Tim Stute is a Managing Director and Head of Specialty Finance in the investment banking group at Hovde Group, based in the firm’s McLean, Virginia office, where he manages the top ranked M&A practice to the commercial finance sector (according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2019 through YTD 2024). Prior to joining Hovde, he was a member of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Institutions Group. He has nearly 20 years of experience providing capital markets and M&A advisory services to the financial institutions sector, with a particular emphasis on the specialty finance industry, including equipment leasing companies, asset-based lenders, accounts receivable factoring companies, and non-mortgage consumer lenders. Before joining Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Stute was a Managing Director and Principal at Milestone Advisors, LLC in Washington, D.C., which was acquired by Houlihan Lokey in 2012. While at Houlihan Lokey, and previously at Milestone Advisors, Stute was a top ranked senior banker in the specialty finance M&A sector, as measured by number of deals (according to SNL Financial LC, 2004 to 2016). Prior to joining Milestone in 2001, Mr. Stute was an Associate in the Financial Institutions Group of First Union Securities, Inc. (now Wells Fargo Securities, Inc.) in Charlotte, N.C. Mr. Stute holds a B.S. in Finance from Wake Forest University and is licensed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority as a registered representative holding Series 7, 63, and 79 licenses.

Chris Hemler is a Director on the specialty finance investment banking team at Hovde Group and is located in the firm’s McLean, Virginia office. He specializes in advising equipment finance companies, asset-based lenders, factoring companies and non-mortgage consumer lenders on sell-side and buy-side transactions, valuations, and debt and equity capital raises. Prior to joining Hovde, Mr. Hemler was a member of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Institutions Group where he advised commercial and consumer finance companies, asset managers, insurance companies and other financial services businesses on a variety of strategic initiatives. Prior to Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Hemler worked in several financial and accounting positions at General Electric as a member of GE’s Financial Management Program. He holds a B.S. in Finance and a B.S. in Accounting from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech and holds both Series 63 and 79 licenses.