TSL Express Daily News

Eric Hartman and Bill Tefft join Fortress as Directors in Private Credit Origination

New York and Dallas, February 24, 2025 – Fortress Investment Group (“Fortress”) today announced the expansion of its non-sponsor private lending team with the appointment of Eric Hartman and Bill Tefft as Directors in Private Credit Origination.

Mr. Hartman and Mr. Tefft both report to Andy Frank, Managing Director and Head of Private Credit Origination, are based in West Palm Beach, FL, and Chicago, IL, respectively, and are focused on non-sponsored lending opportunities.

“We see a significant and growing opportunity to provide private credit for our existing and potential new borrowers across the sponsor and non-sponsor landscapes,” said Andy Frank. “To more effectively respond to that opportunity, we are pleased to announce an expanded team with the hiring of Eric and Bill. Both Eric and Bill bring a wealth of relationships and strong experience in sourcing, structuring, and executing private credit financings for non-sponsored corporate counterparties.”

Within private credit, Fortress offers a flexible approach to financing, with the ability to structure transactions for both corporate and sponsor counterparties across the capital structure, from senior secured debt facilities to equity positions.

Mr. Hartman joins Fortress after a 25-plus year career in banking during which he developed expertise in the facilitation of complex capital-raising transactions, the arrangement of multi-bank syndicated credit facilities, and other capital markets-related activities. Most recently he was a Managing Director at TD Bank where he led the business development effort for the bank's asset-based lending business, focused on upper middle-market and large corporate borrowers across multiple geographies in the southern US. Prior to joining TD Bank, he covered the Florida market for PNC Bank’s corporate bank; he started his career at US Bank in St. Louis.

Mr. Hartman holds a BS in Business Administration, with honors, from the University of Missouri. He is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Secured Finance Network (SFNet).

Mr. Tefft joins Fortress with nearly 20 years of experience supporting middle market companies, including family-owned and equity-sponsored. He specializes in sourcing, negotiating, documenting and closing transactions in connection with leveraged and management buyouts, refinancings, recapitalizations, acquisitions, and restructurings. Prior to joining Fortress, Mr. Tefft was a Director of Business Development at BMO Bank; before that, Mr. Tefft specialized in performing and distressed situations at Huntington Bank.

Mr. Tefft attended The Ohio State University where he received a BS in Economics and International Business with an emphasis in Finance.

About Fortress Investment Group

Fortress Investment Group LLC is a leading, highly diversified global investment manager. Founded in 1998, Fortress manages $49 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2024, on behalf of approximately 2,000 institutional clients and private investors worldwide across a range of credit and real estate, private equity and permanent capital investment strategies. For more information, please visit www.fortress.com.