Adams Street Partners, a private markets investment management firm with $45 billion of assets under management, added Leland Richards to the firm as a partner on its private credit team. Richards will support all aspects of the decision-making process of the private credit team, including sourcing, structuring, performing due diligence and negotiating investment opportunities as well as helping shape the strategic direction of the business.

“We are thrilled to welcome Leland Richards to Adams Street Partners,” Bill Sacher, a partner and the head of private credit at Adams Street Partners, said. “Given the rapid growth of our private credit business and the increasing investor interest in the asset class, Leland’s deep experience will add meaningfully to the depth of the private credit team. We are excited to work with him to find unique solutions to further expand our business.”

“I’m excited to be joining the incredible private credit professionals at Adams Street,” Richards said. “The firm’s private credit business has experienced rapid expansion over the past few years and being able to orchestrate deals to continue that growth is a fantastic opportunity. The need for private credit is readily apparent in today’s market environment, and I’m looking forward to helping Adams Street grow the business.”

Richards most recently served as managing director at Churchill Asset Management, where he worked in the sponsor coverage group by originating and underwriting loans for middle market buyouts. Prior to that, Richards spent four years at GE Capital, where he was a managing director, again originating sponsor-backed private credit transactions. Earlier in his career, Richards worked on the leveraged finance team at J.P. Morgan.