Professionals

Kirk Sonnefeld

Managing Director

Atlanta

Kirk is a managing director at Antares Capital. He is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting and managing sponsor-backed loan transactions. Kirk is a member of Antares’ Operating Committee.

Prior to Antares, Kirk served in various credit functions at GE Antares, including underwriting, portfolio management, and loss mitigation. He initially joined GE Capital in 2004 as part of the Telecom, Media & Technology industry lending group. Kirk began his career in public accounting in the audit practices of Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young where he earned his CPA license.

Kirk received a bachelor’s and master degree at Wake Forest University where he graduated magna cum laude, and is a CFA® charterholder.

Lofton Spencer

Senior Vice President

Atlanta

Lofton is a senior vice president with Antares Capital. He is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting and managing transactions.

Lofton joined GE Antares in 2001 after beginning his career at Ernst & Young, LLP.

Lofton has a bachelor’s degree in business from State University of West Georgia, a master’s degree in accounting from Auburn University and holds a CPA designation.

Jeffrey Stammen

Managing Director

New York

Jeff is a managing director and global head of Investor Coverage in the Asset Management Group at Antares Capital.

Jeff joined Antares in 2021. Prior to Antares, Jeff was Head of North American Institutional Distribution at Barings. He also held previous roles at Babson Capital, Wells Fargo and Citi.

Jeff graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Miami University, received his MBA from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and is a CFA® charterholder.

Andrew Stern

Managing Director

New York

Andrew is a managing director in the Antares Liquid Credit Group, where he is a portfolio manager and oversees trading for the strategy. He serves as a member of the Liquid Credit Investment Committee.

Andrew joined Antares in 2023 after ten years at Apex Credit Partners, part of the asset management platform of Jefferies Finance LLC, where he was a managing director responsible for portfolio management and trading. Previously, Andrew held various portfolio management and credit trading roles at Rocwood Capital Management, Kingsland Capital Management, and Katonah Capital. Andrew began his career in investment banking at JPMorgan.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University's Goizueta Business School with a concentration in Finance.

Quinn Sumlin

Vice President

Atlanta

Quinn is a vice president of Asset Management at Antares Capital.

Quinn joined Antares in 2019 after having worked at Credigy and Stout Risius Ross.

Quinn earned his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Austin Tansantisuk

Senior Vice President

Atlanta

Austin is a senior vice president of Antares Capital and a member of the Antares’ Credit Advisory Group.

Austin joined Antares through GE Capital’s Telecom, Media & Technology Group in 2014 and has been responsible for underwriting, restructuring and managing various private equity sponsored transactions. Austin began his career at JP Morgan and prior to joining Antares was a senior credit underwriter at Regional Financial Corporation.

Austin is a CFA charterholder and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Colin Torrance

Managing Director

New York

Colin is a managing director with Antares Capital. He is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting and managing transactions. Colin joined GE Antares in 2006.

Prior to GE Antares, Colin began his career at GE Capital and is a graduate of GE’s Financial Management Program.

Colin graduated magna cum laude from Fairfield University, and received his MBA from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

Beth Troyer

Managing Director

Chicago

Beth is a managing director of Antares Capital. She is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting and managing transactions.

Prior to Antares, Beth was with GE Capital, which she joined after graduating with a BBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Beth earned her MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Troy Unell

Head of Capital Markets

Chicago

Troy is head of Capital Markets for Antares Capital. He leads the business's capital markets activities, which consist of structuring and syndicating Antares Capital's originated transactions. Troy serves on the Antares Capital Advisers Investment Committee and chairs the Antares Operating Committee.

Prior to joining GE Antares in 2005, Troy held positions at GE Capital focused on underwriting, asset securitization and restructuring transactions. Troy began his career at PPM America after graduating from Iowa State University.

Troy graduated with honors from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an MBA in analytic finance and entrepreneurship.

Devasena Vallabhaneni

Managing Director

Chicago

Devasena is a managing director with Antares Capital. She is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting and managing transactions.

Devasena joined Antares in 2004 and has held roles in the workout and unitranche structuring groups. Since 2016, she has also been focused on underwriting and marketing within the healthcare portfolio. Devasena also leads efforts for the credit team focused on secondary purchases and is on the working group managing the integration of ESG efforts at Antares. Prior to joining Antares, she was an associate in the workout and restructuring group of Societe Generale.

Devasena has a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in computer science from Johns Hopkins University.

Paul Vannelli

Managing Director

New York

Paul is a managing director with Antares Capital. He is responsible for New York and Canada sponsor and pension plan coverage activities. Paul also is responsible for all facets of the deal process including originations, structuring, executing and managing investment opportunities.

Paul joined GE Antares in 2014 serving as vice president within the originations function. Earlier in his career, Paul worked at HSBC Bank in the financial sponsor coverage group.

Paul graduated with a bachelor of business administration degree in finance from Acadia University.

 

Michael Vitale

Senior Vice President

Chicago

Mike is a senior vice president with Antares Capital.  He is responsible for structuring, underwriting, documenting, and managing private equity sponsored transactions.

Mike joined Antares in 2013 after completing GE Capital’s Risk Management program.

Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, international relations and entrepreneurship from Tufts University.