Company Overview

Ares Management Corporation is a global alternative investment manager that operates across the credit, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and secondary investment markets. The firm manages capital on behalf of institutional investors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, financial intermediaries, and high-net-worth investors. Ares generates revenue primarily through management fees, performance-related earnings, and investment income tied to assets under management across its diversified platform. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ARES and has expanded into multiple private markets strategies through both organic growth and acquisitions.

The company traces its origins to 1997, when it was founded by investment professionals including Antony Ressler, John Kissick, and David Kaplan. Over time, Ares evolved from a credit-focused investment platform into a diversified alternative asset manager with significant scale across global private markets. Its strategic positioning has been strengthened by long-duration institutional relationships, broad fundraising capabilities, and integrated sourcing networks across corporate, real estate, and infrastructure investments. Ares has also differentiated itself through its emphasis on direct lending and private credit strategies, areas that have experienced significant institutional demand as banks reduced portions of traditional middle-market lending activity.

Business Operations

Ares organizes its operations primarily through the investment segments of Credit Group, Private Equity Group, Real Assets Group, and Secondaries Group. The Credit Group represents the company’s largest business line and includes direct lending, syndicated loans, alternative credit, structured credit, and liquid credit products. The Real Assets Group encompasses real estate equity, real estate debt, and infrastructure investments, while the Private Equity Group focuses on corporate control investments and special opportunities. The Secondaries Group manages secondary market transactions involving private equity and other alternative investment interests. Revenue is generated largely from recurring management fees tied to fee-paying assets under management, supplemented by carried interest and investment performance income.

Ares operates across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other international markets through a network of offices and investment teams. The firm controls a broad platform of investment advisory capabilities, proprietary sourcing relationships, and private market underwriting expertise. Significant strategic relationships have included partnerships with institutional capital providers and insurance-related investment mandates. Ares has also expanded through acquisitions and integrations involving firms such as Landmark Partners, which strengthened its secondary investment capabilities, and infrastructure-focused investment operations that broadened exposure to energy transition and digital infrastructure sectors.

Strategic Position & Investments

Ares has pursued a long-term strategy centered on expanding its alternative investment platform, increasing fee-related earnings, and scaling recurring management revenues. The firm has emphasized growth in private credit, infrastructure, real estate, and wealth management distribution channels. Ares has increasingly targeted individual investor access to private markets through partnerships with financial advisors and semi-liquid investment products, reflecting broader industry demand for alternative investment exposure outside traditional institutional channels.

Major strategic investments and acquisitions have included the acquisition of Landmark Partners, expansion of infrastructure investment capabilities, and continued development of insurance solutions and asset-backed finance strategies. The company has also increased exposure to sectors tied to digital infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics real estate, and private capital solutions. Ares maintains a diversified portfolio of affiliated investment strategies and subsidiaries designed to support fundraising scale, investment sourcing, and cross-platform client relationships. Public disclosures and investor materials consistently identify private credit and real assets as major long-term growth priorities.

Geographic Footprint

Ares Management Corporation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with substantial operational and investment offices across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. The company maintains a significant presence in major financial centers including New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Dubai. Its global investment platform supports lending, acquisitions, infrastructure development, and real estate investments across both developed and selected emerging markets.

The company’s investment influence extends across multiple continents through direct investments, co-investment structures, institutional partnerships, and regionally focused funds. Ares has developed international exposure particularly in European private credit markets, Asia-Pacific real estate and infrastructure opportunities, and global secondary investment transactions. Its diversified geographic footprint supports both fundraising and deployment capabilities, allowing the firm to access a broad range of institutional investors and investment opportunities worldwide.

Leadership & Governance

Ares Management Corporation is led by a senior executive team with backgrounds in alternative investments, credit markets, private equity, and institutional asset management. The company’s leadership philosophy has emphasized disciplined capital allocation, long-term investor relationships, and expansion across scalable alternative investment strategies. Governance oversight is provided through a board structure that includes founders, senior executives, and independent directors with financial and investment management expertise.

Key executives include:

• Michael J. Arougheti – Chief Executive Officer and President
• Antony P. Ressler – Executive Chairman and Co-Founder
• David B. Kaplan – Co-Founder and Director
• Kipp deVeer – Partner and Head of the Credit Group
• Mitch Goldstein – Partner and Co-Head of the Credit Group
• Bennett Rosenthal – Co-Founder and Co-Head of the Private Equity Group
• Michael Weiner – Chief Financial Officer
• Blair Jacobson – Co-President
• R. David Sachs – Co-Head of the Real Assets Group
• Jill M. Granoff – Independent Chair of the Board