Maples Group Enhances Offering for Private Debt and Credit Funds

With managers facing mounting pressure to outperform benchmarks and generate returns amid difficult market conditions, which include continued low interest rates and increased volatility, they are being forced to seek out new opportunities to deliver for their clients. In this respect, there has been a notable growth in the use of private debt and credit strategies. While this has served to meet the demands of investors, the complexity of these products – which may include leveraged loans, special situations and distressed debt – can create operational challenges for managers.

As an expert within the private debt and credit asset classes, and with specialist data management and client service teams and technology dedicated to credit fund administration, the Maples Group prides itself on delivering best of breed solutions and the highest levels of service and support. The connectivity to IHS Markit further enhances the Maples Group’s capabilities in servicing these clients and specifically allows credit activity information to be automatically incorporated into its accounting system, ultimately reducing data requirements for both managers and their service providers, streamlining the reconciliation process and expediting processing of net asset values. This can have a transformative effect on reporting and more readily provides managers with data-rich information that can prove especially valuable in navigating both the heightened volatility and opportunities the credit market presents.

“In my previous roles as a senior investment professional at a number of large asset allocators, I invested significant capital into a wide range of credit funds and can speak to the complexity of these strategies,” said James Perry, Head of Institutional Investor Solutions. “As part of upfront and ongoing operational due diligence, it is critically important for these funds to be underpinned by a solutions provider who understands the nuances of private debt and credit products and is able to accurately and effectively provide data aggregation, accounting and reporting services.”

“Through our collaboration, the Maples Group has established a structured data workflow with greater efficiency, cost optimization and straight-through processing across private debt and credit transactions,” said Erik Woodling, managing director, Loan Platforms at IHS Markit. “As private markets continue to grow and evolve in an ever-changing world, data innovation can enable fund service providers to maintain a competitive advantage and better serve their clients, particularly in syndicated loan and direct lending strategies.”

“Private debt and credit are unquestionably complex strategies and require specialist expertise and technology,” said Tyler Kim, Global Head of Fund Services. “Since the 2008 global financial crisis, we have worked with a broad range of credit managers and investors that have trusted our ability to execute against their requirements and to enrich our middle and back office offering in line with their evolving strategies. We look forward to continuing to expand our platforms to provide our clients with market leading technology to support their operational, compliance and investment processes.”