Ares Management, a global alternative investment firm, is aggressively expanding its private wealth platform across Europe and the Middle East with a bold ambition: to increase its assets under management (AUM) from $44 billion in 2021 to $100 billion by 2028.
The expansion is being spearheaded by Mark Serocold, Ares’ Head of EMEA Wealth, who emphasized the strategic importance of targeting high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), family offices, and private banks throughout the region. Ares recently opened a new office in Milan and appointed Alessandro Verdirrame, a seasoned executive from BlackRock, to lead its Italian operations. Additional offices in Frankfurt and Zurich are expected to follow.
What’s fueling this expansion? Regulatory reforms in the European Union — especially the updated rules around ELTIFs (European Long-Term Investment Funds) — have made it easier for individual investors to access private markets, including private credit and real estate. This has created a favorable environment for asset managers like Ares to scale rapidly.
Beyond regulatory tailwinds, there’s growing investor demand for alternative investments that can offer more stability and yield than traditional public markets. Ares aims to meet this demand by expanding its offerings across private credit, infrastructure debt, and liquid alternatives.
With this initiative, Ares is positioning itself to compete directly with other global players like Blackstone and KKR, both of which are also eyeing Europe’s private wealth market. Ares’ deep expertise in credit and its strong global network could give it a distinct advantage in capturing market share.
As the firm builds out its infrastructure and product suite across Europe, it is clear that Ares sees the region not just as a growth market but as a long-term strategic pillar of its global operations.
Source:
Financial News London
