On April 25, 2017, the Board of Directors (the Board) of Ares
Commercial Real Estate Corporation (the Company) appointed James
A. Henderson as President and Chief Investment Officer of the
Company.

Mr. Henderson, 47, joined Ares Management as a Partner in the Ares
Real Estate Group and Co-Head of Real Estate Debt in April 2017.
Prior to joining Ares Management, Mr. Henderson held a variety of
leadership roles at Barings Real Estate Advisors, a global advisory
firm, and its predecessor companies Cornerstone Real Estate
Advisors and Babson Capital Management. Most recently, he was Head
of Structured Real Estate Investments at Barings where he oversaw a
leading high yield real estate debt investment platform with teams
in the United States and Europe. Mr. Henderson also led the
development, launch and/or investment of various high yield debt
investment vehicles. Mr. Henderson was Chairman of Barings
Structured Real Estate Investment Committees in the United States
and Europe, a member of Barings Direct Equity and Real Estate
Securities Investment Committees, had a leading role in Barings
real estate private equity activities, and had direct oversight of
a 100-person specialty finance company focused on multifamily
lending. Prior to joining Barings and its predecessor companies
Cornerstone and Babson in 2005, he was a partner at a private
equity real estate firm that owned and operated over 25,000
apartments, which was focused on the acquisition and repositioning
of distressed multifamily assets. Prior to this, he was Vice
President of Development for Oldcastle/CRH where he focused on the
acquisition, repositioning and operation of mid-market operating
companies. He served six years as an officer in the United States
Navy, where he held a variety of roles including engineering,
operations, and navigator of an Aegis Cruiser. Mr. Henderson earned
a B.S. degree with Merit from the United States Naval Academy and
an M.B.A. from Duke University Fuqua School of Business.

In connection with Mr. Hendersons appointment, he received a grant
of 81,710 restricted shares of the Companys common stock, scheduled
to vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first
anniversary of the grant date.

In addition, on April 25, 2017, John H. Bryant notified the Company
that he would not stand for reelection as a director of the Company
when his current term expires at the Companys 2017 Annual Meeting
of Stockholders to be held on June 7, 2017 due to demands on his
time from other professional commitments. Mr. Bryant has served on
the Board since April 2012. Mr. Bryant’s decision not to stand for
re-election as director was based on the demands on his time from
other professional commitments, and not the result of any
disagreement relating to the Company’s operations, policies or
practices.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On April 27, 2017, the Company issued a press release announcing
the appointment of James A. Henderson as President and Chief
Investment Officer of the Company. The text of the press release is
attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.

The information disclosed under this Item 7.01, including Exhibit
99.1 hereto, is being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for
purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing made
under the Securities Act of 1933, except as expressly set forth by
specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits: