Kristen Holihan enrolled in Columbia Business School’s Executive MBA program in August of 2021, months after being promoted to senior vice president and senior business development officer at Bank of America. A year later, as she was halfway through the program, she joined Ares Commercial Finance. Holihan says the challenge of juggling multiple demanding responsibilities as well as a job change was “quite the Rubik’s Cube.” However, the weekly challenges presented opportunities for developing efficiencies, valuing flexibility and refocusing on lifetime learning — lessons that Holihan continues to utilize today.

Holihan wears many hats at Ares. In her role as managing director and business development officer, she is primarily focused on growing the commercial finance portfolio via sourcing and originating new transactions while also supporting new product development initiatives. She also co-heads Ares Commercial Finance’s consumer and retail team and works with her counterparts on Ares’ direct lending team to offer potential platform solutions.

Holihan’s professional mandate is to grow the asset-based lending sector in private credit. She believes that Ares Commercial Finance’s product offerings can be the perfect solution for a distressed company, a high growth-brand and even thriving companies that are looking for a creative solution to increase liquidity in their capital structures. “I focus on highlighting applications of the non-bank ABL product in order to grow this market segment,” Holihan says. “My banking experience and relationships allow me to function as a liaison between our team and various deal sources in the market.”

Currently, Holihan is focused on being a top contributor to the Ares team and utilizing her steadfast positivity to encourage her teammates toward their own successes. “As we expand our product suite, our value to the market should continue to broaden, and I plan to be instrumental to our firm’s continued success,” Holihan says.