Barings Names New CEO

Mike Freno, Chairman & CEO, Barings. Image courtesy of Barings

Barings has appointed Mike Freno as chairman & CEO. He previously acted as president, a role he assumed this February. Freno will succeed Tom Finke, who has served as chairman & CEO since 2016 and will retire this month.

Freno has been with Barings for more than 15 years. Prior to that, he served as research analyst for M & M Partners. He also had a four-year tenure with PwC. His expertise includes two decades on the buy-side, focusing on equity and debt investments.

The newly appointed CEO holds a bachelor’s degree from Furman University and an MBA from Wake Forest University, School of Business. He is also a member of Barings’ senior leadership team and the firm’s board of directors.

The promotion comes a month after Barings appointed Shawn Kimble as head of U.S. capital markets. In his new role, he is slated to handle all debt activities and work closely with portfolio managers across various businesses to manage strategic financing needs.