Hilco Corporate Finance (HCF), Hilco Global’s investment banking advisory firm, named Kyle Herman senior managing director and Sanjay Marken director. Based in Houston, they will focus their national practice on special situations and restructuring investment banking advisory.

Prior to joining HCF, Herman and Marken founded Exigent Partners, a Houston-headquartered restructuring advisory firm. Exigent will transfer its advisory clients to HCF as part of the move.

“We are thrilled to add Kyle and Sanjay to our team. Both are distinguished and talented investment banking leaders, respected by their clients and peers, with significant experience in all aspects of middle-market special situations and restructuring advisory,” Teri Stratton, senior managing director and national practice leader of special situations and restructuring at HCF, said. “With their depth of knowledge and broad network of relationships within the financial community — both in Texas and across the U.S. — they will accelerate the growth of our practice.”

Herman has spent 17 years advising distressed companies and their stakeholders. Before forming Exigent, he was a managing director at Berkeley Research Group in Houston and a Director at Miller Buckfire & Co. in New York.

He serves on the boards of the Turnaround Management Association Houston Chapter and The Healthy Lunch Box. He also has served on multiple alumni boards for the University of Texas at Austin.

Marken has 16 years of experience advising companies and their constituents during periods of transition. Prior to forming Exigent Partners, Marken was a vice president at Miller Buckfire.

He currently serves on the board of directors of a bedding and home products company, and previously served on the board of Corsicana Mattress Company during its Chapter 11 case.

“Over the past 18 months, we have expanded our business by re-imagining how investment banking advisory services can best be provided to middle-market clients,” Geoffrey Frankel, CEO of Hilco Corporate Finance, said. “Encompassing capital advisory, M&A advisory, and special situations and restructuring services, we are building our practice from the client’s point of view – focusing on a solutions-oriented, and not just a transactional, approach. As HCF continues to grow and expand our advisory services to middle market companies, we have recognized Texas as a key market. Kyle and Sanjay understand and share our passion for superior client-centric service for middle-market companies.”