Houlihan Lokey announced that Martin Bastian will join the firm in January 2019 as a Managing Director in the Industrials Group to lead the chemicals business in Europe, based in Frankfurt.

Bastian will join from Citigroup, where he was a Managing Director with senior coverage responsibilities in Germany and Switzerland, including chemicals sector clients as well as previously Head of EMEA Chemicals. Prior to Citigroup, he led the chemicals activities in Europe at Credit Suisse. Previous experience also includes a similar role at Goldman Sachs in London and Frankfurt as well as investment banking positions at Merrill Lynch in New York.

“Martin has more than 20 years of extensive international transaction experience, including M&A advisory, defense and strategic advisory, and capital raising across debt and equity products. During his career he has advised a wide variety of chemicals and industrials clients in Europe,” said Ulrich Graebner, Head of Corporate Finance, Germany. “This expertise, combined with his local relationships and global experience, match perfectly with Houlihan Lokey’s culture and commitment to grow across Europe, its breadth of corporate and financial sponsor coverage, and its superior financing advisory capabilities, and I am excited that he will join us in Frankfurt,” he added.

“Over the course of my career, my approach to client service has been characterized by providing superior sector and execution expertise, strong relationships among both corporate and financial sponsor clients, and a passionate dedication to achieving exceptional results. I’m excited to join a firm that embodies this philosophy and to contribute to the growth of the global Chemicals practice in Europe,” said Bastian.

“Martin’s hire is representative of our efforts, and success, in adding outstanding bankers to our Industrials Group who will deliver excellent results to our clients. Further, this addition also underscores both the continued growth of the Industrials Group in Europe as well as our efforts to build a market-leading global chemicals practice in key markets around the world,” said Bill Peluchiwski, Global Head of the Industrials Group.

Bastian holds an M.B.A. from Duke University in the United States and a diploma in Business Administration from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.  His hire follows the recent addition of David Brock to the Industrials Group to cover the building materials sector in London, announced in October.