How a passion for alternative investing led Tyler Gately to top private credit role at Barings
In 2008, right out of college, Tyler Gately started his career in investment banking, following in the footsteps of his father, who worked in finance at that time. While he loved the industry and had a “phenomenal experience,” once he was bitten by the alternative bug, he never looked back. He spent the following years rolling up his sleeves to learn the different parts of capital markets.
“I’ve loved working with smaller businesses and have preferred closing and sticking with deals versus the transactional style of investment banking,” he says.
Gately’s resume includes working on the high-yield bond desk at Wells Fargo Securities, where he was a lead analyst covering the metals, mining, chemicals, and energy sectors. He has also held positions at Plexus Capital, a middle-market-focused junior capital fund, and BofA Merrill Lynch, where he worked in the investment bank’s capital markets division.
Gately joined Barings in 2018 and is now global head of client portfolio management for private credit at the asset management firm. He is responsible for client management, product development, and external communication of global private finance investments, and is an observer in investment committee meetings and portfolio investment reviews.
Barings’ mandate is split between private and public assets, with capabilities across the spectrum.
Solutions-focused culture with global scale
Gately emphasized Barings’ solutions-focused culture and partnership approach as a key differentiator for the firm. His team creates highly customized portfolios for clients by sourcing investment opportunities across global networks and a range of risk/return profiles, often investing alongside clients.
“What's so powerful about the asset management industry is we are entrusted with others’ capital, whether it be for a pensioner, a foundation, or an endowment. People are counting on us, which makes performance and manager integrity so critical.
“Within the private world, we pride ourselves on our unique origination capabilities across the alternative fixed-income spectrum globally, between infrastructure debt on the more conservative end to capital solutions and special situations on the higher-returning end of the spectrum,” he says.
Barings is a $351+ billion (as of June 2023) global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed-income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. It has investment professionals based in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Gately says he enjoys working with colleagues across Barings’ global footprint, which provides a broad perspective and an ability to source diverse investment opportunities that are designed to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for clients. At the same time, he thrives on working with internal teams on topics such as market strategies and broader growth initiatives.
He also notes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the asset management industry as a whole, and specifically at Barings.
“DEI is something that we are deliberate about, and we try to be thoughtful about how we incorporate that in everything we do. We are lucky to have a remarkably diverse and talented team at Barings, and the value of that is evident in everything from the performance of our funds to the retention of talent.”
“I’ve been wildly fortunate in my career to be given opportunities.” While Gately’s top priority will always be his wife and three children, on the professional side, “I would hope that my legacy will be that I’ve utilized those opportunities to make a positive impact on others.”
