Houlihan Lokey Hires Veteran Banker to Lead Coverage Effort in Latin America

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) has hired Mayra Fregonesi as a Managing Director in its Financial Sponsors Group, based in São Paulo, to lead the firm’s coverage efforts in Latin America.

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Mayra Fregonesi Joins as a Managing Director in São Paulo

SÃO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, announced today that Mayra Fregonesi has joined the firm as a Managing Director in the Financial Sponsors Group. Ms. Fregonesi is based in São Paulo and will lead the firm’s coverage efforts for Latin America.

Ms. Fregonesi brings more than 25 years of experience across private capital markets, with deep, senior-level institutional relationships and a track record in capital formation, complex capital solutions, and strategic partnerships. She joins from alternative investments firm Patria Investments Ltd., where she was a Managing Director and Global Head of Key Accounts, working with leading institutional investors globally across the firm’s private markets strategies and developing tailored investment solutions, including separately managed accounts and co-investments. Prior to Patria, Ms. Fregonesi was Head of Investor Relations and Fundraising at GP Investments Ltd. She began her career at Merrill Lynch.

”Mayra brings deep, global relationships across the private markets ecosystem, including alternative investment firms, family and multifamily offices, conglomerates, sovereign wealth funds, and other leading institutional investors. Her track record working with clients and tailoring solutions to their needs is a perfect fit for our platform as we hone and expand our suite of products and services to meet the evolving and often bespoke needs of our clients across Latin America,” said Bruno Baratta, Houlihan Lokey’s Head of Brazil.

“We have built our financial sponsors franchise by putting senior, deeply relationship-driven investment bankers close to their clients,” said Kevin Salmini, Global Head of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Sponsors Group. “Mayra brings two decades of exactly those relationships across Latin America, and connecting this client base to the full breadth of our platform is a natural next step for the franchise,” he added.

“Latin America is at an important point in the private capital cycle, with sponsors increasingly seeking liquidity, capital, and strategic solutions, while local and international investors continue to pursue attractive opportunities across the region,” said Ms. Fregonesi. “I am excited to broaden the way I serve clients and relationships I have built over many years by connecting them to the full capabilities of Houlihan Lokey’s global platform. The firm’s pre-eminence in private capital advisory, M&A, and financial restructuring, together with its deep sector expertise, global reach, and local execution capabilities, creates a powerful platform to serve clients in Latin America wherever their needs and opportunities may take them. Its independence, corporate culture, and approach to client service match perfectly with my own ‘client-first’ philosophy, and I look forward to partnering with Bruno and my colleagues around the world to deliver the full breadth of the firm’s capabilities to our clients.”

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. To learn more about Houlihan Lokey, please visit HL.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260908541670/en/

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PR@HL.com

Source: Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

Key Terms

private capital markets financial

Private capital markets are venues where companies raise money from non-public sources such as private equity firms, venture capitalists, and private lenders rather than by selling shares on a stock exchange. They matter to investors because they offer access to potentially higher returns and different risks—like illiquidity, less transparency, and longer time horizons—so they can diversify a portfolio much as adding a rare collectible complements everyday stocks.

capital formation financial

Capital formation is the process by which businesses and economies gather money needed to grow and operate, for example through reinvesting profits, selling shares, or taking on loans. Think of it as filling a fuel tank that powers expansion, product development, or new projects. For investors, how effectively and cheaply capital is raised affects a company’s growth prospects, profit potential and the risk or dilution of existing holdings.

separately managed accounts financial

A separately managed account is an investment portfolio owned by a single investor but professionally managed to that investor’s specific goals and preferences, rather than pooled with other clients’ money. It matters to investors because it offers greater customization, tax control and transparency—like hiring a personal chef instead of eating from a shared buffet—though it often requires higher minimums and can have different fee and liquidity implications.

co-investments financial

Co-investments are situations where one or more investors put money directly into a specific deal alongside a lead investor, rather than only investing in a pooled fund. Think of it like joining a friend to buy a single rental property instead of contributing to a real estate club; co-investing can give investors bigger exposure to a particular opportunity, lower overall fees, and more control, but also concentrates risk in that single investment.