Brian Hickey is a Principal in the Ares Credit Group, focusing on its commercial finance platform. Before joining Ares in 2022, he spent seven years at BMO in Asset-Based Lending and Restructuring. He holds a B.A. in Economics from St. Olaf College and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
Hickey didn’t follow a straight path into finance. Unsure of his direction after undergrad, a summer internship at BMO’s commercial bank led him to join full time. He found his footing on the ABL team, underwriting and managing loans for industrial clients. He gravitated toward complex, distressed situations, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteered to support loan workouts — an experience that prepared him for his transition to private debt.
He names perfectionism as a personal challenge but sees value in obsessing over details and iterating toward better outcomes. In his current role, he structures transactions that balance creativity with risk. Managing up is another focus — building early consensus and identifying issues before they escalate.
Networking is central to how Hickey stays sharp. “I pick up the phone,” he says, tapping contacts across banking, consulting, restructuring and law. He tracks industry shifts like the growth of private markets and new interest in alternatives, especially as wealth transfers to a younger, risk-tolerant generation.
He stays ahead by reading, taking on new deals and applying lessons across transactions. “Compounding applies to knowledge, not just investing.”
Hickey credits mentors for shaping his approach and lives by a few key principles:
- Lost is a good place to start
- Have the courage to begin and the discipline to keep going
- Don’t be afraid to speak up just because you’re young
Looking ahead, Hickey aims to help grow a strong platform while mentoring the next generation of credit professionals.
