Kenneth J. Kencel

President and CEO

(212) 763-4610

Mr. Kencel partnered with the principals of Churchill Capital to establish Churchill Financial in February of 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Kencel served as Head of Leveraged Finance for Royal Bank of Canada and Head of Indosuez Capital, a middle market merchant banking and asset management business. During his over 20-year career, Mr. Kencel has had a broad range of experience in middle market leveraged finance, having been a founder of the high yield finance businesses at both Chase Securities and SBC Warburg (now UBS). He serves on the Board of Advisors of The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

BS – Business Administration, magna cum laude, Georgetown University;
JD – Northwestern University School of Law

Michael J. Hahn

President and Head of Mezzanine Finance

Churchill Capital
(612) 673-6622

Mr. Hahn co-founded Minneapolis-based Churchill Capital in 1987, Singapore-based Churchill Capital Asia Ltd. in 2005, and New York-based Churchill Financial in 2006.

Formerly Vice President, Regional Executive, and Senior Credit Officer, Citicorp North America. Fourteen-year Citicorp career in commercial banking, investment banking, and corporate finance. Mr. Hahn has previously served multiple terms on the boards of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Guthrie Theatre, The Children's Museum, Breck School and The Boston University Parents Leadership Council. Currently, he serves on the Stratton Mountain School Board of Trustees.

BS – magna cum laude, Boston College;
MBA – University of Chicago

George Kuretson

Head of Middle Market Finance

Churchill Financial LLC
(212) 763-4622

Mr. Kurteson joined Churchill Financial from GE/Antares where he was Senior Managing Director and a member of the GE/Antares leadership team. Mr. Kurteson’s career spans over 30 years in middle market leveraged lending, including senior level positions, at Heller Financial, Fleet Bank and Maryland National Bank.

BS – Accounting, cum laude, Lehigh University;
MBA – Finance, Lehigh University

John M. Casparian

Co-President
Director of Operations and Administration

Churchill Pacific Asset Management LLC

Mr. Casparian is a leveraged bank loan portfolio manager responsible for bank loans, private placements and workouts. Prior to joining Churchill Pacific, LLC, Mr. Casparian was Vice President and Director of Private Placements for Transamerica Investment Services, Inc., from 1989 to 1999. There, he was responsible for the origination, underwriting and trading of the firm's $2.5 billion private placement and $1 billion leverage bank loan portfolios. Prior to his work at Transamerica, Mr. Casparian managed a high yield bond portfolio and co-managed the middle market bank-lending group for Gibraltar Financial. In addition, from 1973 to 1982, he was responsible for bank loan origination, underwriting, and syndication for Lloyds Bank.

BS – Business Administration (Finance), University of Southern California; Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management, Stanford University

Kevin J. Hickam

Co-President
Director of Portfolio Management

Churchill Pacific Asset Management LLC

Mr. Hickam is a leveraged bank loan portfolio manager and an industry analyst specializing in capital goods, metals & mining and services. Prior to joining Churchill Pacific, LLC, Mr. Hickam was a securities analyst and bank loan trader at Seneca Capital Management from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Hickam was also AVP and Portfolio Manager at Transamerica Investment Services, Inc., from 1989 to 1999, where he was responsible for co-management of a leveraged bank loan portfolio, the management of the Transamerica Premier Cash Reserve money market fund and research of high yield investments in the capital goods, manufacturing, transportation and metals industries.

BS – Finance, California State University, Chico;
MBA – Finance, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University; CFA

Stephen J. Ahearn

Co-President
Director of Research

Churchill Pacific Asset Management LLC

Mr. Ahearn is a leveraged bank loan portfolio manager, director of research and an industry analyst specializing in chemicals, energy and textile/apparel. Prior to joining Centre Pacific, LLC, Mr. Ahearn was Vice President and Director of Fixed Income Research at Transamerica Investment Services, Inc., from 1994 to 1999. His major responsibilities there included managing several high yield accounts, coordinating a credit research team of seven analysts, and providing credit analysis in his assigned sectors. He was also responsible for the fixed income management portion of three balanced mutual funds. In addition, from 1985 to 1994, Mr. Ahearn held several investment positions with General Electric Investment Corporation.

BS – Finance, magna cum laude, Boston College; CFA

David A. Buzen

Chief Financial Officer

(212) 763-4658

Mr. Buzen joined Churchill Financial from DEPFA Bank plc where he was a Managing Director. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ACE Financial Solutions and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Capital Re Corporation (now known as Assured Guaranty). He was also a First Vice President and Head of Corporate Finance for AMBAC. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the University at Albany School of Business.

BS – Finance and Economics, University at Albany;
MBA – Finance, New York University, Stern School of Business

Kevin C. Dooley

General Counsel

(612) 673-6708

Mr. Dooley came to Churchill Financial from Churchill Capital which he joined in 1996 as Senior Vice President and Legal Counsel. He became General Counsel in 2002. Prior to joining Churchill Capital, Mr. Dooley was in private practice and served as lead outside counsel for investment transactions for Churchill Capital since its founding in 1989.

BA – St. Lawrence University; JD – Syracuse University

Alastair G.C. Merrick

Chief Administrative Officer

(212) 763-4612

Mr. Merrick joined Churchill Financial from E*TRADE Bank, where he was Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that he worked for 17 years at IBJ Whitehall, a NY-based commercial bank focused on middle market lending, where he was Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Operations. He also spent 12 years at Coopers & Lybrand in the audit area in both New York and London.

BA – Economics, The University of Leeds, United Kingdom; CPA

James L. Nathenson

Chief Risk Officer

(212) 763-4624

Mr. Nathenson joined Churchill Financial from JP Morgan Chase & Co. where he worked for the past 27 years in various credit risk capacities, including Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer for Middle Market Banking, where he was responsible for risk management activities for middle market financial sponsors, leveraged lending, asset-based lending, leasing and several geographic regions.

BA – Urban Studies, Colgate University; Masters in Public Administration – Wharton School of Finance & Commerce

Randy Schwimmer

Senior Managing Director
Head of Capital Markets

(212) 763-4646

Mr. Schwimmer joined Churchill Financial from BNP Paribas Securities where he was a Managing Director and Head of Leveraged Finance Syndication. Prior to joining BNP Paribas, Mr. Schwimmer spent 15 years at JP Morgan Chase in Corporate Banking and Loan Syndications in various capacities. He was responsible for organizing, structuring and syndicating leveraged loans, including cash flow and asset based loans along with junior debt such as mezzanine and high yield securities.

BA – English, Trinity College;
MA – English Literature, University of Chicago