PM Capital chief Skilbeck jumps ship to GCI

Ben Skilbeck, PM Capital’s chief executive of nearly a decade, has jumped ship to Global Credit Investments (GCI), a specialist private credit fund manager.

Skilbeck, as GCI’s first chief executive, will work closely with the firm’s co-founders and co-managing directors, Steven Sher and Gavin Solsky to guide and implement the firm’s overarching strategy.

This includes “positioning of our transformational credit offering, advancing our world-class team, fostering institutional partnerships, and identifying new opportunities”, GCI said in a statement.

GCI said Skilbeck’s appointment was “a strategic decision” that will support the delivery of the business’s midmarket private credit offering in Australia and New Zealand.

Solsky and Sher will retain their central role in GCI’s investment decisions, the firm said, as well as continuing oversight of the firm’s high net worth and family office investor base.

Notching up nearly three decades in financial markets and investment banking, Skilbeck makes the move after nine years as chief executive of PM Capital, a $2.7 billion FUM specialist long/short equities and fixed income asset manager.

The Sydney-based PM Capital was late last year acquired by Regal Partners, boosting the group’s total FUM to over $10.8 billion.

Skilbeck previously served as chief executive and managing director at Rismark International – a now-deregistered funds management firm – for seven years. He also served notable roles at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse, including vice president and director, respectively, working across both Australian and US markets.

Solsky and Sher welcomed the appointment of Skilbeck, noting he would “[complement] our own differentiated approach and [allow] us to focus on the investment strategy and decision-making required to continue to generate exceptional risk-return outcomes for our investors.”

Founded by Sher and Solsky in 2015, GCI is a private credit specialist offering services to both borrowers and investors across Australia and New Zealand.

The firm boasts that it has “never experienced a negative return month since inception”.