Ares Management’s subsidiary, Ares Holdings, completed its previously disclosed acquisition of a controlling interest in SSG Capital Holdings and its operating subsidiaries, an Asian alternative asset management firm.
With more than 70 professionals and more than $6 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2020, SSG is focused on providing its global investor base with highly differentiated alternative investment strategies across Asia. The team brings regional sourcing networks across India, China, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries in Asia. Going forward, SSG will operate under the Ares SSG brand and Edwin Wong, Shyam Maheshwari, Andreas Vourloumis and Peter Cairns will join the Ares management committee.
Ares SSG and its stakeholders will benefit from Ares’ knowledge, networks and resources as they continue to capitalize on current investment opportunities and build out the investment offering over time. Ares has developed private credit franchises in North America and Europe and believes the combination with SSG will be highly valued by both Ares and SSG’s existing relationships and new investor prospects.
“The integration and launch of Ares SSG expands our global leadership position in private credit and enhances our ability to provide investment capabilities to investors across a strategic and high-growth region,” Michael Arougheti, CEO and president of Ares, said. “We believe the Ares SSG team’s local experience, long tenure and demonstrated track record investing through multiple economic cycles will be invaluable given current market dynamics.”
“We are very pleased to finalize the combination of our complementary platforms,” Wong, who is the co-managing partner and CEO of Ares SSG, said. “By leveraging the power of our seasoned team, long-standing operations within the pan-Asian market and our expansive scale and capabilities, we plan to enhance our differentiated and comprehensive alternative investment offering to meet growing investor demands.”
“This is an exciting opportunity for Ares to fortify its on-the-ground presence in Asia and replicate the success that Ares has attained in North America and Europe,” Vimont, who is co-managing partner and head of strategy for Ares SSG, said. “The Ares SSG platform is well positioned to build upon existing relationships and local infrastructure to provide underserved middle market companies in Asia with an alternative to traditional capital sources. Each region will present a different opportunity set that will evolve over time and this platform is well suited to be able to address those needs.”
Ares Management is an alternative investment manager operating integrated businesses across credit, private equity and real estate.
