A tailored approach to private debt investing
A tailored approach allows us to closely match investors’ objectives – from infrastructure and real estate, to bespoke private asset-based lending and specialty finance, structured credit, and corporate lending in the form of bilateral or club financings.
We have a clear focus on risk management, with strong controls through the use of assets as collateral, financial covenants and, where appropriate, seniority within the capital structure. Our independent credit research team ensures robust governance and our investment process is disciplined and rigorous.
Why invest?
Private debt solutions can offer attractive, recurring cash flows to meet a variety of income and liability matching objectives.
Conviction in scale
Our scale gives us a commercially competitive advantage and access to a wide range of transactions. The ability to source bespoke deals across investment-grade and sub-investment-grade investments allows us to deliver against a range of client investment objectives.
Multi-asset opportunistic mindset
We collaborate and think as one private markets business, allowing us to capture optimal relative value for our clients throughout market cycles. We believe the ability to leverage skills and insights across capabilities drives superior investment decisions.
Responsibility built-in
Our ESG framework and in-house team are fully embedded into the investment process, helping us manage risk and identify exciting opportunities, providing access to sustainable assets such as renewables and sustainable real estate loans.*
*ESG integration means the integration of ESG factors and consideration of sustainability risk as part of the investment decision making process. This process is applied beyond any specific binding constraints (in the objective or strategy of the fund as detailed in the prospectus or investment management agreement and in accordance with our Baseline Exclusions Policy). The investment manager retains discretion on decision making taking all risks into account, beyond any binding criteria.
Private debt strategies
Structured Finance
Bespoke deals including private asset-based lending such as aviation, trade finance, swap repacks, collateralised loan obligations, other specialty assets with strong risk controls. These can help investors source cashflows for needs such as matching-adjustment eligibility.
Private Corporate Debt
Private placements and bilateral loans, with strong covenants across a variety of profiles and maturities to help improve risk-adjusted returns.
Key risks of private debt
Investment risk
The value of an investment and any income from it can go down as well as up and can fluctuate in response to changes in currency and exchange rates. Investors may not get back the original amount invested.
Real Estate Risk
Investments can be made in real estate, infrastructure and illiquid assets. Investors may not be able to switch or cash in an investment when they want to because real estate may not always be readily saleable. If this is the case we may defer a request to switch or cash in shares or units. Investors should also bear in mind that the valuation of real estate is generally a matter of valuers’ opinion rather than fact.
Investment insights
Investment thinking that brings together the collective insight of Aviva Investors’ teams from across the globe on the key themes influencing markets.
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Beyond buyout: Why DB schemes are reconsidering their endgame
10 Dec 2025
Significant shifts in the defined benefit (DB) pension schemes landscape mean that as schemes mature, trustees and sponsors now face a broader spectrum of strategic choices. We explain why the choice between buyout and run-on is no longer binary.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q3 2025
12 Nov 2025
Having crunched the data, our private markets research team looks at how evolving macro conditions are impacting private debt returns.
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From niche to core: Asset-based finance emerges as a driving force as private debt markets continue to evolve
7 Oct 2025
Asset-based finance is capturing the attention of institutional investors – from pension schemes to insurers – thanks to its diverse risk-return drivers and its growing role as a strategic building block in investors’ portfolios.
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Solid foundations: The case is building for infrastructure equity
3 Oct 2025
In this article Viktor Dietrich, Research Director for infrastructure, venture capital and natural capital, revisits the case for investing in European infrastructure equity. He suggests reasons why small-to-mid-sized opportunities should feature prominently on investors’ radar.
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Energy-intensive industries: Unlocking low-carbon investment
16 Sep 2025
Vital industries for UK growth like steel or cement are also energy intensive, and their decarbonisation is essential. We convened a roundtable of experts to discuss barriers and solutions to unlocking low-carbon investment opportunities.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q2 2025
14 Aug 2025
In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Building advantage: Finding a competitive edge in European high yield real estate debt
14 Jul 2025
While opportunities in European high yield real estate debt remain, growing competition underscores the need for deep market expertise, a robust underwriting framework, and disciplined deal selection to identify and capture resilient value.
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MegaTRENDs: Why TRENDs matter for investing in private markets
27 Jun 2025
A set of megatrends is reshaping the world, creating new opportunities and risks for investments in private markets.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q1 2025
16 May 2025
In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Private debt for DC pensions: The multi-sector opportunity
11 Feb 2025
As the search for better retirement outcomes for the 28 million members of the UK’s defined contribution (DC) pension schemes continues, where are the opportunities for DC investors in private debt and how can they be harnessed?
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Relative value in private markets: Positive but selective
29 Jan 2025
Using proprietary data, our private markets research team compares risk and return across sectors.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q4 2024
27 Jan 2025
In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macroeconomic conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Infrastructure debt in 2025: Investor research and discipline are key to unlocking value in the sector
23 Jan 2025
European infrastructure debt issuance should pick up as governments look to stimulate their economies and support the energy transition. But with banks keen to fund some of the best opportunities, investors need to maintain their discipline.
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40 years of lending lessons: How four decades in real estate debt has shaped Aviva Investors’ approach
12 Dec 2024
From navigating market crashes to embracing ESG and technology, Adrian Poole and Gregor Bamert reveal how 40 years of real estate debt investing have moulded Aviva Investors’ strategy – and what it takes to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q3 2024
30 Oct 2024
In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Seizing the moment: The outlook for real estate debt
24 Sep 2024
Gregor Bamert, Sima Kotecha and Nick Solomon discuss the recovery in real estate debt markets in 2024 and the opportunities emerging.
Seizing the moment: The outlook for real estate debt
Gregor Bamert, Sima Kotecha and Nick Solomon discuss the recovery in real estate debt markets in 2024 and the opportunities emerging.
Private Markets Study 2025
In the seventh edition of the study, we collected the views of 500 institutional investors around the world. We delved into some of the key questions facing private market investors today: Why do they invest in private markets? How do they expect the asset classes to perform over the next few years? What are the biggest barriers to investing today? And how do they incorporate sustainability?
House View
No one can predict the future. But our quarterly House View sets out the collective wisdom of our investment teams on the current state of global markets – and where they might be heading.
Private debt team
Meet our Private debt investment team.
Munawer Shafi
Managing Director, Multi-Asset (Private Markets) and Head of Structured & Private Corporate Debt
Darryl Murphy
Managing Director, Infrastructure
Gregor Bamert
Head of Real Estate Debt
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Private markets
As one of Europe’s largest private markets investment managers, we have the scale to access the full depth and breadth of private markets.