# The challenge
A leading US private credit provider with over USD 80 billion in assets under management oversees a diverse portfolio of more than 500 companies, most of them owned by private equity sponsors. Integrating business conduct risk management across such a broad portfolio poses challenges, particularly in monitoring private companies where data coverage is limited. Previous manual processes were time-consuming and incomplete, failing to capture the full range of early warning signs for reputational risk.
“Traditional tools like Google Alerts proved insufficient for comprehensive risk monitoring,” explained the head of the firm's Responsible Investments team. “As investors and stakeholders asked more questions, we realized our monitoring process wasn’t robust enough. We needed portfolio-wide visibility.”
In 2024, the private credit provider signed on to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) initiative and the first reporting exercise highlighted material gaps. The firm identified “monitoring” and “climate” as key areas for improvement and concluded that portfolio monitoring needed to become a major focus.
# The solution
The private credit firm began piloting RepRisk, which the company recognized as the leading provider in reputational risk monitoring. RepRisk has been monitoring business conduct risk incidents since 2007, offering unparalleled historical depth, proven accuracy, and a consistent methodology that newer providers lack. The pilot confirmed RepRisk’s ability to provide coverage across private companies, track risk incidents, and align with SASB standards, which the firm uses in its internal scorecards.
“The ability to analyze incidents by SASB focus area proved particularly valuable,” the head of the firm’s Responsible Investments team explained, “especially as investors increasingly expect thematic reporting.”
Today, RepRisk is fully integrated into the firm’s investment process:
- Due diligence: The firm uses RepRisk to screen new opportunities, assess historical risk incidents, and determine risk levels. Results feed into an internal scorecard alongside other due diligence from legal and environmental consultants.
- Monitoring: Post-investment, the firm relies on RepRisk’s watchlist feature to monitor all portfolio borrowers and receive alerts on any new reputational and business conduct risks.
- Engagement: RepRisk helps identify when specific companies should be monitored more closely. For example, if a company’s RepRisk score rises into the medium-risk range, the team reviews whether enhanced monitoring is warranted.
Feedback from the broader team had been positive, with users finding the platform intuitive and easy to navigate.
Case in action:
A portfolio borrower – a food manufacturer – was linked to potential child labor. RepRisk initially flagged the issue and continued to track follow-up developments, providing a reliable way for the firm to monitor the situation. The team quickly aligned with internal stakeholders across enterprise risk and communications to assess the situation. They then engaged directly with the borrower and its sponsor to ensure appropriate controls were implemented. By the time the issue became more widely reported and investors started to ask questions, the firm was well prepared to communicate the remedial actions taken by both the sponsor and the company’s management.
# The impact
RepRisk strengthened the firm’s ability to systematically manage business conduct risks and demonstrate effective due diligence to stakeholders:
- Risk visibility: RepRisk provides portfolio-wide monitoring, allowing the firm to identify when a borrower requires closer attention.
- Efficiency: With over 500 companies to monitor, RepRisk offers a scalable solution beyond what manual monitoring could achieve.
- Engagement: RepRisk alerts enable timely and proactive engagement with borrowers, sponsors, and investors to address emerging risks.
- Credibility: RepRisk’s long history – monitoring incidents since 2007 – provides a depth of data newer providers lack.
# Why it matters
RepRisk empowers private credit providers with actionable insights into business conduct risks that can affect the value of their investments and relationships. By delivering relevant and reliable data, RepRisk enables clients to make informed decisions quickly and confidently, supporting effective due diligence and proactive risk management.
Learn more
Stay ahead of emerging risks and join the ranks of top-performing asset managers who rely on RepRisk for robust, portfolio-wide reputational risk monitoring. Request a demo today.
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