Houlihan Lokey hires Alec Ellison to lead new FinTech group
Industry veteran to lead new industry group dedicated to financial technology; Ellison has also been appointed Chief Innovation Officer
LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK, April 4, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, today announced that it has hired technology investment banking veteran Alec Ellison as Global Head of FinTech, a newly dedicated industry group that builds on the firm’s leading technology and financial services expertise and underlines its view of and commitment to financial technology as a fundamental element of the financial ecosystem. In addition, Mr. Ellison has been named Chief Innovation Officer, Corporate Finance, a new role at Houlihan Lokey.
As Global Head of FinTech, Mr. Ellison is based in New York and leads a team of more than 30 financial professionals based in New York, London and Los Angeles. The team will coordinate closely with its partners in the financial services and technology industry groups, as well as capital markets, financial restructuring and finance and valuation teams to ensure comprehensive coverage and customer service to the firm’s fintech clients.
Mr. Ellison has more than three decades of experience advising hundreds of clients across the technology sector. He joins Houlihan Lokey from fintech pioneer OurCrowd, the world’s largest digital venture and growth investment platform, where he served as US Chairman. Prior to OurCrowd, Mr. Ellison was a Deputy Chairman of Jefferies and a member of the Executive Committee. He held various roles over time, including head of the Technology Investment Banking Group. He had previously been president of Broadview International, having joined Jefferies following the acquisition of Broadview in 2003. Mr. Ellison began his investment banking career at Morgan Stanley in 1988.
“Alec has an innate understanding of technology trends, deep expertise in financial technology, valuable relationships with key decision makers across the industry, and an outstanding track record of leading successful teams. All these qualities, coupled with a strong cultural match in terms of collegiality and client focus, make him eminently qualified to lead this new group and to ensure our and our clients’ success,” said Scott Adelson, Co-President and Global Co-Head of Corporate Finance at Houlihan Lokey. “FinTech has emerged as one of the most innovative and fastest-growing elements of the already pervasive technology landscape, and in our constant efforts to further improve customer service, it is only logical to establish our FinTech industry group under Alec’s leadership. We could not be more pleased that he has joined Houlihan Lokey.”
“Financial technology continues to grow at a breakneck pace as the digital revolution continues and even accelerates with greater use of AI. Despite the current challenges many fintech companies face as valuations have fallen from the pandemic-induced euphoria , the overall market is in its early stages. Challenges ranging from broad underserved markets to ensuring safe transactions to dealing with the inevitable growth of regulation from the recent crypto and banking crises remain opportunities to be addressed by both emerging and established players ,” Mr. Ellison said. “Houlihan Lokey is very well positioned to deliver the breadth of M&A and capital raising capabilities these players require, particularly in the mid-cap segment. This requires a unique blend of industry knowledge, market relations, financing expertise and a genuine client-centric ethos, which all Houlihan Lokeys possess and leverage for superior results for its clients. I am excited to join the firm and lead this next step in its evolution.”
In his capacity as Chief Innovation Officer, Corporate Finance, Mr. Ellison will combine his and the firm’s expertise to identify and integrate financial technology innovations into the firm, with the dual goal of improving both client service and firm operations.
“We believe deeply in the evolution, if not the revolution, represented by what we are currently witnessing in fintech and what this paradigm shift can offer Houlihan Lokey. Alec shares the same passion and belief in fintech and we would be remiss not to leverage his experience and expertise as Chief Innovation Officer, combining his knowledge with that we have built up as leaders in technology and financial services M&A and using it to best effect,” said Mr. Adelson.
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 companies, 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. Houlihan Lokey is the No. 1 investment bank for global M&A transactions under $1 billion, the No. 1 M&A advisor for the past eight consecutive years in the U.S., the No. 1 global restructuring advisor for the past nine consecutive years, and the No. 1. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor for the past 25 years, all based on the number of transactions and according to data provided by Refinitiv.
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