Monroe Capital LLC announced Lee Stern has joined the firm as managing director in its New York office.

“We are very excited to add Lee Stern to the Monroe Capital team,” said Ted Koenig, president & CEO of Monroe Capital. “He has an accomplished career providing debt solutions to middle-market companies and brings with him creativity and structuring expertise across multiple industries. Lee will lead the Monroe effort in working with our important club and co-lending investment partners as well as assist in expanding the firm’s efforts in the junior capital area for both private equity sponsored and non-sponsored transactions.”

Prior to Monroe Capital, Lee was a managing director at Levine Leichtman Capital Partners responsible for expanding the firm’s credit strategies platform. Before that, Lee was a director and founding member of KKR’s mezzanine debt business where he was a key participant in raising the largest first time mezzanine fund at $1 billion in 2009. Prior to KKR, Lee was a managing director at Blackstone/GSO Capital Partners responsible for senior and mezzanine investments. Lee was also the chief transaction officer at Technology Investment Management, a business development company. Prior to TICC, Lee worked for Nomura Securities, Thomas Weisel Partners, Kidder Peabody, and Drexel Burnham Lambert, all in executive and leadership positions.