The Mountain Ridge team combines a passion for relationship lending with deep experience in asset-based solutions.
We invite potential borrowers, borrower representatives, and partners to contact any Mountain Ridge team member.
Craig Winslow, Chief Executive Officer
Craig combines national-scale ABL experience with a personalized focus on every borrower
Craig Winslow
Chief Executive Officer
Craig Winslow has been devoted to asset-based lending since day one of his career as an ABL field examiner auditing loans. Many loans later, Craig became a managing director at GE Capital and chief credit officer of GE Capital’s Retail Finance Group, with responsibility for that firm’s entire US and Canadian retail loan portfolio. Craig was also deputy risk officer at the middle-market consumer growth investment firm L Catterton. Craig has a special expertise in turnaround and restructuring challenges. He is a longtime volunteer with Junior Achievement, the nonprofit business education group for young people.
Bill Drmacich, Managing Director, Originations
Bill brings a relationship focus and deep lending experience across the Southeast region
Bill Drmacich
Managing Director, Originations
Bill Drmacich is well known for his ability to build excellent working relationships with prospective and current borrowers and to develop creative financing solutions to meet their needs. He’s also an adept integrator of sponsors, consultants, and investment bankers who may be seeking creative credit solutions for their clients.
Bill has been part of the financial community in the Southeast for more than two decades and knows that region particularly well. Before joining Mountain Ridge, he was a managing director with Ares Management in Atlanta, and before that, an SVP with CIT and a VP with GMAC Commercial Finance and HSBC.
Jay Fabian, CFA, Managing Director, Originations
Jay’s financial analysis skill helps drive custom credit solutions across the Midwest and West
Jay Fabian, CFA
Managing Director, Originations
Jay Fabian is Mountain Ridge’s originator in the Midwest and West regions and brings experience across many aspects of commercial lending. He previously was a director for ABL at First Merchants in Milwaukee, where he served many asset-intensive manufacturers and distributors throughout the Midwest, and before that, managing director at Stonegate Capital (with an emphasis on consumer and industrial) in Chicago and a loan originator, analyst, and auditor at Wells Fargo Capital Finance in Chicago and Minneapolis.
Besides being an experienced asset-based loan specialist, Jay is also a CFA charterholder, a combination that helps him bring effective, creative solutions to borrowers to help them meet their goals.
Daniel Williams, Managing Director, Business Development
Dan combines innovative deal structuring with a strong focus on building relationships
Daniel Williams
Managing Director, Business Development
Dan Williams has deep experience meeting the credit needs of middle-market businesses. He began his career developing a keen understanding of collateral values at Gordon Brothers in Boston, then served in a variety of lending roles within BankBoston/Fleet’s nationally focused retail finance group.
Dan then joined GE Capital’s retail finance group in New York, where he helped build a national retail- and consumer-focused leader. He has also led business development efforts across platforms at HSBC, BNP Paribas, and most recently Eclipse Business Capital. Dan is focused on Northeast market coverage from his home base in New Jersey and travels frequently around the New York, Philadelphia, and Boston area to learn about and serve clients.
Michael Carlson, Director, Business Development
Michael’s long experience in private credit serves borrowers well in the Rockies and West Coast regions
Michael Carlson
Director, Business Development
Michael Carlson originates loans in the Rockies and West regions and brings experience in many aspects of private credit. He was previously a vice president in lending at HPS Investment Partners, Chicago, and before that was at NXT Capital, where he focused on sponsor-backed transactions and portfolio monitoring. He also served as a commercial lender at Vectra Bank and an investment specialist for Cascade Investment in Seattle.
In addition to more than a decade of experience in private credit, Michael has experience in public markets and is a CFA charterholder. Now based in Aspen, CO, Michael brings a wide range of knowledge and experience to providing creative and effective solutions for borrowers.
