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Octus Restructuring and Private Credit Forum
Caught in a Geopolitical Storm
17 June 2026 | 12:00 – 17:30 CEST
Sofitel Frankfurt Opera, Opernpl. 16, Frankfurt, 60313
Join us on June 17, from 12 p.m. CEST as we dive deep into the German leveraged finance landscape, with sessions covering everything from macroeconomic trends and private credit to restructuring dynamics.
We're back in Frankfurt for the third year – and you won’t want to miss it!
Ample networking with senior industry leaders
With senior industry figures, top-tier speakers and an engaged community of professionals, this is your chance to stay ahead of the curve and connect with key players in the German market.
“The go-to Frankfurt event for European credit professionals – 2025 attendee
Expert-led panels on private credit and restructuring trends shaping the market
This year’s agenda is packed with thought-provoking panels, a keynote on the economic outlook for Germany and a real-world case study that brings theory into practice.
8/10
Overall Experience / Likelihood to recommend
Why attend
100+
senior credit professionals across buyside, investment banks, legal and advisory firms.
7
countries represented in 2025. More than a Frankfurt event: attendees travelled from across Germany, BeNeLux, UK, Spain, France and the UAE.
9/10
Would attend again; highly rated for content, networking and overall experience.
Agenda
This year’s agenda is packed with thought-provoking panels, a keynote on the economic outlook for Germany and a real-world case study that brings theory into practice.
Speaker: Robert Schach, Managing Editor, EMEA, Octus
Germany faces a range of structural headwinds — from elevated energy costs to shifting industrial dynamics — that are testing the resilience of one of Europe’s largest economies. This session will explore how private capital can step in alongside public markets to help address these challenges, and what that means for investors, borrowers, and the broader economy. Drawing on real transactions executed by APO in Germany, attendees will gain a grounded, practical perspective on the role private capital is already playing in supporting German businesses and driving sustainable growth.
Speaker: Florian Feder, Principal | Private Capital, DACH Origination, Apollo Management International LLP
Germany’s distressed market is at an inflection point: the StaRUG is maturing, US-style creditor dynamics are arriving, and a number of key sectors are under structural pressure. This panel brings together investors, advisors and practitioners to debate the tools and trends defining German restructuring in 2026.
Moderator: Sidney Watson, Reporter, Octus
Panelists:
- Chrysanth Herr, Partner, Triton Debt Opportunities
- Max Mayer-Eming, Partner, PJT Partners
- Josef Pschorn, Portfolio Manager, XAIA Investment
- Tobias Wens, Managing Director and Senior Partner, The Boston Consulting Group
- Ann-Kathrin Ziegler, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Move beyond the browser. Learn how analysts and AI agents connect directly to Octus data through API, Octus MCP Connector and CreditAI by Octus® to power faster research, automated workflows and decisions grounded in verified credit intelligence.
Speakers:
- Ben Kovacka, Head of Direct Data Services, Octus
- Mario Oliviero, MD, Global Head of Editorial, Octus
A rare opportunity to put your questions directly to one of Octus’ most senior leaders in Europe. Submit your questions in advance or ask live — from how Octus thinks about AI and the future of credit intelligence, to what’s shaping the market right now. No set script. Just direct answers from the top.
Speaker: Mario Oliviero, MD, Global Head of Editorial, Octus
How the convergence of credit intelligence, data and portfolio workflow is reshaping how leading firms operate.
Speaker: Ben Kovacka, Head of Direct Data Services, Octus
The DACH mid-market sits at an inflection point. Direct lenders, banks, and sponsors are navigating a more complex and competitive credit environment shaped by a challenging macroeconomic backdrop and questions around AI and the future of enterprise software. This panel brings together voices from across the capital structure to debate where the market really stands: what’s performing, what’s under pressure, and what the next 18 months could look like for dealmakers and credit investors in the region.
Moderator: Oscar Laurikka, Head of European Private Credit and Deal Origination Coverage, Octus
Panelists:
- Aileen Haller, Partner, Ares Management
- Paul H. F. Kim, Senior Managing Director, Herter & Co.
- Christian McCarty, Director Capital Markets, FSN Capital Partners
- Alexander Schröder, Head of Leveraged Finance, Commerzbank
Speaker: Robert Schach, Managing Editor, EMEA, Octus
Speakers
Florian Feder
Principal | Private Capital, DACH Origination
Apollo Management International LLP
Florian Feder
Principal | Private Capital, DACH Origination
Apollo Management International LLP
Florian covers the German-speaking region in the European Private Capital team at Apollo. Prior to joining in 2024, Florian worked at Rantum Capital in Frankfurt, Germany, where he was responsible for originating, structuring, and underwriting direct lending transactions. Before that, he held positions at Terra Firma Capital, Bank of America, and Deutsche Bank in London. Florian started his career as a corporate finance lawyer at Davis Polk in New York.
