NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Houlihan Lokey, the international investment bank, today announced that Arik Rashkes has joined the firm as a Managing Director in the firm's Financial Institutions Group (FIG). He is based in New York, covering the insurance sector.
Mr. Rashkes joins from Blackstone Advisory Partners, where he was a Managing Director with primary responsibility for sourcing and executing M &A transactions in the insurance sector. Prior to Blackstone, he spent five years in Deutsche Bank's Financial Institutions Group, leading the execution of both domestic and cross-border deals involving a broad range of insurance companies. He began his career at Citi in 1999.
"Arik has led complex transactions involving nearly every type of insurance client, ranging from life, property and casualty companies, specialty insurance, and brokers, to reinsurers among others," said Michael McMahon, Co-Head of FIG at Houlihan Lokey. "His skill set and breadth of experience will be incredibly beneficial to our clients and our coverage efforts in the insurance sector," he continued.
"Houlihan Lokey's suite of products and services, together with its significant industry expertise, is unique on the Street—particularly in the financial services sector. I'm excited to join an independent advisory firm with this combination of attributes and I look forward to working with my colleagues across the firm," said Mr. Rashkes.
To further support the firm's expansion of its insurance coverage effort, Juan Guzman has recently joined FIG as a Senior Vice President, also based in New York. Mr. Guzman joins from Blackstone Advisory Partners where he was a Vice President in that firm's Financial Institutions Group working alongside Mr. Rashkes. Prior to Blackstone, Mr. Guzman held roles at Prudential Financial and Bear, Stearns & Co.
"We continue to see significant activity and tremendous opportunity across the insurance sector," said Gene Weil, Co-Head of FIG. "We wanted to build on the successes we've achieved to date serving our clients in this market and expand our coverage capabilities, and both Arik and Juan are outstanding additions to the team. They will join Craig Tessimond in providing coverage and advisory services to the insurance sector. We're delighted that they have joined Houlihan Lokey," he added.
Mr. Rashkes holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the Arison School of Business at IDC–Herzliya in Israel and an MBA from the Columbia Business School at Columbia University. Mr. Guzman holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business.
Houlihan Lokey is an international investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, valuation, and strategic consulting. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of our commitment to client success across our advisory services. Houlihan Lokey is ranked as the No. 1 M &A advisor for U.S. transactions under $5 billion, the No. 1 global restructuring advisor, and the No. 1 M &A fairness opinion advisor for U.S. transactions over the past 10 years, according to Thomson Reuters. For more information, please visit www.HL.com.
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