Marks the fourth consecutive year Churchill has received this accolade

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Churchill Asset Management LLC ("Churchill" or the "Firm"), an investment specialist of Nuveen, announced today that it was named 2024 "Lender Firm of the Year" by The M&A Advisor. The Firm was honored at the 23rd Annual M&A Advisor Awards Gala held in New York City on November 20, 2024.

"We are incredibly proud to have been named Lender Firm of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, a testament to the strength and scale of Churchill's platform and our relationship-driven approach," said Ken Kencel, President & Chief Executive Officer of Churchill. "This recognition reflects the deep partnerships we have formed with our private equity sponsor clients and the continued trust they place in us. I want to thank our incredible team for their unwavering dedication, which has solidified Churchill's position as a market-leading private debt platform."

The M&A Advisor Awards recognize excellence in dealmaking by honoring the firms and professionals whose activities set the standard for the M&A industry. An independent judging committee of top M&A industry experts determined the ultimate recipients of the awards which were revealed at the gala.

"For nearly 26 years, The M&A Advisor has honored the industry's leading M&A transactions, companies, and dealmakers. Churchill represents the best of the M&A industry and stood out among hundreds of impressive participants to be named 2024 Lender of the Year," said Roger Aguinaldo, Founder and CEO of The M&A Advisor. "We are proud to honor the outstanding firms, individuals, and transactions that set the standard for excellence in the industry."

With $50 billion of committed capital, Churchill ranked as the #1 U.S. Direct Lender for 2023 by KBRA Direct Lending Deals1 and the #1 Most Active U.S. Buyouts Lender for Q2 2024 by Pitchbook.2 In addition to providing first lien, unitranche, second lien and mezzanine debt to U.S. middle market private equity firms and their portfolio companies, Churchill also makes equity co-investments, private equity fund commitments, and invests across the secondaries landscape.

1 Source: KBRA DLD 2023 Direct Lending Deals League Tables for any title/role.

2 PitchBook Q2 2024 U.S. PE Lending League Tables

Note: Churchill was selected as one of 4 finalists for "Lender Firm of the Year" in October 2024 by an independent panel of judges appointed by the M&A Advisor. A nominal fee was required to submit a nomination. Churchill was chosen as winner in November 2024.

About Churchill Asset Management

Churchill, an investment-specialist affiliate of Nuveen (the asset manager of TIAA), provides customized financing solutions to U.S. middle market private equity firms and their portfolio companies across the capital structure. With over $50 billion of committed capital, we provide first lien, unitranche, second lien and mezzanine debt, in addition to equity co-investments, secondary solutions and private equity fund commitments. Churchill has a long history of disciplined investing across multiple economic cycles and our unique origination strategy and investment approach are driven by nearly 200 professionals in New York, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. To learn more, visit

About The M&A Advisor

Now in its 26th year, The M&A Advisor was founded to offer insights and intelligence on mergers and acquisitions, establishing the industry's leading media outlet in 1998. Today, the firm is recognized as the world's premier leadership organization for mergers & acquisition, restructuring and corporate finance professionals, delivering a range of integrated services, including the most active online community of M&A professionals called M&A Connects. .

Award methodology: The M&A Advisor uses both real-time and historical information on companies, markets, deals, and people that are represented in the nomination submissions. An independent committee of M&A, restructuring and deal financing industry business leaders will judge all nominations. The judging will be conducted in a secure datasite using exclusive and trusted technology to ensure that all eligible nominations are processed, evaluated securely and confidentially. For full details on award methodology, go to . A nominal fee was required to submit a nomination.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investments carry a certain degree of risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no assurance that an investment will provide positive performance over any period of time. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons. There is no guarantee that investment objectives will be achieved.

Any published third-party rankings, awards or similar groupings have inherent limitations and qualifications, and are not indicative of the experience of any client or investor or of the future performance of any product described herein.

Churchill Asset Management is a registered investment advisor and majority-owned, indirect subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America. Certain products are distributed by Nuveen Securities, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC.

Prosek Partners
pro-churchill@prosek.com