Black Diamond Co-Founder Jim Walker Rejoins Black Diamond Capital Management as President and Senior Managing Director

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C., a privately held alternative asset management firm that specializes in performing and distressed credit, restructurings and business turnarounds, today announced that Jim Walker will rejoin the Black Diamond senior leadership team, which includes Stephen Deckoff, the firm’s founder and managing principal, Mounir Nahas, COO and principal and Rodney Cohen, senior managing director and head of the firm’s private equity business.

With 30 years of experience in asset management, Walker is a proven leader and was most recently a managing partner of Fir Tree Partners, a global investment firm. At Fir Tree, Jim was responsible for overall firm management, identifying new areas of investment opportunity, growing the firm’s global LP group and building a team of talented leaders.

“As we build out our leadership team, I am excited to have Jim return to Black Diamond. We are at a pivotal time in the firm’s evolution as we seek to capitalize on the growing investment opportunities across all of the firm’s investment platforms, and we look forward to Jim’s contributions to our continued success,” said Steve Deckoff. 

Jim co-founded Black Diamond with Steve Deckoff in 1995 and was integrally involved in the firm’s early investment funds. After joining Fir Tree in early 2008, he played a leading role in identifying a large opportunity in the distressed US housing market, which lead Jim to co-found Fir Tree’s real estate opportunity funds. These funds were among the top performing real estate credit funds in the marketplace during Jim’s tenure. He was a member of the firm’s Real Estate Investment Committee and served as Chairman of the firm’s Risk Committee. He currently is a board member for Starwood REIT, Clarus Corp., Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. and Emeco Holdings Limited. 

“Jim’s deep understanding of alternative asset management combined with the investment opportunity in distressed assets – especially in complex turnarounds and real estate credit – enhances the unique strength of our business model,” said Mounir Nahas. “Jim will be a valuable addition to our management team as we position the firm for the upcoming distressed cycle and beyond.”

Black Diamond is currently investing Fund V in its distressed control private equity funds. All five of the firm’s PE funds are currently top quartile. The firm has a long history of investing its own capital across all its investment funds, including an opportunistic credit hedge fund. 

“I’m excited to be back at Black Diamond and to work with a strong and talented leadership team, many whom I have known for over twenty years,” said Walker. “Black Diamond is an ‘investor first’ firm, which is paramount to me and one of the reasons I felt that this was a great fit for the next chapter of my career. I look forward to exploring new opportunities to grow and scale the firm given its track record as an elite investor in distressed markets.”

Additional information on Black Diamond is available at www.bdcm.com.

About Black Diamond 
Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C. (together with its affiliates, “Black Diamond”) is a leading alternative investment firm with over $10 billion in assets across four core platforms: (i) control distressed and special situations private equity funds; (ii) hedge funds; (iii) non-control stressed and distressed closed-ended funds; and (iv) collateralized loan obligations and structured products. Black Diamond has over 25 years of experience in underwriting, trading, restructuring and managing performing, stressed, distressed and private equity investments through multiple market cycles. Black Diamond is an SEC-registered Investment Adviser with over 90 employees operating from offices in Stamford, CT, London, UK and St. Thomas, VI. 

SOURCE Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C.