Angel Oak Commercial Lending, a finance company focused on commercial real estate owners, developers and investors, hired Daniel Friedman as senior vice president and Gavin Pohlhaus as underwriting analyst.

“Angel Oak has decided to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the turmoil of a difficult year and will be launching a series of debt products designed to fill the needs of our high quality borrowers as we build a solid foundation for growth in our commercial real estate business in 2021,” Rick Gallitto, co-president of Angel Oak Commercial Lending, said. “The hiring of Mr. Friedman and Mr. Pohlhaus is just the start. With a focus on expanding our client base and improving our technological capabilities, we feel we are in a great position entering 2021.”

Friedman joined Angel Oak in its New York office and will primarily be responsible for sourcing and structuring debt investments for the Angel Oak commercial real estate strategies group of investment funds. He has more than 14 years of experience in commercial real estate lending, most recently serving as vice president at C-III Capital Partners, where he originated and underwrote both fixed-rate and bridge loans.

Pohlhaus will work from Angel Oak’s headquarters in Atlanta, and both hires will report to co-president Nik Chillar.

“I look forward to working with the Angel Oak team and really focusing on expanding the brand footprint with institutional borrowers that benefit from Angel Oak’s debt offerings,” Friedman said. “Angel Oak has built a cutting-edge platform on the backs of a great team of industry veterans and I am excited to play a role in this growth.”

“As we embark on our growth initiatives, Daniel and Gavin are valuable additions who bring a variety of strengths that bolster our team,” Chillar said. “Their knowledge of the industry, paired with Angel Oak’s top-of-the-line technological resources, will allow us to continue offering exemplary service for our clients and further our goals within the commercial lending market.”