Houlihan Lokey announced that Joel Simkins has joined the firm’s Technology Group as a Managing Director covering the gaming sector. He is based in New York.

“We are delighted to add Joel to our market-leading Technology Group. His depth of industry knowledge, market relationships, and rare track record of success advising both sellside and buyside clients are all outstanding,” said Phil Adams, Global Head of Houlihan Lokey’s Technology Group. “These qualities, coupled with his commitment to client service, mentorship, and leadership, make Joel an excellent fit with Houlihan Lokey’s corporate culture. We have no doubt that his experience and expertise will be of significant benefit to our Technology clients’ successes and to the continued growth of our gaming coverage capabilities, especially as the sector continues its rapid evolution into a more digital-oriented world.”

Mr. Simkins joins from Truist Securities, where he was a Managing Director and Head of Gaming & Leisure investment banking. Prior to Truist, he was a Director and Senior Gaming & Leisure equity research analyst at Credit Suisse. Previous experience includes roles at Macquarie Capital and Deutsche Bank, all in the gaming, lodging, and leisure sectors.

“I’m excited to be a part of the largest and most active Technology Group in investment banking, particularly during such an active and dynamically evolving period in the gaming technology sector. Houlihan Lokey is well positioned to serve as a trusted advisor within the sector given its global capabilities, particularly as sports betting and online digital ecosystems have emerged as substantial businesses within the U.S. in the past two years,” said Mr. Simkins. “We are in the very early innings of adoption of these technologies, and the sector ultimately will mature in the same way that brick-and-mortar gaming did over the past two decades but at a much more accelerated velocity. I look forward to leveraging Houlihan Lokey’s broad suite of products and services to help our clients achieve superior results, and I’m eager to continue the success that Houlihan Lokey has achieved to date in the sector,” said Mr. Simkins. 

Mr. Simkins holds a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance with highest honors from Hofstra University, where he serves on the business school advisory board. He also sits on the advisory board of Protect Our Winters, a leading climate advocacy organization. 

With 200 financial professionals worldwide, Houlihan Lokey’s Technology Group has earned a global reputation for providing superior service and achieving outstanding results in M&A advisory, capital raising, restructuring, and valuation. Its clients range from early-stage businesses and midsized companies to large, publicly traded corporations. In 2021, Houlihan Lokey was ranked as the No. 1 investment bank for all global technology transactions, with 124 deals, according to Refinitiv.