Aren LeeKong

Aren LeeKong is Vice Chairman of Global Credit, Head of Direct Lending, and CEO of the Business Development Companies at Carlyle. He also serves on the Private Investment Committee at Carlyle. He was formerly the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of 7 Acquisition Corp (7AC), an ESG-focused special purpose acquisition company. 

Mr. LeeKong was previously the Executive Chairman of Organix Recycling, the largest pre-consumer food waste hauling company in the United States. As Executive Chairman of Organix, he led the company’s financial and operational turnaround.

Mr. LeeKong was previously a member of the External Investment Advisory Committee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund. He was also formerly a Managing Director of Highbridge Principal Strategies (“HPS”) and a Co-Portfolio Manager of HPS’s Strategic Capital Partners strategy. Prior to joining HPS in 2011, he held senior roles at KKR & Co. Inc. and Citigroup.

Aren currently resides in New York with his wife and two daughters. He and his family are committed to expanding opportunities for the less fortunate through increasing the availability of educational opportunities and high-quality healthcare solutions. Aren serves on the Advisory Board of The Family Center, an organization that offers social and legal services to New Yorkers struggling with a family crisis or loss. He has also previously served on the board of directors of SEO, the organization that helped him launch his career.