Capstone Partners announced the addition of Brent Krambeck and Brad Stewart as Managing Directors to its Debt Advisory Group. These hires significantly expand the Group's leadership team and solidify its position as one of the largest debt capital advisory teams in the middle market.

Brent Krambeck is based in Chicago and brings over 25 years of experience advising, structuring, and executing middle market debt transactions for private equity sponsors, small cap public, and private companies. He was a Managing Partner at Monroe Credit Advisors, a boutique debt advisory firm, and has specialized in debt financing throughout his career with underwriting roles at GE Capital, Merrill Lynch Capital, and US Bancorp. Brent holds a B.A. from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Iowa College of Business.

Brad Stewart is based in Boston and brings over 20 years of debt financing experience to the team. He was previously a Partner at debt advisory firm Capital Solutions Group and, prior to that, was in the debt capital markets group at Audax Private Equity. Brad brings a track record of success in middle market financings having placed debt both as an advisor and as a private equity sponsor. He has also worked in the leveraged finance groups at leading commercial banks. Brad holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Cornell University.

"We are thrilled to have Brent and Brad join our team. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow our debt advisory practice and serve our clients," said Kent Brown, Head of the Debt Advisory Group at Capstone Partners.

"With a contracted credit market, inquiries for debt placement services have increased dramatically. We are investing in the expansion of our Debt Capital Advisory team to meet that need for our private equity clients. Brent and Brad's experience in debt financing and capital markets will greatly assist our clients in navigating the increasingly complicated market landscape," said Brendan Burke, Head of Sponsor Coverage at Capstone Partners.

The firm is investing in expanding its Debt Advisory Group to meet the specific challenges clients are likely to face while navigating volatile market conditions and a strong need for increasingly sophisticated debt financing services in the near-term future. Despite the anticipated pick up in M&A activity forecasted for 2023, comparable to pre-pandemic levels, access to credit will likely prove challenging for certain borrowers. With the market landscape growing more precarious, interest rates climbing, and lenders becoming increasingly cautious, the additional sophistication and experience brought by Krambeck and Stewart will be invaluable to the team, its client base, and the firm at large.

Capstone's Debt Advisory Group offers diversified, robust capital solutions in the debt capital markets, assisting clients secure debt capital or leveraged finance for acquisitions, scaling organic growth, and refinancings. For more information on the team's services, please contact the firm's Head of Debt Advisory, Kent Brown.