Macquarie private credit hire signals shift to infra debt markets

Macquarie Asset Management has appointed Thibault Sauvage as managing director and EMEA head of specialised infrastructure debt, a move that signals a sharpened focus on private credit across Europe.

brings a wealth of experience from the investment community, most recently serving as a senior director at CDPQ, the Canadian pension giant. He joined CDPQ in 2022 after a 12‑year spree in banking, including leadership stints at HSBC and UBS, where he was a director and portfolio manager within UBS’s Archmore infrastructure debt platform.

The hire coincides with a broader strategic shift at Macquarie Asset Management, which comes on the heels of the group completing a major corporate sale. The recent $1.8 billion disposal of its public asset management businesses to Nomura is expected to free capital and sharpen its emphasis on private markets, according to comments from Ben Way, the MAM chief.

Industry observers note that the private credit and infrastructure debt space has attracted growing interest from institutional allocators, particularly in Europe, where pension funds and insurers are increasingly seeking yield through diversified credit strategies and long‑duration projects. Sauvage’s remit at EMEA will likely involve expanding Macquarie’s footprint in infrastructure finance, energy transition projects, and related credit solutions, leveraging his background across mega‑scale debt platforms.

Sauvage’s appointment is expected to accelerate Macquarie’s deal flow, help crystallize risk-adjusted returns, and support cross‑border financing efforts across Europe and beyond.

Looking forward, the combination of Sauvage’s network with Macquarie’s capital markets prowess could bolster the firm’s ability to structure infrastructure debt products for institutional clients, while exploring co‑investments and private placements that bridge traditional lending with innovative funding streams. The result could be a more dynamic private credit platform, responsive to evolving yield environments and regulatory landscapes.