Theodore Koenig

Chairman & CEO at Monroe Capital LLC

Panellist

Theodore L. Koenig, Chairman and CEO of Monroe Capital LLC. Mr. Koenig also serves as the Chairman, President and CEO of Monroe Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: MRCC), a publicly traded business development company (BDC); and as Chairman, Director and CEO of Monroe Capital Income Plus Corporation. Monroe Capital LLC (“Monroe”) is a premier boutique asset management firm specializing in private credit markets across various strategies, including direct lending, technology finance, venture debt, opportunistic, structured credit, real estate and equity. Since 2004, the firm has been successfully providing capital solutions to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Monroe prides itself on being a value-added and user-friendly partner to business owners, management, and both private equity and independent sponsors. Monroe’s platform offers a wide variety of investment products for both institutional and high net worth investors with a focus on generating high quality “alpha” returns irrespective of business or economic cycles. Monroe has been recognized by both its peers and investors with various awards including Private Debt Investor as the 2023 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Decade, 2022 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Year, 2022 CLO Manager of the Year, Americas; Inc.’s 2023 Founder-Friendly Investors List; Global M&A Network as the 2023 Lower Mid-Markets Lender of the Year, U.S.A.; DealCatalyst as the 2022 Best CLO Manager of the Year; Korean Economic Daily as the 2022 Best Performance in Private Debt – Mid Cap; Creditflux as the 2021 Best U.S. Direct Lending Fund; and Pension Bridge as the 2020 Private Credit Strategy of the Year.

In 2023, Mr. Koenig received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Corporate Growth - Midwest Division for his contribution to the mergers and acquisitions industry over the years. He was also named one of the 30 Top Changemakers driving the evolution and growth of the private credit asset class by Private Debt Investor. In 2021, he received the SFNet Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, for having made significant contributions to the secured finance industry throughout his career. In 2017, he was honored with the Tree of Life Award by the Jewish National Fund in appreciation of his outstanding community involvement, dedication to the cause of American-Israeli friendship, and devotion to peace and the security of human life. In 2016, Mr. Koenig received the Leadership Achievement Award by The Global M&A for his management talents, influence and contributions made to advance and grow their respective organizations as well as markets. In 2014, he was inducted in the Academy of Alumni Fellows of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University for his significant contributions to the art and science of business management. In 2013, Mr. Koenig was awarded the Stanley C. Golder Award by the Illinois Venture Capital Association as a recognized leader in venture/private equity investing and for his profound and lasting contribution to the private equity industry in Illinois. He also received the 2013 Torch of Liberty Award from the Mid-West Region of the Anti-Defamation League recognizing his achievements in both the corporate and philanthropic communities. Mr. Koenig was named the 2012 Middle Market Thought Leader of the Year by The Alliance of Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors (AM&AA) and Grant Thornton LLP recognizing individuals in the mergers and acquisitions profession who create and advocate ideas that are transformative for the industry.

In 2021, Mr. Koenig co-founded HOPE Chicago, a first-of-its-kind two-generation college scholarship program serving inner city Chicago high school students and their parents, covering both tuition and non-tuition expenses. To date, over 4,000 high school students have received college scholarship opportunities under the program.

Prior to founding Monroe Capital in 2004, Mr. Koenig was President and CEO of Hilco Capital LP, a junior secured/mezzanine debt fund established in 2000. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at the Chicago-based law firm of Holleb & Coff as partner and co-chair of the firm’s Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Finance groups, where he supervised and was responsible for structuring, negotiating and documenting acquisitions and sales of middle-market companies as well as representing the firm’s bank, financial institution and commercial finance clients in financing transactions for buyout, growth, recapitalization and restructuring transactions. Before joining Holleb & Coff in 1986, Mr. Koenig spent three years in the Mergers/Acquisitions and Corporate Finance practice group of Winston & Strawn where he was involved mostly in structuring and documenting buyouts, sales and financings for middle market companies.

Mr. Koenig is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University (B.S.) in accounting with high honors and Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D.) with honors. He also successfully passed the Certified Public Accounting Exam. Mr. Koenig is a Director of the Secured Finance Network, and a member of the Turnaround Management Association and the Association for Corporate Growth. Mr. Koenig also serves on the Board of Trustees, Naples Children & Education Foundation; as Director on the Northwestern Medical Group Board of Directors and the Northwestern Medical HealthCare Investment Committee; Board of Trustees, Illinois Institute of Technology; Dean’s Advisory Council, Kelley School of Business at Indiana University; and Board of Advisors, Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Mr. Koenig is a frequent lecturer to various business and financial organizations and has published numerous articles in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate and leverage buyout finance, and general business and economic trends.