About Castlelake

Our Team

We pride ourselves on having a culture that we believe is distinctly different from many private investment firms – one that prizes authenticity, creativity, collaboration and confidentiality.

Castlelake Partners

Rory O'Neill

Rory O'Neill

Managing Partner, Executive Chair & Co-Chief Executive Officer
Learn about Rory O'Neill
Evan Carruthers

Evan Carruthers

Managing Partner, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer
Learn about Evan Carruthers
Image of Richard Barnett, Partner, Capital Markets

Richard Barnett

Partner, Capital Markets
Learn about Richard Barnett
Image of Chris Buckley, Partner, Chief Commercial Officer, Aviation

Chris Buckley

Partner, Chief Commercial Officer, Aviation
Learn about Chris Buckley
Eduardo D'Alessandro

Eduardo D'Alessandro

Partner, Global Real Assets
Learn about Eduardo D'Alessandro
Image of Brad Farrell, Partner, Chief Operating Officer

Brad Farrell

Partner, Chief Operating Officer
Learn about Brad Farrell
Image of Alan Gearing, Partner, North American Real Assets

Alan Gearing

Partner, North American Real Assets
Learn about Alan Gearing
Peter Glerum

Peter Glerum

Partner, Chief Investment Strategist
Learn about Peter Glerum
Image of Yen-Wah Lam, Partner, Chief People Officer & President

Yen-Wah Lam

Partner, Chief People Officer & President
Learn about Yen-Wah Lam
Matt Little

Matt Little

Partner, Head of Business Development
Learn about Matt Little
John Lundquist

John Lundquist

Partner, North American Specialty Finance
Learn about John Lundquist
Joe McConnell

Joe McConnell

Partner, Deputy Co-chief Investment Officer
Learn about Joe McConnell
Image of Daniel McNally, Partner, General Counsel

Daniel McNally

Partner, General Counsel
Learn about Daniel McNally
Image of Armin Rothauser, Partner, Asset-Backed Direct Lending

Armin Rothauser

Partner, Asset-Backed Direct Lending
Learn about Armin Rothauser
Isaiah M. Toback

Isaiah M. Toback

Partner, Deputy Co-chief Investment Officer
Learn about Isaiah M. Toback
Rory O'Neill

Rory O'Neill

Managing Partner, Executive Chair & Co-Chief Executive Officer

Mr. O’Neill co-founded Castlelake in 2005 and is managing partner, executive chair and co-chief executive officer. He is responsible for the firm’s overall strategy, including all investment and operational activities, as well as guiding the firm’s mission, culture and investment approach. Mr. O’Neill is a member of Castlelake’s Executive Committee and Investment Review Committee. 

Known as an innovator in alternative investment, Mr. O’Neill’s distinguished investing track record spans diverse economic cycles and geographies. He joined Cargill in 1992 and led various investment activities and groups that in part formed the basis for what is now known as CarVal Investors. At Cargill, Mr. O’Neill initially focused on investing in non-performing loans and corporate distressed instruments in North America. In 1993, he moved to London to help establish and grow Cargill’s European Investment Group. As a founding member of that group, he was responsible for developing and executing its investment strategy in European real estate, loan portfolios and special situations. In 1998, Mr. O’Neill also established and managed Cargill’s Global Credit Strategies business which focused on corporate distressed and special situations investment opportunities on a global scale. He led the expansion of that business across Europe, Asia, Latin America and finally, North America, while continuing to oversee the European Investment Group.      

Mr. O’Neill’s professional contributions include leadership roles within academic institutions: he served on the Board of Trustees of Breck School from 2013 to 2019 and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas. He received his M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in finance. Prior to business school, Mr. O’Neill was with KPMG as a certified public accountant. He received his B.A. degrees from the University of St. Thomas in business administration and biology, both summa cum laude.  

Evan Carruthers

Evan Carruthers

Managing Partner, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer

Mr. Carruthers co-founded Castlelake in 2005, in partnership with Rory O’Neill. As managing partner, co-chief executive officer and chief investment officer, Mr. Carruthers is responsible for the firm’s overall strategy, including all investment and operational activities, as well as guiding the firm’s mission, culture and investment approach. Additionally, Mr. Carruthers is responsible for overseeing all investment teams at Castlelake. Mr. Carruthers also serves as chair of Castlelake’s Executive Committee and Investment Review Committee.   

Mr. Carruthers has deep sector expertise, spanning back to the year 2000. Under his guidance, Castlelake has invested capital in approximately 70 countries across multiple industries. Mr. Carruthers has been instrumental in the development of the firm’s asset- and credit-based investment activities, including the development of its differentiated aviation platform.   

