8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 1, 2022

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Maryland	001-38082	47-2009094
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

30 Hudson Yards, Suite 7500
New York, New York	10001
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 750-8300

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share	KREF	New York Stock Exchange
6.50% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share	KREF PRA	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On February 1, 2022, the Board of Directors of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. (the “Company”) elected Matthew Salem, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, as a director effective as of February 1, 2022.  Mr. Salem will continue to serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Biographical information for Mr. Salem can be found in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2021 and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On February 3, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing the matters set forth in Item 5.02 above relating to Mr. Salem.  A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

As provided in General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this Item 7.01 and the exhibit furnished hereunder shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, nor shall they be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release dated February 3, 2022
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File, formatted in Inline XBRL (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc.
By:	/s/ Vincent J. Napolitano
	Name:	Vincent J. Napolitano
	Title:	General Counsel and Secretary

Date: February 3, 2022

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Matthew Salem Appointed to Board of Directors of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc.

NEW YORK — KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. (the “Company” or “KREF”) (NYSE: KREF) announced that the Company’s Board of Directors elected Matthew Salem, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, as a director effective February 1, 2022.  Mr. Salem will continue to serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Ralph Rosenberg, Global Head of KKR Real Estate and Chairman of KREF’s Board of Directors stated: “We are pleased to welcome Matt to the Board of Directors. KREF has benefited significantly from Matt’s leadership since its inception, and we look forward to his added insight and perspective as he joins the Board.”

About Matt Salem

Matt Salem joined KKR in 2015 and is a Partner and Head of KKR Real Estate Credit, and Chief Executive Officer of KREF. He sits on KKR’s Real Estate Equity and Credit Investment Committees.

Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Salem was a managing director at Rialto Capital Management. Before joining Rialto in 2012, he was a managing director and head of CMBS trading at Goldman Sachs. Before joining Goldman Sachs in 2006, Mr. Salem held positions at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Alternative Investments where he invested in mezzanine debt and other high yield CRE credit on behalf of the Travelers Insurance Companies. He began his career in 1996 at Midland Loan Services in Kansas City. Mr. Salem has a B.A. in Economics from Bates College. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council and as Chair of the B-Piece Buyer Forum.

About KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. is a real estate finance company that focuses primarily on originating and acquiring senior loans secured by commercial real estate properties. KREF is externally managed and advised by an affiliate of KKR & Co. Inc. For additional information about KREF, please visit its website at www.kkrreit.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to it. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to the Company or are within its control. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law. Information about factors affecting the Company and the forward-looking statements is available in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT:Cara Major or Miles Radcliffe-Trenner(212) 750-8300

media@kkr.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:Jack Switala

(212) 763-9048

kref-ir@kkr.com

XML

Document and Entity Information	Feb. 01, 2022
Entity Listings [Line Items]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Feb. 01, 2022
Entity Registrant Name	KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	MD
Entity File Number	001-38082
Entity Tax Identification Number	47-2009094
Entity Address, Address Line One	30 Hudson Yards
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 7500
Entity Address, City or Town	New York
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	10001
City Area Code	212
Local Phone Number	750-8300
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Central Index Key	0001631596
Common Stock [Member]
Entity Listings [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	KREF
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
6.50% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share [Member]
Entity Listings [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	6.50% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	KREF PRA
Security Exchange Name	NYSE