Neil Aaronson 

Hilco Global recently announced a strategic transformation designed to position the company for its next stage of growth. The firm has streamlined its 20+ operating companies into two new divisions, Hilco Global Professional Services and Hilco Global Capital Solutions, creating a more integrated platform to deliver comprehensive financial solutions.

This new structure, introduced following ORIX Corporation USA's majority acquisition of Hilco Global in September, strengthens the firm's advisory and asset management-private credit capabilities and reinforces its position as a global leader in value creation. Under the continued leadership of Founding Chairman and CEO Jeffrey B. Hecktman, Hilco Global is leveraging its decades of expertise, its deep network, and ORIX USA’s capital and lending strength to accelerate growth across both divisions.

As part of this evolution, Neil Aaronson, along with other key executives, will play a central role in driving integration and execution. Here, Neil shares insight into the strategic vision behind the transformation and Hilco Global’s long-term growth goals.

Could you tell us a bit about your career trajectory?

Aaronson: I’ve really only had three major roles since graduating from law school. I earned my undergraduate degree from Wharton and my law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, I had the choice between law and finance – and ultimately chose finance. I began my career as an investment banker for a couple of years before joining the M&A group at Cendant Corporation, then one my largest clients. Cendant was a publicly traded, diversified conglomerate that grew primarily through acquisition.

When I needed to return to Chicago for family reasons, I was introduced to Jeff Hecktman, Hilco Global founding chairman and CEO and one of the most respected business leaders in the Chicagoland area. We hit it off immediately. Jeff gave me an incredible opportunity, and I’ll always be grateful for his mentorship and the trust he’s placed in me over the years. Hopefully, I’m continuing to make him proud.

Please tell us about the key strategic considerations behind consolidating the Hilco Global 20-plus operating companies into the two new divisions and how does this move better position the company for future growth?

Aaronson: Hilco Global is a 38-year-old company that has grown organically by building deep expertise across an expanding range of asset classes. Historically, each new area of growth led to the creation of a separate LLC to represent that specific asset class – a structure that served us extremely well for many years. But as we continued to scale, it became clear that we could create even greater value by working together.

The ORIX Corporation USA partnership marks an inflection point, the opportunity to harness our knowledge and capabilities across asset classes and business lines. This alignment allows us to deploy meaningful capital more strategically, deliver more comprehensive solutions for clients, and operate with coordination and cohesion across our professional services and capital solutions platforms. In short, we’re all rowing in the same direction and that’s a powerful advantage for our clients.

How does this change affect your clients?

Aaronson: For our clients, this change makes partnering with Hilco Global more seamless and efficient. This not only simplifies the way we work together, but also enables us to deliver faster, more coordinated, and ultimately more impactful solutions.

How will the partnership with ORIX Corporation USA following their majority acquisition, enhance the ability of  Hilco Global to deliver financial solutions across its professional services and capital solutions divisions?

Aaronson: Having been with Hilco Global for nearly two decades, I see our partnership with ORIX Corporation USA as a defining milestone in an already remarkable growth story. ORIX is exactly the kind of partner we’d been seeking – one that brings deep capital resources, a shared entrepreneurial mindset, and a long-term vision for growth.

Over our 38-year history, Hilco Global has expanded steadily, often adding new capabilities one business at a time. That approach built an extraordinary foundation of expertise, but as a privately held company, we’ve been somewhat capital constrained in pursuing larger-scale opportunities. ORIX USA changes that equation. Their balance sheet strength and investment expertise allow us to accelerate our growth, expand into new asset classes, and deliver even more value to our clients.

At the core, this partnership is about people and potential. Our professionals are recognized experts across the major asset categories today, but there are countless adjacent services and niche asset classes where we can grow. With ORIX USA’s backing, we can attract and empower more of the best talent in the industry, deepen our capabilities, and continue evolving as a company.

Are you planning for expansion into different services or geographic expansion?

Aaronson: Absolutely – we plan to expand both our service offerings and our global footprint. While Hilco Global already operates in many key markets around the world, we see significant opportunity to deepen our presence internationally and enter new sectors where our expertise and capital can have the greatest impact.

Our approach to growth is deliberate, not just expansion for expansion’s sake. We focus on niches where we can truly lead and where our people, processes, and insights set the standard. Today, our strengths span a wide range of disciplines, including restructuring and turnaround, performance improvement, capital transactions, litigation support, corporate finance, cybersecurity, geopolitical consulting, and world class experts in virtually every asset class including retail, industrial, real estate, receivables and intellectual property.

Looking ahead, our goal is to continue growing that portfolio – adding services, attracting best-in-class talent, and broadening our reach across geographies -- all while maintaining the quality and integrity that define Hilco Global.

Can you elaborate on how the new executive leadership structure will facilitate operational efficiency and drive innovation within the newly formed divisions?

Aaronson: Like any organization that has grown through multiple business lines, operating independently created some natural inefficiencies over time. Bringing everything together under a unified structure allows us to unlock tremendous synergies – sharing expertise, aligning decision-making, and moving faster as one company.

The new leadership model connects all of the Hilco Global divisions under a cohesive strategy, enabling us to collaborate more effectively, innovate more rapidly, and deliver even greater value to our clients. It’s an exciting next step that strengthens both our operational discipline and our entrepreneurial culture.