Houlihan Lokey (NYSE: HLI) is betting big on Europe’s infrastructure boom. The global investment bank announced that Seran Ahmetrasit has joined as Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure Debt Advisory, Europe, marking a major step in the firm’s strategy to expand its infrastructure financing footprint across the region.

Based in London, Ahmetrasit will lead the charge in building a dedicated European infrastructure debt practice within Houlihan Lokey’s Capital Solutions Group, a 170-strong global team spanning 16 offices. Her mission: to deliver creative financing strategies for financial sponsors and corporates amid surging investor appetite for energy transition, digital infrastructure, and sustainable transport assets.

A Heavyweight Hire for a Growing Market

Ahmetrasit brings a solid track record from Jefferies, where she worked in the Power, Utilities & Infrastructure team, and before that, RBS, where she specialized in capital markets and structured finance. Her résumé includes a range of deals—from acquisition financing and refinancing to ratings advisory—giving her the kind of end-to-end experience increasingly vital in Europe’s fragmented infrastructure financing landscape.

Her appointment underscores Houlihan Lokey’s intent to bridge its U.S. leadership in infrastructure capital solutions with a strong European counterpart. The move follows a wave of expansion across debt advisory and structured finance as investors pivot toward infrastructure as a resilient asset class in uncertain markets.

“Seran brings outstanding sector expertise, proven execution capabilities, and deep client relationships,” said Anthony Forshaw, Managing Director and Co-Head of Capital Solutions, Europe. “Her appointment underscores our conviction in the infrastructure sector and our commitment to building a market-leading practice.”

Infrastructure Debt: The Next Big Frontier

The timing couldn’t be more strategic. As Europe grapples with energy transition mandates, digital infrastructure rollouts, and post-Brexit capital flows, the infrastructure debt market has become one of the most competitive corners of private finance. Institutional investors—from pension funds to sovereign wealth funds—are allocating record sums to infrastructure debt, seeking yield with lower volatility than traditional corporate credit.

Houlihan Lokey is moving to capitalize on this shift. The firm’s Capital Solutions Group has already advised on roughly $28 billion in transactions over the past year, but the addition of Ahmetrasit positions it to capture more of the fast-growing infrastructure financing pipeline that rivals like Lazard, Rothschild & Co, and Evercore have also been pursuing.

The Bigger Picture

For Houlihan Lokey, this isn’t just about one hire—it’s a strategic statement. As the line between infrastructure, energy transition, and sustainability finance continues to blur, debt advisory has become a differentiator in investment banking’s middle market. Ahmetrasit’s blend of structuring acumen and sector expertise could help the firm deepen relationships with institutional lenders and alternative credit funds, strengthening its role in Europe’s evolving infrastructure ecosystem.

“I’m thrilled to join at such an exciting time for infrastructure as a sector,” Ahmetrasit said. “Houlihan Lokey’s global platform and collaborative culture provide a unique opportunity to deliver high-impact solutions for clients across subsectors and geographies.”

With this move, Houlihan Lokey positions itself squarely in the middle of one of finance’s most dynamic growth areas—the global infrastructure financing race, where advisory firms are scrambling to capture a slice of the next multi-trillion-dollar wave in sustainable assets.