Mr. Appelbaum is a Partner and Co-Head of European Alternative Credit in the Ares Credit Group. He also serves as a member of the Ares Credit Group's Pathfinder Core Investment Committee. Prior to joining Ares in 2020, Mr. Appelbaum was a Partner at Hayfin Capital Management, where he focused on asset backed investments for direct lending and special opportunities strategies. Previously, Mr. Appelbaum was a Managing Director at Gordon Brothers, where he led the European investment and finance practice focusing on asset backed debt and structured equity investments, led the firm's expansion into Australia and served on the board of Gordon Brothers Japan. In addition, he was a Vice President for Gordon Brothers Japan, where he focused on distressed assets. Mr. Appelbaum holds a B.A. from Brandeis University in Economics and an M.A. from the International Business School at Brandeis University in International Economics and Finance.