Antares Capital co-CEO and founding partner John Martin will retire at the end of April. Co-CEO David Brackett will become sole CEO. Brackett and Martin have served as co-CEOs since 2015, and both were founding partners of the firm in 1996.

“Antares has grown and thrived under the outstanding leadership of these two visionary business builders and friends,” said Melina Higgins, chairman of the Antares Midco board of directors. “John has been a tireless advocate and driver of growth, and today the firm is stronger and better positioned than ever before.”

Under Brackett’s and Martin’s leadership, Antares was acquired by GE Capital in 2005. Brackett and Martin played key roles in the successful integration of the business into GE Capital’s middle market lending platform and continued to build the business into a leading provider of capital to private equity-backed companies in North America.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to be one of the leaders of this innovative and dynamic organization for 22 years,” said Martin. “The Antares team is second to none and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I look forward to Antares’ continued success under Dave’s exemplary leadership.”

In August 2015, Antares was divested from GE Capital and sold to an affiliate of CPPIB Credit Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Since the sale, Brackett and Martin have led the buildout of the firm’s core infrastructure functions and accelerated the growth of Antares’ asset management platform and financing strategies, along with the growth of the middle-market loan portfolio.

“John has been a friend and mentor to so many throughout his esteemed career,” said Brackett. “It has been a privilege leading this company in partnership with John, and on behalf of the entire Antares community, I thank John for his foresight and fortitude, and wish him and his wife, Cathy, the very best in their exciting and well-deserved next chapter.”

In recognition of Martin’s many contributions to the firm, the Antares board of directors will make a $50,000 donation to Midtown Educational Foundation and a $50,000 donation to Folds of Honor.