

Aizenberg has more than 19 years of financing experience, involving more than $2 billion in aggregate transactions. Prior to joining RLJ Credit, Mr. Aizenberg was a Managing Director at Westbury Partners, where he was responsible for originating and executing senior debt, mezzanine, and equity investments for Westbury's $200 million SBIC fund. Having also worked with Global Leveraged Capital and the Media & Telecom Finance Group at Paribas, Mr. Aizenberg has managed a wide range of transactions and debt investments. He began his career as a consultant with Ernst & Young and received a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his MBA from Columbia Business School.

Friedman joins RLJ Credit following his time as a Managing Director at Perseus Finance, LLC. He has over 14 years of financing experience and has also worked as an Associate Director in the Mezzanine Equity Finance Group at MetLife, principally focused on sourcing, underwriting, executing, and monitoring mezzanine investments and fund investments within the Alternative Investments Unit. Prior to MetLife, Mr. Friedman worked in The 1818 SBIC Fund of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a lower middle market fund established to provide junior capital to small businesses. Earlier in his career, Mr. Friedman worked as an investment banker with Mesirow Financial, Inc., and as a credit analyst in the leveraged finance group at LaSalle Bank, N.A., a subsidiary of ABN-AMRO Bank N.V. He holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund was founded by Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies and Gregg in 2011. Earlier this year, the Fund received a license from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) to operate as a Small Business Investment Company (SBIC).

About The RLJ Companies: The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, is an innovative business network that provides strategic investments in a diverse portfolio of companies. Within The RLJ Companies portfolio, Johnson owns or holds interests in businesses operating in a publicly traded hotel real estate investment trust; private equity; financial services; asset management; insurance services; automobile dealerships; sports and entertainment; and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, MD, with affiliate operations in Charlotte, NC; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; San Juan, PR; and Monrovia, Liberia. Prior to founding The RLJ Companies, Johnson was founder and chairman of Black Entertainment Television (BET). For more information visit: www.rljcompanies.com.

RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund: RLJ Credit Opportunity Fund makes senior debt and subordinated debt investments in lower middle market companies. RLJ Credit provides flexible capital solutions to facilitate buyouts, recapitalizations, refinancings, and growth financings. The Principals of RLJ Credit have extensive experience partnering with middle market companies, across a broad range of industries, to support growth and create value. We successfully partner with private equity firms, investment banks, and operating executives to deliver our full range of financial and strategic resources. For additional information please visit: www.rljcompanies.com/companies/rlj-credit-opportunity-fund.

Media Inquiries: Candace L. Randle, (240) 744-7821 or [email protected]

Business Inquiries: Trevoir Gregg, (240) 744-7849 or [email protected]

SOURCE The RLJ Companies