BlackRock Direct Lending Corp. COO Resigns; Dan Worrell Appointed

What Happened
BlackRock Direct Lending Corp. filed an 8‑K on Sept. 25, 2026 reporting that Patrick Wolfe informed the company he will resign as Chief Operating Officer, effective at the close of business on December 18, 2026, to pursue opportunities outside of BlackRock, Inc. The filing states his resignation is not due to any disagreement with the company or BlackRock, Inc. On Sept. 25, 2026 the Board appointed Dan Worrell as the Company’s COO, also effective at the close of business on December 18, 2026.

Key Details

• Filing date: September 25, 2026 (8‑K, Item 5.02).
• Resignation effective date: December 18, 2026 (close of business) — Patrick Wolfe leaving to pursue other opportunities; no disagreement reported.
• Successor: Dan Worrell appointed COO effective December 18, 2026; he will also serve as COO of BlackRock Private Credit Fund (BDEBT) and BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. (TCPC) effective the same date.
• Background on Dan Worrell: Managing Director of BlackRock, former Co‑CIO for the funds through Nov 6, 2024–Sept 2, 2026, senior leader in BlackRock’s Private Financing Solutions U.S. core middle market direct lending strategy; holds an MBA from Columbia University.

Why It Matters
This is an executive-level operational change that investors should note for governance and management continuity. The appointment of an internal, experienced leader (Dan Worrell) across the company and related funds suggests continuity in portfolio oversight and strategy. The filing explicitly states Wolfe’s resignation is not due to any disagreement, which reduces immediate governance concerns disclosed in this report.