Key Takeaways
- • Gemcorp Capital Management appointed Brad McKee, a senior Oaktree Capital Management executive, as senior portfolio manager and head of private credit to lead the firm's expansion into emerging markets.
- • McKee will focus on loan origination and regional expertise in Latin America, complementing Gemcorp's existing operations across Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe.
- • Gemcorp identified a significant market opportunity: emerging economies represent roughly half of global GDP but account for less than 10% of the private credit universe, signaling substantial untapped demand.
- • The hire reflects a broader industry shift toward private credit in developing markets, as global asset managers including Ninety One and Chicago Atlantic reassess opportunities amid US market headwinds such as rising redemptions and credit quality concerns.
- • McKee brings deep emerging markets expertise from prior roles as partner and co-head of emerging markets private credit at Gramercy Funds Management, alongside experience at JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.
Summary
Gemcorp Capital Management, founded in 2014 by former Goldman Sachs partner Atanas Bostandjiev, has appointed Brad McKee as senior portfolio manager and head of private credit, signaling an acceleration of the asset manager's expansion into private credit across developing economies. Based in New York, McKee will oversee loan origination efforts and leverage his regional expertise in Latin America to complement Gemcorp's established presence in Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe.
McKee's appointment reflects Gemcorp's strategic repositioning to capture growing institutional demand for private credit in emerging markets. The firm has historically concentrated its activities in Africa but now sees substantial opportunity across a broader geographic footprint. According to the firm's recent analysis, emerging economies account for approximately half of global GDP yet represent less than 10% of the private credit universe—a disparity that underscores the market's development potential and positions early movers to capture significant deal flow and market share.
The move aligns with a broader industry trend. Global alternative asset managers, including Ninety One and Chicago Atlantic, have increasingly focused on direct lending in developing markets as US-based opportunities face headwinds. Rising redemption pressures and deteriorating credit quality in developed markets are prompting institutional investors and asset managers to reassess capital allocation toward emerging economies, where credit supply remains fragmented and opportunities for value creation remain substantial.
McKee brings substantial emerging markets pedigree to the role. He previously served as partner and co-head of emerging markets private credit at Gramercy Funds Management before that firm's strategic repositioning. His career also includes senior positions at JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, institutions with deep expertise in emerging markets financing. His combination of direct lending experience and geographic knowledge positions him to accelerate Gemcorp's origination pipeline and institutional client relationships across Latin America while supporting the firm's corporates and sovereign entities financing mandates.
McKee's appointment reflects Gemcorp's strategic repositioning to capture growing institutional demand for private credit in emerging markets. The firm has historically concentrated its activities in Africa but now sees substantial opportunity across a broader geographic footprint. According to the firm's recent analysis, emerging economies account for approximately half of global GDP yet represent less than 10% of the private credit universe—a disparity that underscores the market's development potential and positions early movers to capture significant deal flow and market share.
The move aligns with a broader industry trend. Global alternative asset managers, including Ninety One and Chicago Atlantic, have increasingly focused on direct lending in developing markets as US-based opportunities face headwinds. Rising redemption pressures and deteriorating credit quality in developed markets are prompting institutional investors and asset managers to reassess capital allocation toward emerging economies, where credit supply remains fragmented and opportunities for value creation remain substantial.
McKee brings substantial emerging markets pedigree to the role. He previously served as partner and co-head of emerging markets private credit at Gramercy Funds Management before that firm's strategic repositioning. His career also includes senior positions at JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, institutions with deep expertise in emerging markets financing. His combination of direct lending experience and geographic knowledge positions him to accelerate Gemcorp's origination pipeline and institutional client relationships across Latin America while supporting the firm's corporates and sovereign entities financing mandates.
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