Officers & Directors

Scott J. Adelson has served as our Co‑President since 2013, and has been a Senior Managing Director in our Corporate Finance group since 2002. As Co-President, Mr. Adelson is one of Houlihan Lokey’s senior executives responsible for strategic planning, client relations and business development, and manages the firm in conjunction with the other three members of the Office of the Executives. Mr. Adelson also serves as the Global Co‑Head of Corporate Finance. His practice embraces all aspects of corporate finance, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and the issuance of debt and equity capital. He is an active board member of Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. Mr. Adelson completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California and earned his M.B.A. from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business. Mr. Adelson was chosen to be on our board of directors because of his long career in the financial services industry, and because he possesses particular knowledge and experience in strategic planning and board practices of other corporations. Mr. Adelson has been with Houlihan Lokey for more than 35 years.

Ekpedeme M. Bassey is the Chief Learning and Diversity Officer for The Kraft Heinz Company, where she creates an inclusive culture of continuous learning, bold creativity, and intellectual curiosity and drives the company’s global learning and development strategy and initiatives and has served on our board of directors since 2020. Ms. Bassey has deep expertise in learning theories derived from artificial intelligence research and practical experience designing and developing highly rated learning solutions and transformative leadership development programs. Prior to Kraft Heinz, Ms. Bassey served as the Global Head of Learning Platform and Professional Development for BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. Before that, she was president of The Pamay Group, an e-learning design and strategy company. She began her career in Accenture's Media Technologies Group. Ms. Bassey holds a B.S. in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University, with an artificial intelligence concentration, and an M.S. in Computer Science from Northwestern University. She is also on the M&G Etomi Foundation advisory board and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Scott L. Beiser has served as our Chief Executive Officer since 2003 and on our board of directors since 1991. His responsibilities include managing Houlihan Lokey’s operations, identifying and developing new strategic opportunities, and pursuing and managing new and existing client relationships. Mr. Beiser previously led Houlihan Lokey’s Infrastructure Services and Materials practice and has specialized expertise in investment banking services for engineering and construction businesses, including ownership and management transition programs, corporate acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged recapitalizations, and ESOP transactions. Mr. Beiser currently advises several boards and executives in the engineering and construction industry. Mr. Beiser earned both a B.S. and an M.S. in Finance from the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge. Mr. Beiser was chosen to be on our board of directors because of his leadership in our development and growth, and his particular knowledge and experience in strategic planning and leadership of complex organizations. Mr. Beiser has been with Houlihan Lokey for more than 38 years.

Todd J. Carter is a Managing Director and Chairman of Global Technology at Houlihan Lokey and was appointed to our Board in May 2022. Previously, Mr. Carter was Co-CEO and Co-Founder of GCA Advisors, which was acquired by Houlihan Lokey in 2021. Additionally, he served as a board member and a member of executive management at GCA Corporation. Mr. Carter was also Chairman, President, and CEO of both Savvian and Perseus Group, predecessors of GCA Advisors. Before that, he was President of Robertson Stephens, a global investment banking and asset management firm, and served on the board of directors. Prior to his role as President, Mr. Carter held several positions at Robertson Stephens, including Head of Global Corporate and Investment Banking, Global Technology Investment Banking and Global Mergers & Acquisitions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Carter was employed by McKinsey & Company. Mr. Carter has served on a number of boards and is presently serving on the Board of Directors of Modivcare Inc. (Nasdaq: MODV), a technology-enabled healthcare services company. Mr. Carter graduated with a B.A. from the University of Texas and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Carter was chosen to be on our board of directors because of his decades of experience in investment banking as well as the leadership roles in which he has served in a number of organizations.

Irwin N. Gold has served as our Executive Chairman since 2013 and on our board of directors since 1994. Mr. Gold is one of Houlihan Lokey’s senior executives responsible for strategic planning, client relations and business development, and manages the firm in conjunction with the other three members of the Office of the Executives. Mr. Gold co‑founded the Company’s industry‑leading Financial Restructuring practice and was the Global Co‑Head of Financial Restructuring from 1988 until 2012. In that role, Mr. Gold has led many of the Company’s largest and most complex Financial Restructuring engagements, both in bankruptcy and out‑of‑court situations. Since February 2021, Mr. Gold has been a member of the board of directors and Chairman of the Investment Committee of Advanced Merger Partners, Inc., a blank check company or “SPAC.” Mr. Gold has previously served on the boards of directors of Cole National Group, Inc., Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. and The Bibb Company. Mr. Gold earned a B.A. in Economics, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. Mr. Gold was chosen to be on our board of directors because of his long career in the financial services industry, and because he possesses particular knowledge and experience in the financial services industry and in leadership of complex organizations. Mr. Gold has been with Houlihan Lokey for more than 34 years.

