Clark Griffith began his ABL career in 2000 at GE Capital, rising to head of Structured Finance at GE Capital Japan by 2013. Fluent in Japanese, he played a key role in expanding ABL in the country before leading the wind-down of GE Japan’s Structured Finance unit. Returning to the U.S., he founded Hana Business Capital and later led west coast originations at Encina Business Credit and special-situation ABL deals at White Oak ABL, White Oak Global Advisors. With over two decades of industry experience, he co-founded Legacy Corporate Lending to address inefficiencies in the market and build a more effective lending platform.
In 2022, Griffith and his co-founder saw an opportunity as commercial banks tightened credit, resulting in many pushing ABL borrowers being pushed out of banks. They secured strong equity backing and built a team of experienced professionals. With a focus on rising interest rates and an influx of high-quality borrowers, Legacy launched fast — closing its first deal within days of launching. In less than two years, it built a portfolio of over 15 accounts, earning a reputation as a top-tier platform.
In 2010, Griffith faced a major challenge introducing ABL to Japan, where it was largely unfamiliar. Leveraging his expertise and cultural fluency, he created a region-specific credit framework. Japanese companies were hesitant to borrow from non-domestic lenders, so he pursued deals with multinational firms operating in Japan. This strategy gradually earned credibility and helped lay the groundwork for ABL acceptance in the market.
For future leaders, Griffith shares three key lessons: change takes longer than expected, the work will be hard and a strong personal support system is essential. When launching Legacy, he balanced intense work with time at his East Texas cattle ranch and drew insights from industry veterans and books like Shoe Dog. Quoting Elon Musk, he says, “Starting a company is like staring into the abyss and eating glass.” He agrees.
