Churchill Asset Management LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary of TIAA-CREF focused on originating, underwriting and managing senior loan investments, appointed Christopher Cox as a senior managing director and chief risk officer. The appointment is effective immediately.

Reporting to Kenneth J. Kencel, president and chief executive officer of Churchill, Cox will serve as a member of the Investment Committee and is responsible for overseeing the company’s risk management infrastructure, including all risk management processes and policies. He has 18 years of risk management experience, having previously held various risk management roles at GE Capital Commercial Finance. He joins Churchill from The Carlyle Group, where he was a principal and chief risk officer of Carlyle GMS Finance.

“We are delighted that Chris is joining us. He was one of the original founders of Churchill Financial and as a member of our senior leadership team expertly oversaw risk management for the firm,” said Kencel. “Investors know Chris well for his outstanding industry experience and expertise. His appointment is an important step in our strategy to build out a best-in-class middle-market senior loan investment business.”

Cox said, “A strong risk management culture and rigorous underwriting process have been the hallmarks of our team’s success. I look forward to working with Ken and this outstanding group of professionals to build on that track record.”

Churchill Asset Management combines a team of highly experienced investment professionals with a strong track record and TIAA-CREF Asset Management’s best-in-class institutional infrastructure to deliver flexible, reliable financing solutions that meet the needs of middle-market private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. The senior management team has worked together for nearly a decade and has built a strong track record, underwriting and investing more than $4 billion in middle-market senior secured loans in more than 400 investments since 2006.