Ares names James Garforth principal for Asia direct lending

HONG KONG, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Ares Management Corp, a global alternative investment manager, has appointed James Garforth as principal in its Asia direct lending business, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday.

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Here are some details:

• Garforth joins from BGH Capital in Melbourne, where he had led the firm’s capital markets business since 2023. He will be based in Hong Kong and report to Peter Graf, partner and head of Asia direct lending at Ares, the memo said.

• Before BGH, Garforth worked at KKR Capital Markets in Sydney. He also spent nearly a decade at Credit Suisse in leveraged finance and financial sponsors roles in New York and Sydney.

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• Garforth holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the University of Queensland, according to the memo.

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• A company spokesman confirmed the details.

(Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 12:10 AM.