Prior to co-founding Castlelake, Mr. Carruthers was an investment manager with CVI, responsible for corporate and asset-based investments in North America and the development of Cargill’s global aircraft investing business. Prior to joining CVI, Mr. Carruthers worked in several capacities at Piper Jaffray. Mr. Carruthers received his B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in business administration, with a specialty in finance. Mr. Carruthers sits on the Board of Directors of Five Point Holdings, LLC, one of the largest owner and developer of mixed-use, master-planned communities in coastal California, and Aedas Homes, S.A.U., one of the largest homebuilders in Spain. Mr. Carruthers also serves in leadership roles at various nonprofit organizations focused on wildlife conservancy, including the Board of Directors of the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Guides Trust Foundation, and Pheasants Forever. He is also the treasurer of the Minnesota Orchestra. 

Richard Barnett

Partner, Capital Markets

Mr. Barnett joined Castlelake in 2017 and leads its Capital Markets team. In this role, Mr. Barnett is responsible for investment financing strategies, raising debt capital and the origination of new investment opportunities. He became a partner of the firm in 2021. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Barnett was with the Structured Finance group at Deutsche Bank, where he ran syndication for asset-backed securitizations, collateralized loan obligations and Deutsche Bank’s private lending business. He held similar positions at Goldman Sachs & Co. and Lehman Brothers prior to working at Deutsche Bank. Mr. Barnett received his B.A. in business administration from Loyola University New Orleans in economics and finance.

Chris Buckley

Partner, Chief Commercial Officer, Aviation

Mr. Buckley joined Castlelake in 2015 and is head of its Aviation Marketing team. He is primarily focused on leading the origination of aviation investment opportunities globally. He became a partner of the firm in 2021. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Buckley spent five years at Danish Air Transport. In this role, he served as vice president of business development, where he was responsible for the airline’s wet and dry leasing, as well as aircraft acquisition and sales. Prior to 2010, Mr. Buckley worked for Hunt and Palmer, a global aircraft charter company, where he completed placements in Paris, Hong Kong, Australia and London. While at Hunt and Palmer, he specialized in aircraft charter brokering on executive and commercial aircraft, as well as aircraft sales and leasing, managing relationships with clients and airlines on all levels internationally. Mr. Buckley received his B.A. in business economics from the University of Exeter.

Eduardo D'Alessandro

Eduardo D'Alessandro

Partner, Global Real Assets

Mr. D’Alessandro is a partner at Castlelake and a leader of its Real Assets team. He is primarily focused on originating investment opportunities in transitional real estate, infrastructure, renewables and power stability, and sub- and non-performing loans. Mr. D’Alessandro is also a member of the firm’s Investment Review Committee. He joined Castlelake in 2011 and became a partner in 2018. Previously, Mr. D’Alessandro led the firm’s Spanish land banking investment strategy and was also responsible for executing its investment strategy in Portugal, Italy and Greece, the United Kingdom and Ireland. His expertise includes direct asset and non-performing loan opportunities as well as equity public offerings.

Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. D’Alessandro was an investment consultant at Deutsche Bank in its special situations group, focusing on non-performing loan investments across Europe. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. D’Alessandro was an investment associate at CVI within the Loan Portfolio Group. At CVI, he worked on non-performing loan and real estate investments in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. Mr. D’Alessandro received his M.B.A. from the London Business School and received his B.Sc. in finance from Manhattanville College, cum laude. Mr. D’Alessandro is a native English and Spanish speaker.

Brad Farrell

Partner, Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Farrell joined Castlelake in 2019 and is chief operating officer. In this role, Mr. Farrell is responsible for internal and external reporting, all financial and operational aspects of investment structuring, execution and valuation, and management company operations. Mr. Farrell also retains oversight of the firm’s information and technology strategy and administrative functions and serves as a member of its Investment Review Committee among other governance roles. He became a partner of the firm in 2021. Mr. Farrell has 25+ years of professional experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Castlelake, he served as the chief financial officer of Two Harbors Investment Corp., where he was responsible for operations, treasury, tax, accounting and financial reporting. During his 7-year tenure as chief financial officer, Mr. Farrell was also involved in the organization’s regulatory and corporate governance, risk oversight, transaction structuring and execution, debt and capital formation, investor reporting, technology and talent management. Prior to Two Harbors Investment Corp., Mr. Farrell served in various leadership and managerial positions within finance and accounting at GMAC ResCap, XL Capital and KPMG. Mr. Farrell received his B.S.B.A. from Drake University in accounting. Mr. Farrell is a CPA (inactive).

