Ninety One appoints new head of alternative credit

Standard Chartered alum Alper Kilic has been appointed head of alternative credit at Anglo-South African investment firm Ninety One.

Based in London, Kilic will lead a team of more than 40 investment professionals across the firm’s private credit and infrastructure capabilities, overseeing development of Ninety One’s emerging market alternative credit platform alongside a broader set of investment solutions.

Kilic previously served as global head of project and export finance (PEF) at Standard Chartered Bank, responsible for a key pillar within the firm’s Global Banking business.

Under his leadership, the PEF business (recently renamed Infrastructure and Development Finance Group) provided financial advisory and financing solutions on infrastructure projects as well as offering Export Credit Agency-backed financing across different geographies and industries.

Joining Standard Chartered in 2008, Kilic held several leadership roles, including as regional head of corporate finance, Europe and regional head of loan syndications, Africa.

Boasting nearly three decades in the wealth sector industry, Kilic began his career at Citibank, where he worked in both the Istanbul and London offices specialising in Corporate Finance and Structured Trade Finance.

Mimi Ferrini, co-chief investment officer at Ninety One, recognised Alper’s “depth and breadth of experience” and leadership capabilities, proving, he added, “instrumental as we continue to build out our emerging market alternative credit platform, while delivering long-term value to our clients.”

He also noted the “tremendous opportunity” within the emerging market private credit and infrastructure space, with the firm “strategically [investing] at the intersection of return and impact”.

Ninety One, which touts its “emerging market heritage”, recently announced the first close of the Africa Credit Opportunities Strategy 3, raising $260 million for the strategy. In April 2024, the firm launched the Emerging Market Transition Debt strategy, supporting investment in the EM energy transition.

The dual-listed (London Stock Exchange and Johannesburg Stock Exchange) Ninety One, which opened its Sydney office in 2008, oversees more than £127.4 billion (AU$255.1 billion) in assets.