Florian received his master’s degree from Fordham Law School, a legal degree from Hamburg Law School, and his bachelor’s degree from Brown University. He holds dual US/German citizenship and is licensed to practice law in New York.
Paul H. F. Kim
Senior Managing Director
Herter & Co.
Paul H. F. Kim has over 25 years of experience in the loan and debt capital market as well as M&A. He joined Herter & Co. as Managing Partner in 2012. Previously he had leading roles at IKB, Augusta & Co. and Dresdner Kleinwort in London and Frankfurt.
Aileen Haller
Partner
Ares Management
Ms. Haller is a Partner in the Ares Credit Group and co-heads Ares’ German Direct Lending Team. Prior to joining Ares in 2009, Ms. Haller was an Associate in the Leveraged Finance team at Dresdner Kleinwort, where she focused on originating and structuring transactions in German speaking countries. Previously, Ms. Haller was an Assistant Manager in the Acquisition Finance team at Allied Irish Banks. Ms. Haller holds a B.Comm. first class honours, from University College Dublin in International Business.
Chrysanth Herr
Partner
Triton Debt Opportunities
Chrysanth joined Triton Partners from Goldman Sachs European Special Situations Group, a principal distressed debt investing group. Chrysanth holds an advanced diploma in Corporate and Commercial Law from New York University School of Law and a Diplom-Kaufmann degree from the European Business School (EBS) in Oestrich-Winkel.
Max Mayer-Eming
Partner
PJT Partners
Max Mayer-Eming is a Partner in the Restructuring & Special Situations Group at PJT Partners, based in London and Frankfurt. With over two decades of experience in the European distressed market, Mr. Mayer-Eming is one of the most seasoned restructuring practitioners focused on the DACH region, advising clients across the full spectrum of distressed and special situations mandates since 2003.
Prior to joining PJT Partners, Mr. Mayer-Eming spent nearly a decade leading the Restructuring & Special Situations practices at Macquarie and Lazard in Germany. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Oaktree Capital Management and Houlihan Lokey. He began his investment banking career in 2000 in the Corporate Finance department of Dresdner Kleinwort.
Mr. Mayer-Eming’s advisory expertise spans debtor and creditor-side mandates, distressed M&A, capital structure advisory, and the refinancing of stressed and distressed companies. He has advised on some of the most complex cross-border restructurings in the German-speaking world and across Europe, with particular depth in industrials, automotive, real estate, TMT and retail space.
Ben Kovacka
Head of Direct Data Services
Octus
Benjamin Kovacka, CFA is SVP Head of Editorial Analytics / Private Analysis at Octus, where he leads global research, analytics, and data initiatives focused on private companies, sponsored borrowers, and complex capital structures.
Since joining Octus in 2017, Ben has held senior leadership roles across European distressed and high yield research, global fundamentals, and sponsored borrower coverage. He is a P&L-owning leader responsible for launching, scaling, and integrating data-driven research products through organic growth and M&A, with a strong track record of building teams and growing revenue globally.
Before Octus, Ben worked as an analyst at Citi and held research roles across credit and financial markets in London and Europe. He is a CFA charterholder and holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Christian McCarty
Director Capital Markets
FSN Capital Partners
Christian McCarty, CFA, is Director Capital Markets at FSN Capital Partners, a leading Northern European private equity firm with c. €4bn in AUM.
Based in Munich, Christian is part of FSN’s Capital Markets team and has personally led the financing strategy and execution for more than €1.5bn of sponsor-backed transactions across banks, direct lenders and capital markets in the Nordics, Benelux and DACH acting as strategic advisor to investment teams and PortCo CFOs throughout the investment lifecycle.
He joined FSN in 2022 from UniCredit’s European Leveraged Finance team in Munich, where he focused on sponsor-backed financings across the DACH region. He is a CFA Charterholder.
Oscar Laurikka
Head of European Private Credit and Deal Origination Coverage
Octus
Oscar is head of European private credit and deal origination coverage at Octus. He has previously worked at other industry publications including Debtwire, Creditflux and GlobalCapital covering various aspects of leveraged finance.
Mario Oliviero
MD, Global Head of Editorial
Octus
Mario leads the global editorial team at Octus with a clear vision: to provide unmatched insight and analysis in the credit industry. As the head of the renowned Trifecta, Mario manages a team of expert financial analysts, lawyers, and journalists who break the biggest stories and deliver in-depth analysis that drives key insights and decision-making for Octus’ subscribers. With deep journalistic leadership experience at Debtwire and Bloomberg, Mario’s knowledge of the global credit landscape ensures Octus stays ahead in the content game. He holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from LUISS Guido Carli University.
