Scott Adelson on branding
From Episode 482: Houlihan Lokey CEO Scott Adelson on Markets, M&A and Building a Global Powerhouse · · New York Stock Exchange
“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 people less familiar with us.”
On , Scott Adelson, Chief Executive Officer & Director at HOULIHAN LOKEY INC, spoke about branding during Episode 482: Houlihan Lokey CEO Scott Adelson on Markets, M&A and Building a Global Powerhouse on New York Stock Exchange.
About Scott Adelson
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.