Brightwood Capital
Merle Smith has extensive work experience in the finance and banking industry. They have held various roles throughout their career, including Director of the Investments Team at Brightwood Capital, Vice President at BNP Paribas CIB, Vice President at CIT, Credit Risk Officer at Santander Bank, Credit Risk Analyst at State Street, Senior Credit Analyst at Citizens Commercial Banking, Portfolio Manager at The Washington Trust Company, and internships at New London County State's Attorney Office, Citizens Commercial Banking, and Citizens Financial Group. In these roles, Merle has gained expertise in areas such as investments, private credit, structured debt and equity, capital markets, leveraged finance, syndicated loans, credit risk assessment, financial modeling, and portfolio management.
Merle Smith attended Amherst College from 2005 to 2009, where they obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Prior to that, from 2002 to 2005, Merle Smith studied at Northfield Mount Hermon, though the specific degree or field of study is not provided.
In terms of additional certifications, Merle Smith has obtained the Series 63, Series 7, and Series 79 certifications from the FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority). The specific months and years when these certifications were obtained are not mentioned.
Brightwood Capital
Brightwood Capital Advisors, LLC is a private credit firm with a long-standing track record of investing in middle market businesses. Brightwood specializes in providing senior debt capital primarily to U.S. businesses with $5-$75 million of EBITDA within five core industries: technology & telecommunications, healthcare, business services, transportation & logistics and franchising. Brightwood partners with non-sponsored businesses as well as private equity sponsors to provide customized financing solutions for directly originated investments. Founded in 2010, Brightwood is a minority-owned firm with a team of over 50 employees who manage more than $5 billion of assets on behalf of its primarily institutional investor base. Brightwood is headquartered in New York City.