Carlyle has appointed Alex Chi, a long-time Goldman Sachs executive, to lead its direct lending platform and support the expansion of its $199bn global credit business, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Chi, currently Co-Head of Americas Private Credit at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, will join Carlyle in early 2026 as a Partner. He will oversee the firm’s direct lending strategy and serve as co-deputy Chief Investment Officer within Carlyle’s credit division. He is also set to join Carlyle’s leadership committee.
The hire underscores Carlyle’s continued focus on scaling its private credit platform, particularly in direct lending, which currently accounts for approximately $11bn of the firm’s credit AUM. Credit has been a growing priority under CEO Harvey Schwartz, a former Goldman Co-President, who has brought in several Goldman alumni in key roles – including Jeff Nedelman to lead client strategy and Lindsay LoBue as Chief Operating Officer.
Chi’s appointment reflects Carlyle’s ambitions to compete more aggressively with banks and other asset managers in the growing private credit space. During his 30-year tenure at Goldman, Chi played a central role in expanding the firm’s credit relationships with private equity sponsors and co-led its business development companies.
Following Schwartz’s appointment in early 2023, Carlyle’s credit business has grown from 46% to 51% of fee-earning AUM. The addition of Chi is expected to further accelerate the platform’s development and deepen its sponsor coverage and capital deployment capabilities.
Chi replaces Aren LeeKong, who departed in 2024. The role has since been overseen on an interim basis by Justin Plouffe, Deputy CIO of Global Credit.
Carlyle and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.
