Veteran Owned & Operated
Catalyst Strategic Credit Group

Boutique private credit placement and advisory, built on institutional experience.

We structure and place credit from $20MM to $2.5BN+ across the full capital structure — with the precision of former institutional underwriters and the connectivity of 160+ lender relationships.

Does Your Deal Qualify? Speak With Our Team
$20MM–$2.5BN+
Credit Raise Range
160+
Lender Relationships
$1BN+
Term Sheets Secured
Who We Are

An advisory firm
that speaks lender.

CSCG is an institutional credit advisory firm built by former PNC corporate bankers who have underwritten, approved, and structured complex credit facilities from inside the credit committee room. We bring that insider knowledge to every engagement — architecting capital structures, anticipating lender scrutiny, and running controlled placement processes that get deals done.

We are industry agnostic, excluding direct real estate, and operate globally. Whether you need growth capital, M&A financing, a recapitalization, or a refinancing — we structure the narrative before we go to market.

01
Institutional Underwriting Experience
Our team underwrote sophisticated debt structures for companies from $100MM in revenue to Fortune 500 scale at PNC's Corporate & Institutional Bank.
02
Surgical Placement Discipline
We go to market in targeted batches of 5–6 lenders, preserving confidentiality, maintaining leverage, and ensuring our materials are taken seriously.
03
Real-Time Market Intelligence
We know which funds are active, which are stretching on leverage, and which match your profile — before a single call is made.
160+
Lender Relationships
$1BN+
Term Sheets Since Q2 2025
Full
Capital Stack Coverage
Global
Reach
Our lender network spans 150+ private credit funds, BDCs, commercial banks, and institutional capital sources — supporting check sizes from $20MM to $2.5BN+. We are not a broker. We are your credit advisor, advocate, and execution engine.
What We Do

The full spectrum of credit advisory.

We go beyond introductions. From structuring the debt stack to crafting the credit narrative and optimizing the final term sheet, we own the entire process.

Debt Stack Strategy & Structuring
We architect your capital structure before going to market — whether that's a single senior facility, split first/second lien, unitranche, or a blended solution tailored to your business objectives.
Debt Capacity & Credit Positioning
We advise on optimal leverage levels, lender expectations, covenant structures, and risk framing — so you enter the market positioned for the strongest possible reception.
Institutional Credit Expertise
We understand credit markets from the inside out — enabling us to anticipate lender reactions, navigate complex situations, and position deals for successful outcomes where others simply present numbers.
Underwriting Narrative
We prepare institutional-quality credit memoranda and supporting materials, crafted to preempt risk concerns, frame your value proposition, and map directly to lender underwriting standards.
Deep Lender Connectivity
160+ private credit funds, BDCs, commercial banks, and institutional capital sources. We know who is active, what they're looking for, and how to get your deal in front of the right decision makers.
Term Sheet Optimization
Once terms are received, we leverage competition and relationships to optimize structure, pricing, covenants, and flexibility — securing outcomes aligned with your long-term capital strategy.
How We Work

Three stages.
One focused outcome.

01
Stage One
Discovery & Credit Diligence
We conduct a deep evaluation of your financials, capital structure, and strategic objectives. We stress-test leverage assumptions and identify potential lender concerns before anyone else sees the deal — so there are no surprises in market.
02
Stage Two
Institutional Underwriting Narrative
We build a comprehensive credit memorandum designed to speak the lender's language. Structured to preempt risk concerns, frame the borrower's story clearly, and map directly to institutional underwriting standards.
03
Stage Three
Targeted Placement & Term Sheet Optimization
Curated outreach to the most relevant lenders — not a mass blast. Once terms arrive, we use competition and relationships to optimize structure, pricing, covenants, and flexibility in your favor.
Deal Qualification

Does your deal fit?

Institutional lenders have clear expectations. We assess every opportunity against the same criteria they use — so you know where you stand before going to market.

What We Look For
  • $20MM minimum, no ceiling — we place up to $2.5BN+ across the full capital structure.
  • Positive EBITDA strongly preferred — select negative-EBITDA considered where asset value or contracted revenue substantiates the credit.
  • Clean, defensible financials — supportable projections and a clear, specific use of proceeds lenders can underwrite.
  • Management depth and competence — lenders bet on the team as much as the business. Industry experience and operational depth are non-negotiable.
  • Industry agnostic — technology, healthcare, manufacturing, services, consumer, and more. Direct real estate excluded.
  • Use of proceeds: growth capital, M&A, recapitalization, refinancing, debt consolidation, acquisition facilities.
Deals That Don't Fit
  • Below $20MM — hard floor, no exceptions regardless of credit quality.
  • Fewer than 2 of 3 pillars met — no sponsor, no real collateral, and no cash flow means no institutional appetite.
  • Weak or unproven management — if the team cannot clearly articulate their financials and strategy, lenders will pass.
  • Direct real estate — outside our mandate entirely.
  • Unaudited or indefensible financials — if the numbers won't survive diligence, we won't take it to market.
  • Active defaults or unresolved material litigation — must be resolved prior to placement.
Our Team

The people behind
the platform.

Deep expertise. Disciplined execution. Proven results from inside the institutions that set the standards we now leverage for our clients.

Alan Sheriff
Alan Sheriff
Executive Chairman
Forty+ years spanning investment banking, capital raising, M&A, and venture capital. Former Vice Chairman of PNC Bank and co-founder of Solebury Capital, which under his leadership completed 1,100+ equity transactions totaling approximately $500 billion in issuance — a higher market share than any investment bank.
Co-founded the Tailwind SPAC franchise (I, II, and International), raising over $1 billion. Earlier held senior roles at Credit Suisse First Boston including Co-Head of Equity Capital Markets for the Americas, and began his career at Salomon Brothers in 1983.
Daniel Sheriff
Daniel Sheriff
Co-Founder & Co-Head
Finance professional with deep expertise in private credit, corporate banking, structured credit, and institutional capital markets. Holds a Strategic Communications degree from High Point University and multiple finance certifications from Harvard Business School.
Previously at PNC Financial Services as AVP, underwriting sophisticated debt structures for companies from $100MM in revenue to Fortune 500 scale. Six years of U.S. military service — four years in the Marine Corps as a Battle Tank Technician, followed by the Army as an Infantryman, earning an Army Commendation Medal. Active EMT and firefighter in Wake Forest, NC.
Christian Watson
Christian Watson
Co-Founder & Co-Head
Decade of experience advising senior management teams on financial operations, fintech, and treasury management. Former VP of Corporate Banking at PNC, where he co-founded PNC's Venture Bank and built the foundational customer portfolio for their Emerging Tech & Venture Bank.
Key migration leader during PNC's $11.6 billion acquisition of BBVA USA. Eight years on PNC's Treasury Management team consulting with $5–250MM businesses on cash management and working capital advisory. Completed Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School Strategy & Innovation program. B.S. Applied Economics, The Ohio State University.
Geography
Global
Structures
Senior Secured Unitranche First / Second Lien Subordinated Debt ABL Equipment Finance Working Capital + More
Get In Touch

Ready to explore a
credit solution?

Whether you have a deal in hand or are early in the process, we are the right conversation to have. Our team will assess your situation candidly and tell you exactly where you stand.

Reach out directly to Daniel or Christian to start the dialogue. No forms. No intermediaries.

Charles Rushing
For Additional Information
crushing@catalystcorpad.com