Experienced Technology Leader and Entrepreneur to Assist Firm’s Technology Clients in Brazil
SÃO PAULO — March 15, 2024 — Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, announced today that Rafael Pereira has been appointed as a Senior Advisor to assist the firm with its expansion in Brazil.
Mr. Pereira has more than two decades of experience as a tech entrepreneur and executive, building and growing technology-based businesses from spearheading startups to publicly listed companies.
Mr. Pereira co-founded Open Co, Brazil’s leading consumer financing FinTech that democratizes access to affordable credit products to families and small businesses across the country through cutting-edge technologies, raising more than $1 billion in equity and debt from multiple global investors. Prior to Open Co, he held several positions at Enova, KPMG, BRQ Digital Solutions, and IBM.
“The Brazilian technology sector is undergoing a multi-year structural transformation, driven by a new generation of entrepreneurs. The combination of Rafael’s knowledge, network, and creativity with our leading Technology and FinTech industry groups, with approximately 200 financial professionals combined, will be unique to support local companies in their various stages of growth,” says Bruno Baratta, Houlihan Lokey’s Head of Brazil. “We are delighted with his arrival and the prospect of deepening our relationship with clients in the space.”
“It is a great pleasure to join Houlihan Lokey and work together with its global Technology Group and its experienced local team to serve our Brazilian clients,” says Rafael Pereira. “Over the last few years, the Brazilian technology ecosystem has consolidated, creating countless opportunities for local and global companies and financial investors, and Houlihan Lokey is uniquely prepared to serve clients of the most diverse profiles in this environment.”
Beyond his corporate endeavors, Mr. Pereira has helped shape Brazil's technology and financial landscape, serving as a board member for Paraná Banco and as President of Brazil's FinTech association ABCD, where he championed regulatory reforms to promote financial inclusion and transformative initiatives like fast payment rails (PIX) and Open Finance. Mr. Pereira is also an early-stage investor in tech companies and venture funds.
Mr. Pereira earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and a degree in Engineering from PUC Rio de Janeiro. He also completed the OPM program at Harvard Business School.