Franklin Square Capital Partners has hired Lewis Katz as chief business development officer. Katz was previously president of Blackboard Advisors, a management consulting firm he founded. Based in Philadelphia, Franklin Square is an alternative investment manager with $16.8 billion in total assets as December 31, 2015.
PRESS RELEASE
Franklin Square Hires Lewis Katz as Chief Business Development Officer
Founder of Blackboard Advisors joins leading alternatives manager
PHILADELPHIA, PA – March 31, 2016 – Franklin Square Capital Partners, a leading alternative investment manager, announced that it has hired Lewis Katz as Chief Business Development Officer. In this newly created role, Mr. Katz will develop new growth opportunities and help diversify distribution into new sales channels by collaborating with teams across the firm to expand its financial technology, marketing and educational initiatives.
“Lewis Katz has wide-ranging experience with alternative investments, large-scale business development, partnership growth and technology expansion,” said Michael C. Forman, Chairman and CEO of Franklin Square. “He will be instrumental in forging new paths for Franklin Square as we continue our growth as a leader in alternatives.”
In his most recent role as President of Blackboard Advisors, a management consulting firm he founded, Mr. Katz advised some of the nation’s top financial services companies on asset management and long-term strategy. He also founded Clamour, a deep technology platform focused on personal finance. Mr. Katz was previously Head of Asset Management for 1798 Global Partners and Lombard Odier Asset Management, and he held senior positions at alternative asset firms BAM and Dillon Read Capital Management.
Mr. Katz serves on several boards including Say Yes to Education, Jacob’s Cure and the Lupus Foundation. He is also an advisor and mentor to Techstars and the Barclays Accelerator, both fintech-focused accelerator programs for budding entrepreneurs. He is a Northeastern University graduate.
About Franklin Square
Franklin Square is a leading manager of alternative investment funds designed to enhance investors’ portfolios by providing access to asset classes, strategies and asset managers that typically have been available to only the largest institutional investors. The firm’s funds offer “endowment-style” investment strategies that help construct diversified portfolios and manage risk. Franklin Square strives not only to maximize investment returns but also to set the industry standard for best practices by focusing on transparency, investor protection and education for investment professionals and their clients.
Founded in Philadelphia in 2007, Franklin Square quickly established itself as a leader in the world of alternative investments by introducing innovative credit-based income funds, including the industry’s first non-traded BDC. As of December 31, 2015, the firm managed approximately $16.8 billion in total assets, including $15.5 billion in BDC assets, making it the largest manager of BDCs. For more information, please visit www.franklinsquare.com.