Oaktree Capital Management, a company among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, recently welcomed Michael Lawton as managing director in the sourcing and origination group.
Lawton is responsible for private credit sourcing and deal origination in North America. His focus is on enhancing private credit deal flow, leveraging his extensive experience in origination, deal sourcing, investment banking, private credit and leveraged finance. He is based in New York and reports to Eric Johnson, managing director and co-head of sourcing and origination, who leads the group with Suzana Perić.
With more than 20 years of experience, Lawton previously served as a managing director at BlackRock, where he led the U.S. private sourcing and leveraged finance capital markets team. He primarily focused on originating and structuring private credit opportunities sourced from financial sponsor clients and bank partners. Prior to BlackRock, he spent more than 15 years at UBS Investment Bank in its leveraged capital markets department.
“We are delighted to welcome Michael to Oaktree’s sourcing and origination team,” Johnson said. “His extensive background in private credit and leveraged finance markets will further strengthen our capabilities to pursue attractive investment opportunities for our clients.”
“I am very excited to join Oaktree and work alongside Eric, Suzana and the entire sourcing and origination team,” Lawton said. “I look forward to bringing my relationships and capital markets experience to drive alpha generating deal flow to Oaktree and our clients.”
This appointment marks the third addition to Oaktree’s sourcing and origination team in recent months as it expands its global presence and looks to grow to 11 sourcing and origination dedicated investment professionals worldwide.
