French debt specialist Tikehau Capital has made a senior hire to its direct lending team to help expand the business internationally, as fundraising for the sector hits the highest level on record.

Carmen Alonso takes on a newly created role leading Tikehau's direct lending activities in the UK, Spain, Germany and Scandinavia. She joined its London office on Wednesday, according to the firm's co-founder Mathieu Chabran, and will report to Cecile Mayer-Levi and Jean Baptiste Feat, who lead the firm's private debt team.