Houlihan Lokey Continues to Expand European Financial Sponsors Coverage Team With Senior Hire in France

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Jean-Baptiste Didier Joins as a Managing Director in the Financial Sponsors Group

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, today announced that Jean-Baptiste Didier has joined the firm as a Managing Director in its Financial Sponsors Group, based in Paris.

Mr. Didier will lead the firm’s financial sponsor coverage activities in France, working closely with Christian Keller, Managing Director and Head of European Private Equity Coverage, and senior colleagues across Houlihan Lokey’s global Financial Sponsors Group. His appointment further strengthens the firm’s coverage of the French private equity market and builds on Houlihan Lokey’s continued investment in the country, following its acquisition of a controlling interest in Audere Partners earlier this year.

Mr. Didier joins Houlihan Lokey from Stifel, where he served as a Managing Director and Head of Healthcare Investment Banking France. Prior to that, he was Head of Sponsor and Infrastructure Coverage France at Citi, advising leading private equity firms and infrastructure investors on a broad range of landmark transactions. Earlier in his career, he advised corporate and financial sponsor clients at J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley, building deep expertise across mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and strategic advisory.

His arrival follows the additions of Managing Directors Martin Rezaie in Germany and Neil Price in the U.K. over the past 12 months, as the firm continues to build out its senior talent across key European markets.

“Mr. Didier has an outstanding track record advising many of France’s most prominent private equity firms on complex and high-profile transactions, and his arrival further underscores the exceptional momentum within our Financial Sponsors Group in Europe,” said Mr. Keller. “His deep-rooted connectivity across the private equity ecosystem, combined with his nuanced understanding of the French landscape, will be invaluable as we continue to deliver best-in-class advice and solidify our position as the premier middle-market advisor to alternative capital providers in France and across the broader European ecosystem.”

“Houlihan Lokey has established a world-class proposition that resonates deeply with the alternative capital ecosystem,” said Mr. Didier. “The firm’s combination of global reach, deep industry expertise and its client-centric ethos creates a differentiated offering for financial sponsors. I am delighted to join Houlihan Lokey at such an important stage of its growth in France and look forward to working alongside colleagues across Europe and globally to help clients navigate a complex transaction landscape.”

Houlihan Lokey is among the leading advisors to alternative capital providers, with its Financial Sponsors Group being one of the largest dedicated teams of any investment bank. The global team comprises more than 35 professionals, including 24 Managing Directors, located across ten countries and manages more than 2,000 relationships worldwide, including private equity firms, credit funds, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) is a leading global investment bank recognized for delivering independent strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial sponsors, and governments. With uniquely deep industry expertise, broad international reach, and a partnership approach rooted in trust, the firm provides innovative, integrated solutions across mergers and acquisitions, capital solutions, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Our unmatched transaction volumes provide differentiated, data-driven perspectives that help our clients achieve their most critical goals.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901603974/en/

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Source: Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

Key Terms

private equity financial

Private equity involves investing money directly into private companies or buying out public companies to make them private, with the goal of improving their performance and increasing their value over time. For investors, it offers an opportunity to earn returns by helping companies grow or restructure, often requiring a longer-term commitment and a higher level of involvement than typical stock investments.

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A controlling interest is when a person or group owns enough shares of a company to influence or make decisions about how it is run. It’s similar to having a majority of votes in a group project, giving you the power to guide decisions. For investors, holding a controlling interest means they can significantly affect the company’s direction and policies.

sovereign wealth funds financial

Sovereign wealth funds are large pools of money managed by a country's government, often built from profits earned from natural resources or other national revenues. They invest these funds in global markets to help secure the country's future financial stability and growth. For investors, these funds can influence markets because they have significant resources and long-term investment strategies.