Blackstone has announced a leadership transition within its Tactical Opportunities division. Chris James, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer and a founding member of Blackstone Tactical Opportunities (Tac Opps), will assume the role of Global Head of Tac Opps. He takes over from David Blitzer, who will become chairman at the end of the year.
Additionally, Jas Khaira and Qasim Abbas have been promoted to lead roles. Khaira will be Head of Tactical Opportunities Americas, while Abbas will take on the position of Head of Tactical Opportunities International.
The Tactical Opportunities platform was launched by Blackstone in 2012 to explore private investment opportunities beyond traditional private equity and credit. The platform currently manages $37 billion in assets, making it the largest structured capital solutions platform globally.
Steve Schwarzman, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Blackstone, along with Jon Gray, President & COO, expressed confidence in James's appointment: “Chris James is the ideal choice to lead Tac Opps. He helped found the business and has run it day-to-day alongside David since its inception – playing an integral role in its success."
James commented on his new role: “I am excited to take on this new position and, alongside my partners Qasim and Jas, lead the deeply talented Tactical Opportunities team.”
Blitzer praised his colleagues' promotions: “We are pleased to have three of our senior partners take on these new positions to further the growth and success of the business.”
Before joining Tac Opps in 2012, James played a key role in launching several businesses at Blackstone. Abbas leads Tac Opps’ European operations while Khaira focuses on digital infrastructure investments.
Last year saw Blackstone announce its fourth Tactical Opportunities Fund (BTO IV), expected to reach nearly $10 billion in new capital. Notable investments include CoreWeave and Hipgnosis.