Alan Gearing

Partner, North American Real Assets

Mr. Gearing joined Castlelake in 2017 and is a leader of its North American Real Assets team. He is primarily focused on executing the firm’s investment strategy across transitional real estate, infrastructure, and sub- and non-performing loans in the U.S. He became a partner of the firm in 2020. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Gearing was the president and founder of Gearing Capital Partners, a commercial real estate specialty finance company focused on distressed debt and direct lending across North America. Mr. Gearing has extensive experience in all aspects of real estate finance and investment and has been involved in over $2 billion of completed transactions over the course of his career. Prior to founding Gearing Capital Partners, Mr. Gearing was a vice president at Secured Capital Corporation, where he was responsible for structuring debt and equity investments and raising capital. He has also held roles at JP Morgan Mortgage Capital and Archon Group, a Goldman Sachs subsidiary. Mr. Gearing received an M.B.A. from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University and a B.B.A. in finance and real estate finance from Southern Methodist University. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and is a board member of the Folsom Institute for Real Estate at the SMU Cox School of Business.

Peter Glerum

Peter Glerum

Partner, Chief Investment Strategist

Mr. Glerum joined Castlelake in 2005 and is its Chief Investment Strategist, responsible for supporting its global strategic partnership and fundraising strategy, as well as leading capital formation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Glerum is also a member of Castlelake’s Investment Review Committee. During his tenure with Castlelake, he has held additional roles, including leading capital formation for its Asset-Backed Direct Lending strategy, overseeing its Investor Relations, Investor Communications and Corporate Communications functions, and serving as President of the firm with responsibility for Legal & Compliance, Finance & Operations and Risk Management.   

Mr. Glerum’s experience in finance and alternative investments began in 1990. Prior to joining Castlelake, he was head credit trader at Deephaven Capital Management, an alternative investment firm. Prior to joining Deephaven, Mr. Glerum served in various roles at American Express Financial Advisors, Piper Jaffray, Wells Fargo Bank and Cargill Financial Services Corp. Mr. Glerum received his M.B.A. with honors from the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota and a B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater in management information systems and economics. He is a member of the Alumni Advisory Board of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, College of Finance and Business Law.

Yen-Wah Lam

Partner, Chief People Officer & President

Ms. Lam joined Castlelake in 2018 and is its Chief People Officer & President. In this role, Ms. Lam is responsible for supporting Castlelake’s governance and strategic direction, and managing enterprise-level risk and organizational change. She oversees all non-investment operations and internal affairs, including Castlelake’s Human Resources, Finance & Operations, and Legal & Compliance functions. She is a member of Castlelake’s Executive Committee. 

Previously, Ms. Lam led Castlelake’s global Human Resources team, responsible for guiding Castlelake’s talent strategy, nurturing the firm’s culture and guiding its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programming. Ms. Lam became a partner of the firm in 2020.   

Prior to joining Castlelake, Ms. Lam was Head of Human Resources and a member of the Management Committee at FTSE-listed Jupiter Asset Management in London. Prior to Jupiter, she worked at Reuters, later BT Radianz. Ms. Lam received her B.A. from the University of Leeds and her M.A. in human resource management from the University of Westminster. She is also certified by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Ms. Lam also serves in various roles at non-profit organizations focused on supporting the British Chinese community in greater London.  

Matt Little

Matt Little

Partner, Head of Business Development

Mr. Little joined Castlelake in 2015 and is responsible for its Capital Formation team. As Head of Business Development, Mr. Little guides the firm’s fundraising strategy and plays an important role in its strategic partnerships. He is also a member of Castlelake’s Executive Committee and its Investment Review Committee. 

Mr. Little became a partner of the firm in 2017. While at Castlelake, he has established the firm’s Capital Markets function, played an instrumental role in developing its global Specialty Finance business, led non-aviation investing activities and served on various strategic committees.  

Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Little served as co-head of transportation financing within the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs in New York. There, he worked with many of the world’s largest specialty finance companies, global industrial conglomerates, and major financial institutions on strategic initiatives, such as divestitures, acquisitions, general corporate advisory, and raising debt and equity capital. Mr. Little began his career in the Financial Institutions Group within investment banking at Goldman Sachs. He received a B.A. in politics from Princeton University and a certificate in political theory. 

