Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) appointed Mathew Cestar as global head of credit to be based in the £80 billion ($102 billion) firm’s London office.
In the newly created role, Cestar will provide strategic and operational leadership for ICG’s credit platform that spans private and public debt, including CLOs, liquid loans, multi-asset credit and alternative credit.
He joins ICG from ION, a private fintech company, where he was CEO of the ScION Tech Growth SPAC. Bringing over 25 years of global capital markets, investment banking and technology experience to the new role, Cestar previously held leadership roles at Credit Suisse in London and New York, including as co-head of investment banking and capital markets in London with responsibility for mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity capital markets and the investment banking sector and country coverage teams.
At Credit Suisse, he also chaired the Global Credit Products Capital Commitment Committee in London and coordinated the firm’s underwriting and capital commitment activities.
“We are delighted to welcome Mathew to ICG,” said Benoit Durteste, CEO and CIO of ICG. “He joins with an impressive 25-year track record in credit markets and this breadth and depth of experience will prove invaluable as he helps us to further strengthen our leading position in debt investing across our existing private and public credit platforms, as well as lead new areas of innovation.”
ICG, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, operates across four asst classes — structured and private equity, private debt, real asset and credit. Credit strategies total roughly $18 billion as of March 31, 2023.
“ICG has built a market-leading credit business globally since its inception, and I am delighted to be joining at such an exciting time for the firm,” said Cestar. “I look forward to working with the excellent teams across Europe in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Madrid, and New York and Sydney as well as the broader ICG network, to help further advance the firm’s leading position.”
