Houlihan Lokey Bolsters European Team with UBS Hire to Boost Secondary Coverage

Houlihan Lokey, a mid-market firm, has hired Sandro Galfetti, a senior UBS investment banker, to boost its European team and coverage of private equity firms in the booming secondary investment sector. Galfetti will join Houlihan Lokey's capital solutions group in Europe as a managing director. This move aims to further establish the firm's presence in the European market.

Houlihan Lokey, a leading mid-market investment bank, has announced the hiring of Sandro Galfetti as a Managing Director in its Capital Solutions Group, based in Zurich. This strategic move aims to enhance the firm's presence and expertise in the European private equity market, particularly in the burgeoning secondary investment sector.

Galfetti, who previously served as the Head of EMEA Secondary Advisory at UBS Investment Bank, will focus on advising EMEA-based private capital sponsors on GP-led transactions, including single- and multi-asset continuation vehicles. His appointment follows a period of significant growth in the secondary market, driven by increasing liquidity needs among fund sponsors and restive institutional investors [2].

The Equity Capital Solutions team at Houlihan Lokey now comprises approximately 40 dedicated financial professionals across key global financial hubs such as New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Zurich. Galfetti will partner with Michael Pilson, who is relocating to London, to lead the firm's GP-Led Secondary Advisory business in Europe.

Prior to joining UBS in 2020, Galfetti worked at PJT Partners as a Managing Director in the Park Hill Secondary Advisory unit in London, advising on a wide range of liquidity solutions for European financial sponsors and limited partners. He began his career in financial services at Swiss Re in 2002, based in Zurich.

Houlihan Lokey's Secondary Solutions team has a robust track record, with over $19 billion in GP-led secondary transaction experience across continuation funds and other transaction types. The team closed 15 GP-led transactions in 2024 and has deep and proprietary investor relationships with a broad spectrum of financial institutions, including family offices and sovereign wealth funds [1].

Houlihan Lokey's Capital Solutions Group comprises more than 170 dedicated professionals across 15 offices in six countries. In 2024, the group raised and advised on around $23 billion across approximately 115 transactions.

References:
[1] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250829497762/en/Houlihan-Lokey-Strengthens-Capital-Solutions-Group-With-Senior-Hire-in-Europe
[2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/houlihan-lokey-hires-european-secondaries-head-from-ubs-ad0ccc68