Gijs Boumans has joined M&G Investments to help expand the investment manager's direct lending business in the Netherlands.
The newly created role is part of M&G’s strategy to expand its origination capabilities in northern Europe, the company said.
Boumans will report to Robert Scheer, co-head of private credit origination, who is based in Frankfurt, Germany.
He joins a team of 10 in direct lending, and 50 professionals in the wider private credit platform.
A private boom
Private credit is expected to attract substantial amounts of capital, projected to hit $2.8tn by 2028, according to M&G.
"Companies are also opting to stay private for longer, offering potentially high running income streams," said Scheer. "As the outlook for interest rates and inflation remains uncertain, the floating-rate nature of the asset class is particularly attractive for income-seeking investors.”
Boumans spent 16 years at ABN Amro, where he held senior positions in corporate lending and leveraged finance.
At M&G, he will primarily be responsible for sourcing and executing loans in the Netherlands.
The asset manager is headquartered in London and has £321bn assets under management with €90bn in its broader private credit market platform.