Jacqueline B. Kosecoff is a Managing Partner of Moriah Partners, where she works to identify, select, mentor and manage health services and IT companies. Dr. Kosecoff is also a Senior Advisor at Warburg Pincus. From 2002 to 2012, Dr. Kosecoff was a senior executive inside UnitedHealth Group-PacifiCare. Dr. Kosecoff joined UnitedHealth Group as part of its acquisition of PacifiCare Health Systems in 2005. At PacifiCare, Dr. Kosecoff served as Executive Vice President with responsibility for various business segments and, upon joining UnitedHealth Group, Dr. Kosecoff was appointed Chief Executive Officer of OptumRx (previously known as Prescription Solutions). Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group-PacifiCare, Dr. Kosecoff was founder and President of Protocare, a firm whose lines of business included the clinical development of drugs, devices, biopharmaceutical and nutritional products, and health services consulting. Dr. Kosecoff was also co-Founder and co-CEO of Value Health Sciences. Dr. Kosecoff served as Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1975 to 2006. From July 2012 through February 2019, Dr. Kosecoff served on the board of directors of athenahealth, Inc. From May 2005 to May 2021, she also served on the Board of Directors of Sealed Air Corporation. Currently, Dr. Kosecoff sits on the board of directors of these public companies; Alignment Healthcare, GoodRx, STERIS Corporation, and TriNet Group, Inc. Dr. Kosecoff holds a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Brown University, and a doctorate from University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Kosecoff was appointed to serve on our board of directors because of her extensive experience in managing organizations and her experience serving on the boards of other public companies.

David A. Preiser has served as our Co‑President since 2013 and was a Senior Managing Director in our Financial Restructuring group since 2008. Among his duties, he serves as Chairman of Houlihan Lokey EMEA, LLP. In the course of his more than three decades at Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Preiser has led many major transactions involving financially distressed companies, both in bankruptcy and in out‑of‑court situations, many of which have involved the sale or purchase of distressed assets. Mr. Preiser earned a B.A. in Economics and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Virginia. He earned a J.D. with honors from Columbia University, where he also served as an Editor of the Columbia Law Review, was named a Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar, and is currently a member of the Dean’s Council. Mr. Preiser currently sits on the board of directors of NVR, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange‑listed company, where he currently chairs the Nominating and Governance Committee, and serves on the Compensation Committee. Mr. Preiser has previously served on the boards of directors of Joseph A. Bank, Inc., where he served as chair of the Compensation Committee, as well as Sudbury, Inc. and MLX, Inc. Mr. Preiser was chosen to be on our board of directors because of his long career in the financial services industry, his leadership role in our development and growth, and his particular knowledge and expertise in managing and growing international organizations and executing international transactions. Mr. Preiser has been with Houlihan Lokey for more than 31 years.

Robert A. Schriesheim has served on our board of directors since 2015. Mr. Schriesheim is chairman of Truax Partners LLC and serves as a board member of public and private companies typically undergoing transformations while partnering with boards and institutional investors. From December 2018 until April of 2021, he served as a director of Frontier Communications, where he was a member of the Audit Committee and served as chairman of the Finance Committee, overseeing the Frontier’s financial restructuring and reorganization, including its emergence from Chapter 11 in April 2021. Previously, Mr. Schriesheim served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sears Holdings Corporation from August 2011 until October 2016. He served as the Chief Financial Officer of Hewitt Associates, Inc., a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, from January 2010 to October 2010. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lawson Software, Inc., an ERP software provider. From August 2002 to October 2006, he was affiliated with ARCH Development Partners, LLC, a seed stage venture capital fund. Before joining ARCH, Mr. Schriesheim held executive positions at Global TeleSystems, SBC Equity Partners, Ameritech, AC Nielsen and Brooke Group Ltd. Mr. Schriesheim has served as a director of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. since May 2006. From August 2015 until its sale in December 2019, he served as a director of NII Holdings. From April to December 2018, he also served as a director of Forest City Realty Trust and served as the chair of its audit committee until its sale. Mr. Schriesheim earned an AB in Chemistry from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Mr. Schriesheim was chosen to be on our board of directors because of his expertise in corporate finance and capital markets, as well as his particular knowledge in public company governance and board practices of other corporations.

