Jay Braden is the CEO and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Mesirow Alternative Credit. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the business and participates in all aspects of the investment process. Jay is a voting member of the business’ Investment Committee. 

Before joining Mesirow, Jay was the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Bastion Management, which became part of Mesirow in December 2024. Prior to founding Bastion in 2013, Jay was President of Castillo, LLC, a US investment firm, and before that, he served as Managing Director and Co-Head of High Yield at Wachovia Securities where he led a team of 60+ professionals. Earlier in his career, Jay also held senior roles at Smith Barney and Bear Stearns. 

Jay holds a B.A. from Roanoke College and an MBA from The Wharton School.