Chief Executive Officer & Director, Houlihan Lokey
Search every verified Scott Adelson interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Scott Adelson, CEO of Houlihan Lokey, discussed the firm's performance and strategy in an August 2025 podcast. He described the M&A landscape as having rebounded in 2025, driven by stable interest rates and improved market conditions, while noting an "elevated restructuring environment." Adelson stated that the firm's 2015 NYSE listing was "the single best branding exercise we've ever had," particularly outside the U.S. He characterized his transition to CEO as "more about changing seats at a table than anything else," adding that the leadership team has been running the company for a long time and that the firm's direction remains consistent. Adelson emphasized Houlihan Lokey's midcap focus and its data sets from being a leading transaction, restructuring, and valuation firm, which he said will enable better decisions in an AI-driven world. In a 2017 interview, Adelson identified retail as the most stressed sector for restructuring, comparing its potential opportunity to the earlier energy downturn. He noted that while retail is not as large as energy—which represented about 20% of the high-yield debt market—there would still be companies that do not survive. Adelson also pointed to stress in healthcare and technology sectors in certain regions.
“Being listed on the New York Stock Exchange has been the single best branding exercise we've ever had, especially outside the US. When you begin a discussion explaining that we are listed and can articulate our market cap, it just begins the dialogue in a very different manner than having to explain who we are to peopl...”
“Long before we went public, we were really built for virtually any market environment. Over the course of a decade, you see many different market environments, but as long as capital is moving in one direction or another, we've been fortunate to see success in our restructuring business, M&A, and capital solutions busi...”
“Our culture of growth creates opportunities for colleagues coming up through the organization, providing new intellectual and economic opportunities. That commitment to being a growing business is a big part of what keeps people motivated and committed over the long haul.”
“In our mission statement, it talks about giving caring advice. I'm pretty sure there are not a lot of investment banks with that in their mission statement. That desire to give back to the communities we're involved in and to have our clients be heard, not just listened to, defines us in many ways.”
The M&A landscape has rebounded in 2025, driven by stable interest rates, improved market conditions, and rising CEO ...
Jul.11 -- Scott Adelson, co-president at Houlihan Lokey, talks about the potential for restructurings in the retail industry. He speaks ...
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