Asha Richards is a leader in alternative asset management with nearly 20 years of experience. During her career, Richards has played pivotal roles at multiple investment firms, institutionalizing their businesses by building processes, developing new strategies and capabilities, and improving fundraising efforts.

Richards is currently with CIFC Asset Management, where she has helped to lead its transition from a collateralized loan obligation manager to the diversified multi-strategy credit platform it is today. In a prior role as general counsel at Brookfield Asset Management, Richards led efforts to sharpen the firm’s focus on fundraising with third-party capital as Brookfield transitioned from an investor to a true third-party asset manager.

Richards originally joined CIFC in 2015 and was promoted to general counsel in 2022, a year in which she continued to be instrumental in the firm’s successes. In 2022, CIFC increased firmwide assets under management from $35 billion to $40 billion and acquired LBC Credit Partners, a middle-market direct lender.

In addition to serving as CIFC’s general counsel, Richards is the chairperson of the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee and a member of its environmental, social and governance committee. As chairperson of the DE&I committee, Richards oversees important initiatives at the firm, including CIFC’s CLO Initiative for Change, a philanthropic program connected to CLOs issued by the firm. The CLO Initiative for Change has provided financial and educational support to organizations including Black Girls Code and the TEAK Fellowship.

Richards was recently accepted as a member of the Private Equity Women Investor Network, the preeminent organization for senior women leaders in private equity, and participated in the organization’s 2022 annual meeting. She also recently participated in the Ropes & Gray 2022 Credit Funds Forum.