Ares veteran brings distinct institutional approach that aligns with Angel Oak’s existing strategy in the residential credit and broader structured credit markets

Angel Oak Capital Advisors LLC, an investment management firm that specializes in value-driven structured credit, has proudly announced the hiring of Sumit Sasidharan to serve as its head of commercial real estate. Sasidharan will lead the firm’s CRE platform, focusing primarily on growing Angel Oak’s CRE fund offerings at an institutional level while also managing and expanding the firm’s permanent and bridge-loan financing solutions.

In addition to overseeing approximately $300 million in CRE loans under Angel Oak’s existing lending platform and various private strategies, Sasidharan will continue Angel Oak’s active presence in the commercial mortgage-backed securities market. He also intends to explore new strategies aimed at raising capital that will be deployed opportunistically in the debt and equity CRE markets in 2024 and beyond.

“Angel Oak is positioned to seize the current and brewing opportunities in the CRE space for institutional investors, given the firm’s expertise in the broader real estate market, and I look forward to leading this major initiative,” Sasidharan said. “We believe we can deliver an institutional approach to serving CRE financing needs in the middle-market space, stepping into the role that many banks once filled. At the same time, we will seek to create unique investment strategies for our investors who want to deploy new capital and take advantage of dislocations in the real estate market.”

Prior to joining Angel Oak, Sasidharan served as managing director and co-head of real estate capital markets at Ares Management, where he administered a diverse portfolio with $52 billion in assets under management, encompassing debt and equity in CRE assets with varying liquidity profiles. Sasidharan expedited the company’s leverage exposure, interest rate sensitivity, liquidity and rate hedging strategies while also leading the capital markets team responsible for all equity and debt financing strategies. Previously, Sasidharan served as managing director and head of CRE capital markets at Annaly Capital Management from 2011 to 2017, where he led the capital markets team responsible for all CRE debt pricing, financing and trading strategies. During his tenure, he developed and implemented a levered CMBS strategy, managing over $850 million in equity. Sasidharan formerly held CMBS-focused roles at CWCapital and Fitch Ratings. He holds a B.A. in public policy from the University of Chicago.

“Sumit is the best fit to lead this growth initiative and evolve our CRE platform, as he brings an exceptional track record of scaling and managing CRE focused funds at the institutional level,” said Sreeni Prabhu, co-founder and managing partner at Angel Oak. “We are excited for him to join our team as we work to deliver exceptional outcomes for our investors.”

About Angel Oak Capital Advisors

Angel Oak is an investment management firm focused on providing compelling fixed-income investment solutions to its clients. Backed by a value-driven approach, Angel Oak seeks to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns through a combination of stable current income and price appreciation. Its experienced investment team seeks the best opportunities in fixed income, with a specialization in mortgage-backed securities and other areas of structured credit.

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