H.I.G. Capital, a global alternative investment firm, appointed Brian Schwartz, a longstanding member of H.I.G.’s leadership team and the firm’s co-president, as CEO. Schwartz succeeds co-founder Sami Mnaymneh, who will transition to executive chairman alongside fellow co-founder Tony Tamer. As executive chairman, Mnaymneh will remain actively involved in the firm and continue to serve on the firm’s investment committees and support the firm’s strategic direction.
In addition, Doug Berman, head of U.S. private equity, has been promoted to co-president, serving alongside current co-president, Rick Rosen.
Since founding H.I.G. in 1993, Mnaymneh and Tamer have guided the firm’s expansion into a global platform spanning private equity, credit and real assets, including real estate and infrastructure. Under their leadership, H.I.G. has grown to over 1,000 team members in 18 core offices across nine countries and executed more than 3,500 transactions.
“For more than three decades, H.I.G. has built a leading position in the middle market, combining global reach with an operational approach to value creation that has delivered exceptional results for our investors,” Mnaymneh said. “The firm has reached a scale and depth of leadership where this transition is both natural and strategically important. Brian has been instrumental to our success and a key driver of the firm’s growth and evolution. I am confident that under his leadership, H.I.G. is very well positioned to further build on its middle market leadership position. I look forward to working with him as the firm builds on its strong foundation.”
Schwartz joined H.I.G. in 1994 and has held a range of senior leadership roles. He has been a key architect of the firm’s evolution, helping to scale H.I.G. into a global, multi-strategy platform. As co-president for over the past six years, Schwartz oversaw day-to-day operations and served on the investment committees for all H.I.G. funds, working closely with the firm’s co-founders and Rosen to drive firmwide growth and strategic initiatives.
“It is an honor to step into the role of CEO and to lead H.I.G. at this important point in its evolution,” Schwartz said. “I am deeply grateful to Sami and Tony for building a firm defined by disciplined investing, operational focus and a strong culture. With our differentiated platform and experienced team, we are well positioned to capitalize on opportunities and continue delivering strong outcomes for our investors.”
Berman, who is being promoted to co-president, joined H.I.G. in 1996. He currently serves on the firm’s executive committee and has led H.I.G.’s U.S. private equity business through a period of significant growth, expanding the firm’s middle-market private equity platform and investment offerings. As co-president, he will help drive firmwide investment strategy and operational execution alongside Rosen.
“Having led our U.S. private equity business, I’ve spent my time focused on investing, building businesses and working closely with management teams,” Berman said. “In this role, my priority is to ensure we stay disciplined in how we invest, stay close to our portfolio companies and continue to execute at a high level across the firm. I look forward to partnering with Brian and Rick as we continue to execute on the opportunities we see in our markets.”
