Neuberger Specialty Finance (NBSF) formed an agreement with several aerospace finance professionals to jointly establish and launch New Bridge AeroFinance, a new aerospace financing platform that will enable NBSF-managed funds to originate and acquire loans and other debt instruments across the aerospace sector.
New Bridge Aero will aim to pursue aerospace financing opportunities consistent with NBSF’s focus on asset-based investments that seek to offer downside protection and durable cash flows. The platform will initially seek to build a portfolio in excess of US$2 billion.
New Bridge Aero will be led by Richard Moody, with Debbie Frew and William Glaister assuming the roles of co-founders and principals. The management team brings significant aviation experience to the platform, with Moody most recently serving as global head of aviation finance at Hamburg Commercial Bank AG, having earlier led transportation finance at Deutsche Bank AG globally. Frew and Glaister bring complementary expertise, with Frew holding senior aviation finance positions at Hamburg Commercial Bank AG and Deutsche Bank AG, and Glaister previously serving as global head of asset finance at Clifford Chance.
Neuberger Specialty Finance is the Asset Based Finance arm of Neuberger, a private, independent and employee-owned investment manager, which manages US$613 billion of equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and hedge fund portfolios for global institutions, advisors and individuals.
NBSF manages over US$5 billion across 50+ portfolio companies and various investment vehicles since the strategy’s inception in 2018. The group is led by Peter Sterling and has cumulatively invested more than US$16 billion through 80 global origination partners, from commercial banks to fintechs, across thousands of underlying loans.
“Launching New Bridge AeroFinance represents a compelling opportunity to build a differentiated aviation & transportation credit platform in a market where specialized capital, structuring expertise and speed of execution are increasingly valuable,” Sean Hinze, managing director who leads hard asset investing at NBSF, said. “Aviation finance is a complex, asset-intensive sector where deep underwriting experience matters. We believe New Bridge is well positioned to provide flexible, scalable financing solutions across the capital structure. Richard Moody and his team bring substantial experience across aviation and transportation finance, and we believe combining that specialist capability with Neuberger Specialty Finance’s capital base, sourcing network and global platform creates a significant opportunity to build a leading franchise.”
Moody added, “We are delighted to partner with Neuberger to develop a structured debt platform focused on creative solutions for the broader aerospace sector, targeting transactions across the capital stack involving not just aircraft but all parts of the aviation and aerospace ecosystem. Neuberger Specialty Finance’s experienced team, creative approach and flexible capital make them a natural partner in our mission to build a best-in-class financing business.”
