In this week’s episode, we continue to look at the supply chain, particularly in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine. Jeff Pielusko and Peter J. Keogh of Carl Marks Advisors provided insight on this topic, explaining how the war is creating surging commodity prices and scarcity of materials, particularly food and earth minerals, and what companies need to do to fortify their supply chain networks in the face of such upheaval. We also looked at what lenders can do for borrowers in this environment and why some capital finance and asset-based lenders may be at particular risk.

In the 62nd episode of the ABF Journal Podcast, John Whalen, head of the capital advisory practice at Matrix Capital Markets Group, provided insights about the past, present and future of capital raising. Whalen looked at trends from the first quarter, expectations for the rest of 2022, how the capital structure has changed in the last decade (particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic) and how asset-based lenders should navigate the market.

In the 61st episode of the ABF Journal Podcast, Jon Hughes, Senior ABL Director at Independent Growth Finance, gives us an overview of the history and current state of the asset-based lending industry in the United Kingdom and how IGF uses a specialist approach to capitalize on opportunities in the market. In addition, Hughes shared how other lenders can benefit from working with IGF if they are interested in doing business in the region.

The transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate, otherwise known as LIBOR, has been in the works for quite a while, but we’re reaching crunch time for lenders to move on to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (or some other such alternative rate). In this episode, Daniel Ford of Thompson Coburn Hahn & Hessen clears up some of the misconceptions about the transition, outlines which lenders are well prepared for it and lays out a game plan for those who are not.

In the first episode of season three and the 59th episode overall of the ABF Journal Podcast, Andy Sachs and Ric DiMonte joined the program to discuss the recent merger of Chicago law firms Robbins, Salomon & Patt and DiMonte & Lizak to form Robbins DiMonte. Sachs, who is the CEO of the new firm, and DiMonte, who is the firm’s president, discussed the entire merger process from start to finish and what the combined company expects to achieve in the years to come.

In the 58th episode of the ABF Journal Podcast, David Magdol, president and chief investment officer of Main Street Capital, looked back at the year in private equity and provided an outlook for the sector in 2022. During the interview, Magdol touched on recent supply chain disruption, the rising popularity of special purpose acquisition companies and why private equity firms are increasingly interested in unitranche financing facilities.

In the 57th episode of the ABF Journal Podcast, Jake Sussman, a vice president at Arena Investors, stopped by to discuss the benefits of infusing private equity sensibilities into the structuring of private debt transactions. Sussman also delved into the world of corporate asset-based lending and the keys to successful joint ventures and co-investments before providing an outlook for the private debt marketplace in early 2022.

The supply chain has been a consistent source of conversation across industries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with hurdles impacting every point of contact. As this trend has persisted, supply chain finance has become an increasingly scrutinized industry and with more scrutiny comes the potential for more regulation.

In the 55th episode of the ABF Journal Podcast, Greg Byrnes, CFO of White Oak Aviation, joined the show to detail the opportunities and risks associated with direct lending to the aviation sector. With many years of experience in aircraft leasing, Byrnes brings a unique perspective to this emerging market and discusses how the aviation industry is recovering from the drastic downturn created by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as why direct lending is perfect for this space.

In the 54th episode of the ABF Journal Podcast, Lee Haskin, CEO of Crossroads Financial, provided insight into the inventory lending vertical, specifically discussing how the industry has changed over the last 15 years in the wake of drastic shifts in consumer behavior, as well as a look at Crossroads’ approach to this market and its strategies for growth in the near and long-term future.