Private credit is increasingly popular, prompting BlackRock to expand its non-bank lending by hiring Yik Ley Chan as the head of private credit in Southeast Asia, effective July 2024 in Singapore. Chan brings over 16 years of experience, notably as Asia head of private credit at Jefferies, and previously at Credit Suisse. BlackRock manages a global private debt portfolio of USD85bn through more than 210 investment professionals in 18 cities, focusing on diverse opportunities across Asia including Australasia, South Korea, Japan, Greater China, India, and Southeast Asia. According to Deborah Ho, BlackRock’s country head of Singapore, demand for private market investments shows no signs of slowing.