Ally Commercial Finance LLC, a unit of Ally Financial Inc., announced that Jaron L. Stern has joined the company as a director. Stern will be focused on business development with equity sponsors and intermediaries in the Western and Midwest regions. He will report to Chip Oboza, managing director. Stern will be based in Ally’s Burbank, CA, office.

Stern has more than eight years of leveraged lending and finance experience, primarily focused on middle-market companies. Previously, Stern was vice president of Aris Financial’s leveraged lending unit. Prior to that, Stern was vice president of leveraged lending at ING Capital. Stern began his leveraged finance career with Merrill Lynch Capital’s healthcare finance group.

Stern holds a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Miami’s School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University.

Ally Commercial Finance provides senior secured loans to meet the unique needs of equity sponsors and middle-market companies.