When he’s not immersed in editorial leadership, Mario enjoys escaping into the worlds of sci-fi and dystopian novels, embracing beach life, scuba diving, and spending time with his family. Whether he’s riding his children on a red cargo bike or cooking for dinner parties with his wife, Sandra, he brings the same focus and passion to his personal pursuits as he does to his work at Octus.
Josef Pschorn
Portfolio Manager
XAIA Investment
Josef Pschorn is a Portfolio Manager at XAIA Investment, responsible for the firm’s institutional mandates. He previously held positions at RBC Capital Markets and Laiqon. Josef is an expert in complex capital structures and special situations. He is also the founder and host of Fixed + Floating, a podcast on credit markets. Josef studied Finance & Investments at Copenhagen Business School.
Robert Schach
Managing Editor, EMEA
Octus
Robert oversees the performing credit coverage in Europe. Prior to joining Octus, Robert was the managing editor of Debtwire Europe, leading the content teams and credit research across fixed income products in Europe (Debtwire Europe, Debtwire ABS and Creditflux). He has a Masters in Finance from London Business School, a BA in Journalism and Economics from City University and an HND in Chemical Engineering from Witwatersrand Technikon.
Alexander Schröder
Head of Leveraged Finance
Commerzbank
Graduated from Frankfurt School with a degree in Business Administration in 2005. After an internship in Commerzbank’s LevFin Team in New York, started as Analyst in Commerzbank’s LevFin Team in 2005 Worked up the ladder in LevFin Origination & Execution in Frankfurt and London Became Team Head in 2018 and Managing Director / Head of Germany in 2022.
Since 2025, (Global) Head of Leveraged Finance. >20yrs through the cycle experience in LevFin. Managing one of the largest dedicated LevFin teams in DACH with 20 Origination professionals in Frankfurt and London. Portfolio of >4bn in (sponsored) levered loans across Small-, Mid- and Large Cap as well as Senior- and Super Senior Secured Loans. Managing two co-investment funds with renowned asset managers.
Sidney Watson
Reporter
Octus
Sidney is a reporter covering distressed debt and restructuring, alongside performing private credit deals primarily in the DACH region. Prior to joining Octus Sidney was a reporter at Global Restructuring Review (GRR) – a legal publication focusing on restructuring and special situations globally. She studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at the University of Exeter.
Tobias Wens
Managing Director and Senior Partner
The Boston Consulting Group
Tobias Wens is a Managing Director and Senior Partner of the BCG Restructuring team and leads BCG’s Special Sits business in CE. He has deep experience in deriving and implementing refinancing concepts based on holistic turnaround programs across industries especially for mid-size companies. In recent years, he worked for automotive suppliers, chemicals companies, real estate developers, as well was fiber companies. At BCG, he is also responsible for BCG’s industry crisis radar, an AI-based approach for assessing the crisis sentiment in an economy.
Ann-Kathrin Ziegler
Partner
Kirkland & Ellis
Ann-Kathrin Ziegler is a restructuring partner in the Munich office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.
She focuses on cross-border restructurings advising both debtors and creditors on acquisitions, disposals and reorganizations of stressed and distressed businesses.
Ann-Kathrin is featured in Law.com’s “Rising Stars: The European Legal Industry’s Up-and-Coming Women” for 2025. IFLR1000 recognizes Ann-Kathrin as a “Rising Star” 2025 for restructuring and insolvency in Germany.
In addition, Handelsblatt Best Lawyers lists her among the “Ones to Watch” 2024 for restructuring and insolvency law in Germany. Ann-Kathrin has been seconded to Kirkland & Ellis’ London restructuring team in 2018/2019 and to Ares Management Limited in 2022/2023.
2025 in Review
141 attendees – up 79% from 2024
84% mid and top level seniority
Now in its 3rd year and growing
Speakers from Apollo Management International LLP, Herter & Co., PJT Partners, FSN Capital, XAIA Investment, Commerzbank and Kirkland & Ellis — all under one roof.
“Many thanks for the invitation, the great prep work, and the organization. It has been such a pleasure to be on the panel today! Please extend my thanks to the team, who have been just brilliant.”
— Katja Ksoll
Managing Director
Lazard
$3B in Non-accruals. $800B in New Growth.
The maturity wall is no longer a forecast—it’s a reality. As non-accruals climb and the 2021 vintage comes due, the private credit landscape is being redrawn. Access the full report to stay ahead of the curve.
Report/Guide
Opportunity, Stress, Resilience: The Matured Private Credit Mandate
Latest Private Credit & Restructuring Insights
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