Trevor Courtney, Vice President, Originations
Trevor’s entrepreneurial approach brings custom solutions to clients across the Plains and Southwest
Trevor Courtney
Vice President, Originations
Trevor Courtney serves Mountain Ridge Capital clients chiefly in the Plains and Southwest regions, having come to Mountain Ridge after originating buyout transactions for private equity at Dinan & Company and, most recently, originating debt and equity transactions for the Corporate Private Investments team at Mountain Ridge’s parent company, Arena Investors.
Trevor’s approach to lending in the lower-middle market is creative and entrepreneurial. He has often brought the first institutional capital to companies in this size range, making him an ideal partner to understand and help solve funding needs for businesses across a wide range of life-cycle stages.
Tree Buckingham, EVP Operations
Tree is a longtime innovator in customer-centric secured finance
Tree Buckingham
EVP Operations
Tree Buckingham is an experienced asset-based lending pro known for creating efficient platforms that drive a positive borrower experience. Early positions included collateral analyst and underwriter at Guaranty Bank, a provider of financing to mid-market businesses, and senior financial analyst at GMAC Commercial Finance. Tree then held a succession of operational roles at Core Business Credit, NewStar Business Credit, and their purchaser, Sterling National Bank, ultimately as senior managing director at Sterling.
Tree’s driving principle is that a lending culture centered around client satisfaction benefits both lender and borrower alike.
Matthew Salatti, Managing Director of Accounting
Matthew provides expertise across financial disciplines including accounting, planning, and transitional events
Matthew Salatti
Managing Director of Accounting
Matthew Salatti’s expertise includes not only accounting, auditing, financial statement evaluation, tax preparation, and tax planning, but also the financial side of growth- and transition-related business matters including business sales and acquisitions. Matthew is a CPA and a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Greg Gentry, Managing Director, Portfolio and Underwriting
Greg has deep experience in asset-based underwriting and portfolio management
Greg Gentry
Managing Director, Portfolio and Underwriting
Greg Gentry’s three decades of experience in ABL started early—he entered bank management training during college and worked his way through school as an analyst at C&S National Bank (later Bank of America), then became a portfolio manager in the bank’s ABL group. He also served as an ABL field examiner, underwriter, credit officer and loan workout officer.
Greg was also head of underwriting and portfolio for the start-up asset-based lender Core Business Credit, later acquired by Sterling National Bank, and at Sterling, he was senior managing director for ABL. More recently, Greg helped found an ABL group at Bank OZK, where he served as head of underwriting, portfolio and credit.
Claire McNamara, Associate, Portfolio and Underwriting
Claire supports loan structuring and management across industries and regions
Claire McNamara
Associate, Portfolio and Underwriting
Claire McNamara joined Mountain Ridge Capital in 2022. She started her career in asset-based lending at Crestmark, a division of MetaBank, in 2020, ultimately becoming a senior ABL field examiner there with responsibility for loans up to $35 MM. Claire also was a field-exam trainer.
Dylan Walter, Associate, Portfolio and Underwriting
Dylan provides creative solutions to serve middle-market ABL clients with underwriting and loan management
Dylan Walter
Associate, Portfolio and Underwriting
Dylan Walter has worked in asset-based lending for a decade providing field exams and consulting services for a wide variety of lenders, private equity groups and other financial institutions. Before joining Mountain Ridge Capital, he was a senior field examiner and trainer for the Capital Finance division of UMB.
Chris DiFabio, Senior Collateral and Operations Analyst
Chris’s expertise in collateral supports creative finance solutions
Chris DiFabio
Senior Collateral and Operations Analyst
Chris DiFabio joined Mountain Ridge Capital after serving as a risk analyst and credit products officer at Texas Capital Bank and BBVA, respectively. He previously was an assistant vice president and lead collateral analyst at Sterling National Bank, Dallas (now Webster Bank), where he managed a team of collateral analysts and managed high-risk client accounts within the Specialty Finance Portfolio.