A well-regarded senior industry professional, Hodnett joins Epsilon from Maple-Brown Abbott where he was Head of Global Distribution. Prior to joining Maple-Brown Abbott in early 2020, Hodnett held senior distribution and sales roles at Pinnacle Investment Management and Eaton Vance.
Epsilon Founding Partner Joe Millward says Hodnett’s appointment reflects the heightened investor focus on the attractiveness of private credit as an asset class, with middle market direct lending being a significant and rapidly growing strategy in this category.
“Epsilon has experienced significant growth and investor interest in its middle market direct lending strategy early in its evolution.
“Continued, strong corporate borrower demand for private credit creates a significant investment opportunity for private lenders such as Epsilon and our investors. Epsilon has demonstrated its ability to finance some of Australia’s highest quality companies and support leading private equity investors as they seek funding for growth and event-driven purposes.
“In this environment, we continue to expand our team right across the firm to accommodate our growth. Corporate borrowers choose to partner with Epsilon as we provide thoughtful funding solutions with efficiency of execution and deep and ongoing engagement with our portfolio of borrowers.”
Millward adds “It is pleasing to note that we can attract a high calibre professional like Duncan to join our firm and assist in driving our strategy to be a leader in this segment of the market.
“Duncan will lead investor relations and the sales program to increase the awareness of significant investor opportunities that Epsilon presents across the spectrum of investors including private wealth advisory firms, multi-family offices, fund-of-funds, high-net-worth investors and institutional investors.”
Hodnett notes “I am delighted to be joining the team at Epsilon as the firm continues to see significant demand from both investors and borrowers. They have set-up a best in class investment and client service platform and have excellent origination capabilities which is proving attractive to investors across various channels.
“In today’s uncertain market environment, Epsilon’s strategy of targeting to deliver attractive returns whilst providing recurring income, capital preservation, low volatility in returns and low correlation to other asset classes through the cycle represents a compelling proposition.”
Epsilon launched the Epsilon Direct Lending Senior Loan Fund in June this year, underpinned by a successful two-year track record from its first fund, the Epsilon Direct lending Fund, that has seen Epsilon raise capital from a range of investors.
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