EP21: Ken Kencel on two decades of resilience, relationships, and the road ahead

To celebrate Churchill's 20th anniversary, I am honored to finally welcome my longtime business partner and closest friend, Ken Kencel, to the podcast for the very first time. Ken is President and CEO of Churchill Asset Management, a $64 billion private capital manager providing customized financing solutions to U.S. middle market private equity firms and their portfolio companies. With over 35 years in the industry, he is one of the most respected voices in private capital, a frequent commentator on Bloomberg, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal, named one of Private Debt Investor's 30 ChangeMakers, and most recently the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from The M&A Advisor.

In this episode, we cover the full arc, from launching Churchill in 2006 right into the Global Financial Crisis, to building one of the most differentiated private capital platforms in the market today. Ken shares why the core middle market remains the best kept secret in private credit, how private equity sponsor relationships have transformed the way capital is deployed, and what it took to build Churchill through key partnerships, from TIAA and Nuveen, to Arcmont, to Temasek and Hunter Point. We also look ahead at where the next wave of capital is coming from, including retail investors and insurance, what will separate the managers from the pack, and why culture may be the most underrated competitive advantage in asset management.