Centuria Bass Credit continues hiring spree

Alternatives asset manager Centuria Bass Credit continues its hiring spree with its sixth senior appointment in three months.

Peter Callanan and John Kalaf, who join as director of investor operations and senior advisor distribution, respectively, boost the headcount to six since December.

With 15 years of experience in funds management and investor relations, Callanan will be chiefly responsible for strategic operations across Australia.

Kalaf has 35 years of experience in global financial markets and is tasked with supporting capital-raising strategies in New South Wales.

The investment manager has already topped up its team with Payton Capital's Alex Hayde as a senior relationship manager for its private capital business and TOD Advisory chief executive Tom O'Donnell.

Late last year, Lachlan Tracey came on board from Citi as head of capital markets and co-head of execution.

As for this week's recruits, Peter Callanan joins from MacCap, where he was a senior manager.

He also spent six years at National Australia Bank and three years at SEI Investments as an investment operations specialist.

For his part, Kalaf held senior positions with GFI Group, Icap Sydney and Lasser Marshall.

Both will report to Centuria Bass' managing director of funds and distributionYehuda Gottlieb.

Gottlieb said Kalef's expertise in global wholesale markets and financial markets analysis make him a valuable addition to our distribution team while Callanan's operational expertise will generate significant value and efficiencies across the business.

Centuria Bass joint chief executives Giles Borten and Nick Goh said the manager is experiencing surging demand for non-bank real estate finance in the current high-interest rate environment as traditional lenders tighten their loan criteria.

"This demand has been met with strong wholesale investor appetite for high returns across a relatively short period of approximately 12-18 months," the duo said.

"These are the fundamentals that have underpinned Centuria Bass' 41 per cent annual increase in its funds under management to around $1.6 billion.

Commenting on the growth of the workforce, the executives added that appetite for the asset class makes it necessary to expand the headcount to support the asset manager's continual growth.

Currently, the firm has 38 staff in its Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne offices.