Navigating the private credit boom

Events > Advisers in Focus

Navigating the private credit boom

Thursday, 16 October 2025

Travis Schindler (Partner, Hewison & Associates Pty. Ltd.)
Calvin Richardson (Senior Investment Consultant, Zenith Investment Partners Pty Limited)
Craig Schloeffel (Head of Private Credit, HMC Private Credit)

Private credit has become one of the most talked-about asset classes. As investors show growing interest, advisers are uniquely positioned to guide a better understanding of this asset class.

This session will explore the factors driving private credit's rise and examine how it can complement modern portfolios by delivering risk-adjusted returns. As new products hit the market, our expert panel will delve into due diligence, and how to have confident client discussions that build trust.

Discover how private credit can shape resilient investment strategies-and learn how to help your clients make the most of what's ahead.

Panel Members

Craig Schloeffel
Head of HMC Private Credit

Craig Schloeffel is the Head of HMC Private Credit, where he leads the strategic growth of the firm's platform across both Commercial Real Estate and Corporate & Asset Finance. He plays a key role in shaping the business's national footprint and scaling its ambitions to become a leading force in Australia's private credit landscape.

With more than 20 years of experience across banking, financial markets, private wealth, lending, and residential construction, Craig brings a uniquely broad and commercially grounded perspective to credit leadership. He began his career in financial planning before progressing into wealth management, holding senior leadership roles within the Commonwealth Bank's Private Wealth and Private Bank divisions. There, he refined his capabilities in strategy development, team leadership, and high-value client engagement.

Craig later transitioned into the residential construction sector as National Sales Manager at a major Australian building company, where he developed deep insights into housing, land development, and borrower needs - experience that continues to inform his approach to credit structuring and risk assessment.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance), a Diploma of Financial Services, and a Master of Applied Finance. His leadership style combines institutional expertise with a pragmatic, people-first approach, underpinned by a strong focus on execution, culture, and long-term value creation.

Travis Schindler
Partner & wealth adviser, Hewison Private Wealth

Travis Schindler is a Partner & Wealth Adviser at Hewison Private Wealth and was named one of Australia's 50 most influential financial advisers in the Financial Standard FS Power50 guide in 2023 and 2024. He has extensive experience across investment markets, superannuation, wealth creation and the design of bespoke, objective-based financial strategies. Travis invests time in understanding each client's unique circumstances, earning their trust and delivering tailored outcomes.

Passionate about investments and financial markets, Travis plays a key role on the Hewison Private Wealth Investment Committee and also contributes as an active member of the Compliance Committee. He advises high-net-worth individuals, business owners and family groups-often through Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs)-to build and transfer multi-generational wealth, while also supporting clients on the pathway to retirement.

Travis holds the highest professional accreditation as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), along with a Bachelor of Business (Banking & Finance), a Master of Financial Planning, and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance. He is also an Accredited SMSF Specialist Adviser (SSA®).

Calvin Richardson
Senior investment consultant, Zenith

Calvin joined Zenith in July 2020. As a Senior Investment Consultant within the Portfolio Solutions team, he is responsible for asset class research, portfolio construction and client relationship management. Previously, Calvin worked as an Investment Analyst at Lonsec within the managed funds research team. In this role, Calvin's primary responsibility involved assessing a range of financial products across both quantitative and qualitative metrics and writing detailed research reports.

Calvin also lectures at Kaplan Business School and is an independent director of the CIMA Society Asia Pacific Board. His professional background is complemented by experience in private wealth and qualifications including the CIMA® designation, a Master of Business (Finance), a Bachelor of Psychological Science, and a Diploma in Financial Planning.

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