James Keenan

James E. Keenan, CFA, Managing Director, is Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of Private Debt for BlackRock, and Chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer of the BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation.

Mr. Keenan leads BlackRock's Private Debt platform that includes infrastructure, real estate debt, private credit, asset-based lending, and securitized credit ranging from investment grade, performing, and opportunistic & mezzanine strategies. He oversees both business and investment strategy across the platform including investment committees, investment processes, risk management & performance.

For nearly 20 years with BlackRock, Mr. Keenan has been instrumental in expanding investment solutions for clients across liquid leveraged finance, private credit, hedge funds, and multi-alternative strategies. Prior to his current role Mr. Keenan was the CIO and Global Head of Credit for BlackRock Alternatives. He previously built and led the firm’s public market credit and leveraged finance business and has been a portfolio manager across a range of liquid, private, hedge funds and multi-strategy credit funds since 2004 alongside private credit businesses.

Mr. Keenan is a member of BlackRock's Global Operating Committee, Portfolio Management Group Executive Committee, and the investment subcommittee of the firm’s Global Executive Committee. He serves on the Investment Committee for BlackRock’s Private Equity Partners, Long-Term Private Capital, and Transition Capital, alongside all the Private Debt strategies.

Mr. Keenan began his career in credit research and trading with UBS Global Asset Management and Columbia Management Group. He earned a BBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1998. He is a member of Notre Dame's Wall Street Committee, its Athletic Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Services, a service and advocacy partnership in New York City.