Cyrus D. Walker is a Principal at Discovery Land Company, a U.S. based real estate developer and operator of private residential club communities and resorts with a world-renowned portfolio of domestic and international properties, and has served on our board of directors since 2020. He generates client leads for property sales, manages client relationships, and works to develop the company's strategic mission and long-term vision. Mr. Walker is an Operating Partner at Vistria Group, a Chicago based private equity investment firm. He serves as an advisor to the firm and plays a role in due diligence, acquisition, and management of portfolio companies. Previously, Mr. Walker was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Dibble Group, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm. Prior to that he was Co-Chief Executive Officer at Nemco Group, LLC, an insurance brokerage, and consulting firm, which was acquired by a subsidiary of NFP Corp. Mr. Walker received a B.A. from Colorado College in June 1989. Mr. Walker also serves on the Board of Directors of the following additional companies:

• APi Group Corporation, a business services provider of safety, specialty, and industrial services
• Kendra Scott, a privately held jewelry company
• Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Corp 1, a blank check company.

Paul A. Zuber is an Operating Partner at Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm focused on the software and technology-enabled services sectors and has served on our board of directors since 2018. Prior to joining Thoma Bravo in 2011, Mr. Zuber was the founding Chief Executive Officer of Dilithium Networks, a global provider of mobile video infrastructure solutions until Dilithium was acquired by OnMobile, a global leader in telecommunications services listed on the National Stock Exchange of India. Mr. Zuber was previously the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Bluegum Group, a full-service, electronics manufacturing services provider serving the Asia Pacific region, which was acquired in 2002 by Solectron, a global electronics manufacturing company. Prior to founding Bluegum Group in 1997, Mr. Zuber held a variety of senior management positions at Ready Systems, a leader in software development environments for microprocessor-based embedded systems. Ready Systems merged with Microtec, went public, and was later acquired by Mentor Graphics, a leader in electronic design automation software. Mr. Zuber began his career as a management consultant with Bain & Company, where he was a founding member of the team that became the private equity group Bain Capital and also performed strategy consulting for Fortune 500 technology companies. Mr. Zuber currently serves on the board of directors of several software and technology service companies in which certain private equity funds advised by Thoma Bravo hold an investment, including Dynatrace Holdings LLC (“Dynatrace”), an enterprise cloud software company, and MeridianLink. Mr. Zuber has been a director and Nominating committee member at Dynatrace since January 2015. Mr. Zuber is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, where he earned B.A. degrees with honors in both International Relations and Economics. Mr. Zuber also holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Zuber was chosen to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive experience in successfully creating, growing and managing global companies.

Gillian B. Zucker is the President of Business Operations of the L.A. Clippers and has served on our board of directors since 2019. Ms. Zucker is a sports entertainment industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience. In March, 2020, Ms. Zucker oversaw Steve Ballmer’s acquisition of the LA Forum, a premier live event venue, from Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: “MSGE”). She currently oversees the management of that property. In addition, Ms. Zucker has additional responsibilities leading the development of the Intuit Dome, the Clippers new 18,000 seat home arena in Inglewood, California scheduled to open in fall of 2024. Prior to joining the Clippers in 2014, Ms. Zucker served in various roles at the International Speedway Corporation including President of Auto Club Speedway, the largest race track on the West Coast, from 2005 to 2014. Prior to her time at Auto Club Speedway, Ms. Zucker served as Daytona International Speedway’s Vice President of Business and Development. She also served on the International Speedway Corporation executive management team, with responsibilities that included overseeing the Chicagoland and Kansas Speedways. She joined International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ: “ISCA”) in 1998. Before joining ISC, Ms. Zucker worked in Minor League Baseball, serving as Assistant General Manager of the Durham (NC) Bulls from 1995 to 1998. A graduate of Hamilton College, Ms. Zucker has served on the board of the Young Presidents Organization and acts as the Clippers’ NBA Alternate Governor. Ms. Zucker was chosen to serve on our board of directors because of her extensive experience in successfully managing complex business organizations as well as her experience in creating and demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion in those companies.