Houlihan Lokey Expands Financial Sponsors Coverage Capabilities with Experienced Hire

Valerie Shapiro Joins as a Managing Director to Cover Credit Investors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, announced today that Val Shapiro has joined the firm’s Financial Sponsors Group as a Managing Director to support and expand the team’s credit coverage efforts, focusing on alternative asset managers, hedge funds, credit funds, and collateralized loan obligations. She is based in New York.

“We are absolutely delighted that Val has chosen to bring her deep experience and extensive market relationships to the Houlihan Lokey team. Her credibility among credit investors, technical expertise, and transaction experience required to address the needs of clients who are facing large and complex distressed situations, alongside an outstanding network of industry relationships in the credit space, will prove tremendously beneficial to our clients as we continue to enhance our credit coverage capabilities,” said Kevin Salmini, Global Head of the Financial Sponsors Group at Houlihan Lokey.

Ms. Shapiro has joined from Ankura Consulting, where she was a Senior Managing Director in its Turnaround & Restructuring Group and head of the firm’s Revenue team. Prior to Ankura, she was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, managing leveraged loan and high-yield bond investments for issuers across several sectors, including food and beverage, retail, industrials, and business services, among others. Ms. Shapiro also has held roles at Onex Credit Partners and Deutsche Bank.

“Val’s buyside background in credit investing across the distressed investing marketplace adds unique and valuable specialist expertise that meaningfully enhances the advice we can offer our clients. Her approach to client service is a perfect match with our corporate culture, and we’re excited that she has joined what is now among the largest credit advisory teams in financial services,” said John Mavredakis, Chairman of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Sponsors Group.

“Houlihan Lokey’s team-oriented, client-centric ethos and its ability to draw from its vast array of services to guide its clients to success is incredibly compelling. I am excited to partner with my colleagues in Financial Sponsors, Financial Restructuring, and Capital Markets to continue to deliver superior advice to our client base around the world,” said Ms. Shapiro.

Houlihan Lokey is among the leading advisors to alternative capital providers, and our Financial Sponsors Group is the largest of its kind. Our global team of 30 senior bankers in seven countries manages close to 2,000 relationships around the world, from private equity to credit funds and family offices to sovereign wealth funds. Ms. Shapiro becomes the sixth professional within the Financial Sponsors Group delivering focused, bespoke advice to our global credit-oriented client base.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of the firm’s commitment to client success across its advisory services. The firm is the No. 1 investment bank for all global M&A transactions, the No. 1 M&A advisor for the past nine consecutive years in the U.S., the No. 1 global restructuring advisor for the past ten consecutive years, and the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 25 years, all based on number of transactions and according to data provided by LSEG (formerly Refinitiv).