John Lundquist

John Lundquist

Partner, North American Specialty Finance

Mr. Lundquist joined Castlelake in 2015 and is a leader of its North American Specialty Finance team. He is primarily responsible for executing the firm’s investment strategy in consumer and commercial credit, secured loans, leases and other specialty finance sub-strategies in North America. He became a partner of the firm in 2020.

Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Lundquist was an investment professional at Värde Partners where he was responsible for helping to manage Värde’s specialty finance business in North America. During his tenure at Värde, Mr. Lundquist was responsible for investments in performing & special situation loan portfolios and credit origination. Prior to joining Värde, Mr. Lundquist worked as a financial analyst for Air Products & Chemicals Inc., a NYSE listed company. Mr. Lundquist began his career as an equity analyst for Doheny Asset Management, based in Los Angeles, California. He earned a B.A. in economics from Pepperdine University, and an M.B.A. from Cornell University where he was also the recipient of the Roy H. Park Fellowship.

Joe McConnell

Joe McConnell

Partner, Deputy Co-chief Investment Officer

McConnell joined Castlelake in 2007 and is Deputy Co-chief Investment Officer. In this role, Mr. McConnell is responsible for guiding and executing the firm’s global investment strategy across asset classes, overseeing the firm’s Opportunistic Asset Solutions and Aviation fund portfolios, and supporting the growth and development of its investment teams. He is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and its Investment Review Committee and is a Director of Castlelake Aviation Ltd. and Castlelake’s aircraft securitizations. Mr. McConnell became a partner of the firm in 2017 and has previously served in portfolio management and investment roles, including co-head of the firm’s Aviation and Real Assets businesses. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. McConnell worked in Piper Sandler’s investment banking division. Mr. McConnell received his B.S.B. in finance and accounting from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, summa cum laude.

Daniel McNally

Partner, General Counsel

Mr. McNally joined Castlelake in 2019 and is its general counsel. Mr. McNally leads the firm’s Legal & Compliance team and is responsible for advising on all strategic and tactical legal activities of the firm, as well as firm governance. He became a partner of the firm in 2021. Mr. McNally is also a member of Castlelake’s Investment Review Committee. Mr. McNally has 25+ years of legal and business experience with expertise in investment management, private funds, securities, transaction structuring and execution, regulatory and compliance matters, and corporate governance. Prior to Castlelake, Mr. McNally was the general counsel, chief operating officer and principal at Stark Investments. During his 17-year tenure there, he served in a cross-functional capacity, including as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. McNally also spent time in legal roles at Quarles & Brady, Miller Brewing Company and Apogent Technologies. Mr. McNally received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, with honors, and his B.S. in business administration and finance from Marquette University, magna cum laude.

Armin Rothauser

Partner, Asset-Backed Direct Lending

Mr. Rothauser joined Castlelake in 2020 and leads its Asset-Backed Direct Lending team and strategy. He is primarily focused on creating tailored financing solutions for Castlelake’s counterparties that align with the firm’s mission to generate risk-adjusted returns for its global institutional investors. Mr. Rothauser is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Investment Review Committee. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Rothauser was a Managing Director at Starwood Capital Group where he led the firm’s expansion into credit and was head of Starwood Capital’s hard asset platform. Prior to that, Mr. Rothauser was a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank, where he ran its transportation, infrastructure, energy lending group, and then went on to co-head Deutsche Bank's global structured credit business. In those roles, he was responsible for successfully investing the bank's balance sheet and capital in varied markets across the world and multiple asset classes. Before joining Deutsche Bank, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs where he led their hard asset trading businesses. Mr. Rothauser received his B.B.A from Pace University in finance. 

Isaiah M. Toback

Isaiah M. Toback

Partner, Deputy Co-chief Investment Officer

Mr. Toback joined Castlelake in 2015 and is Deputy Co-chief Investment Officer. In this role, Mr. Toback is responsible for guiding and executing the firm’s global investment strategy across asset classes, overseeing the firm’s opportunistic asset and asset-based private credit fund portfolios, and supporting the growth and development of its investment teams. He is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Investment Review Committee. Mr. Toback became a partner of the firm in 2020 and previously served in portfolio management and investment roles. He has particular experience with investments in dislocated industries and corporate special situations, including leading the firm’s renewables and commodity shipping strategies. Prior to joining Castlelake, Mr. Toback was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, where he was responsible for transportation structured financings, focusing on the aviation and shipping industries. Mr. Toback received his B.A. in economics from Vanderbilt University. Mr. Toback speaks conversational Spanish.   

Interested in joining the Castlelake Team?

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