Key Takeaways
- • H.I.G. Capital, managing $74 billion in assets under management, is expanding its private wealth team as the firm pursues broader retail distribution channels for alternative investment products.
- • The expansion signals H.I.G.'s strategic pivot toward democratizing access to alternative assets, targeting high-net-worth individuals and family offices through enhanced wealth management capabilities.
- • Leadership transition underway: Brian Schwartz appointed CEO (replacing Co-Founder Sami Mnaymneh, who becomes Executive Chairman), with Doug Berman promoted to Co-President alongside Rick Rosen, reflecting organizational maturation and succession planning.
- • H.I.G. has scaled to over 1,000 team members across 18 global offices in nine countries, with more than 3,500 completed transactions, positioning the firm to leverage expanded distribution infrastructure across private equity, credit, and real assets.
- • The private wealth team expansion directly supports H.I.G.'s middle-market leadership position while enabling retail investor participation in traditionally institutional-access alternative investment vehicles.
Summary
The expansion arrives amid significant leadership transition. Brian Schwartz, a longstanding Co-President, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Co-Founder Sami Mnaymneh, who transitions to Executive Chairman. Doug Berman, Head of U.S. Private Equity, has been promoted to Co-President alongside Rick Rosen. These moves reflect H.I.G.'s maturation as a global platform and establish clearer succession architecture following the firm's three-decade growth trajectory.
Since its 1993 founding, H.I.G. has expanded significantly under Mnaymneh and co-founder Tony Tamer. The firm now operates across private equity, credit, and real assets (including real estate and infrastructure), with a footprint spanning 1,000+ employees across 18 core offices in nine countries. The organization has executed more than 3,500 transactions, establishing deep expertise in middle-market investing. Recent fundraising activity includes a significantly oversubscribed $2 billion close on H.I.G. Capital Partners VII (US Lower Middle Market Fund), demonstrating institutional investor confidence.
The private wealth team expansion represents H.I.G.'s answer to industry-wide trends toward retail distribution of alternatives. By building wealth management infrastructure, H.I.G. positions itself to serve high-net-worth individuals and family offices seeking diversified exposure to lower-middle-market buyouts, credit strategies, and real assets—historically concentrated in institutional portfolios. This distribution strategy complements the firm's operational value-creation model while broadening its capital-raising pipeline across client segments.
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