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CLO newcomers scramble for senior talent amid intense competition
by Lisa Fu
Competition for seasoned CLO professionals is making demand for AI savants seem quaint.
“There has been more activity at the senior level for genuine new opportunities than there has been in the past six to seven years,” said Greg McGinnigle, director for North America at recruiter RCQ Associates.
RCQ had a record hiring year in 2025, said McGinnigle, with CLO-related hires accounting for 15% to 20% of business.
In January, Serone Capital Management hired Erika Morris and Wes Seifer, former leaders on Tikehau Capital’s US CLO platform. The past year also saw Robert Zable, Blackstone’s former global head of liquid credit strategies, reappear at Guggenheim Investments to lead the firm’s CLO team.
“We have done multiple from-scratch CLO build-outs for credit firms, asset managers, non-credit hedge funds and broader multi-asset credit investors,” said Chris Westerlind, a partner at Odyssey Search Partners.
Senior portfolio managers are looking for offers over $2m
Greg McGinnigle
Director for North America
RCQ Associates
“What’s notable is how the CLO landscape has shifted.”
Senior talent is especially useful for new CLO entrants, which are seeking credibility. Hiring rainmakers with the proven ability to raise equity is also key.
“Especially in a startup, you’re trying to track their prior platform’s track record and carry that over,” said Robert Klein, president and CIO at Clarion Structured Credit.
Given the demand, top talent is often engaged in multiple processes simultaneously.
“I’ve got a couple of offers that are platform lead roles at the moment,” said McGinnigle, who notes the process can be lengthy. “The average is probably a 10-to-12-month process. Because such large amounts of money are at play, every hire is a big deal.”
Senior portfolio managers are looking for offers in the USD 2m to USD 3m range to even consider a move, added McGinnigle.
That said, money is not the only draw. “Many CLO professionals are open to opportunistic conversations, and the decision to move is often about more than compensation,” said Westerlind. “Senior talent is increasingly motivated by the chance to build something from scratch, and those opportunities have expanded as more managers look to enter the space.”
The CLO market offers senior people two-to-three-year guarantees for salary, said McGinnigle. These serve as a compensation floor, and if business surpasses expectations, discretionary elements kick in.
“I have three MD-level offers in negotiations and none of them are offering anything less than a two-year guarantee,” he said. “These firms are making an upfront investment that will pay you to come in and build this up.”
