![no-photo-fix.jpg Austin Melton](/sites/default/files/styles/default/public/ares_importer/images/no-photo-fix.jpg?itok=XY-NC_mi)
Mr. Smith is a Vice President in the Ares Credit Group, where he focuses on U.S. direct lending. Prior to joining Ares in 2018, Mr. Smith was an Investment Banking Analyst at J.P. Morgan, where he focused on leveraged finance. Mr. Smith holds a B.A., cum laude, from The University of Southern California in Business Administration.