Calamos Aksia Portfolio Management Team
Tim Nest, CFA
Head of Private Credit, Co-Portfolio Manager
Tim is Head of Private Credit and has over 22 years of experience in alternative investments with a primary focus in private markets and credit. He oversees the global private credit investment research platform and works with a broad group of global investors focused on the private credit asset class. His team focuses on sourcing, screening, evaluating and monitoring credit-oriented investments accessed across a variety of structures including primaries, co-investments/directs and secondaries. Prior to joining Aksia in 2015, Tim spent several years as a Vice President at Frontier Capital Advisors, a secondary investment firm. Before that, Tim worked for GSC Group, focusing on two credit-based funds including the firm's distressed corporate credit and structured credit strategies. Tim began his career as an Analyst in PwC's Corporate Finance practice. Tim graduated from Boston College with a BS in Finance and Information Systems (dual degree). He holds an MBA in Corporate Finance and Law and Business from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University with specializations in Corporate Finance and Law and Business.
Joshua Hemley
Managing Director, Head of Credit Co-Investments, Co-Portfolio Manager
Josh is a Managing Director and Head of Credit Co-Investments, leading Aksia’s co-investment sourcing and diligence activities. Josh is also responsible for co-leading the management of a strategic discretionary account focused on small and emerging private credit primaries and related direct credits / co-investments. He has over 13 years of experience in alternative investments and serves on a number of private credit fund advisory boards. Prior to his current role, Josh was integral in developing Aksia’s diligence efforts, leading efforts in private real estate credit and structured credit investments. He started his career at Aksia in 2008. Josh graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a BA in Economics.
Matt Freund, CFA
Co-CIO, Head of Fixed Income Strategies, and Senior Co-Portfolio Manager
As a Co-Chief Investment Officer, Matt Freund is responsible for oversight of investment team resources, investment processes, performance and risk. As Head of Fixed Income Strategies, he manages investment team members and has portfolio management responsibilities. He is also a member of the Calamos Investment Committee, which is charged with providing a top-down framework, maintaining oversight of risk and performance metrics, and evaluating investment process. Matt joined Calamos in 2016 and has more than 30 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Calamos, he was Chief Investment Officer of USAA Investments, leading the teams responsible for the portfolio management of USAA’s mutual funds and affiliated portfolios, including P&C and life insurance products, and overseeing more than $140 billion in assets. During this time, he also served as lead portfolio manager for several highly regarded fixed income mutual funds. Earlier in his career, Matt served as a senior investment analyst for MetLife in the Capital Markets Group. He received a BA in Accounting from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from Indiana University.
Eli Pars, CFA
Co-CIO, Head of Alternative Strategies and Co-Head of Convertible Strategies, Sr. Co-Portfolio Manager
As a Co-Chief Investment Officer, Eli Pars is responsible for oversight of investment team resources, investment processes, performance and risk. As Head of Alternative Strategies and Co-Head of Convertible Strategies, he manages investment team members and has portfolio management responsibilities for those investment verticals. He is also a member of the Calamos Investment Committee, which is charged with providing a top-down framework, maintaining oversight of risk and performance metrics, and evaluating investment process. Eli has 35 years of industry experience, including 15 at Calamos. Prior to returning to Calamos in 2013, he was a Portfolio Manager at Chicago Fundamental Investment Partners, where he co-managed a convertible arbitrage portfolio. Previously, he held senior roles at Mulligan Partners LLC, Ritchie Capital and SAM Investments/The Hampshire Company. Earlier in his career, Eli was a Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager at Calamos. He received a BA in English Literature from the University of Illinois and an MBA with a specialization in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Explore Calamos Aksia Alternative Credit and Income Fund (CAPIX) and learn more about private credit.