Dan Arnold

Senior Vice President, Hilco Global

40 Under 40 Category: Business Development

Daniel Arnold joined Hilco Global in 2012 and currently serves as senior vice president where he is responsible for business development, leveraging the entire platform of valuation, monetization, advisory and capital solutions across all asset classes and sectors. Dan works collaboratively with key executives to provide holistic, multi-asset deals for the organization.

Before joining Hilco Global, Dan built a strong reputation as a financial analyst in the commercial banking sector. He served as an associate director in the Equity Research Department of Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P., a boutique investment bank in New York and Chicago. His coverage focused on regional banks and thrifts.  Dan has a deep understanding of how to properly structure and execute transactions to achieve the best outcome for his clients.  

In 2010, the Financial Times/StarMine recognized Dan as the No. 1 analyst in the Commercial Bank sector. He has been frequently quoted in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and American Banker.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in applied economics and management from Cornell University. He currently lives in Highland Park, IL with his wife and two daughters.

What is the best professional advice you have been given and how have you implemented it? 

I have received two pieces of advice that have really resonated with me in my career.  The first is to be passionate about what you do. Without question, the one trait shared across the most successful people I know is an unrelenting drive to succeed.  Intellectual and emotional intelligence are important but will only get you so far.  True passion is what allows you to take it to the next level in your life and your career.  It’s almost impossible to create passion when it does not exist naturally, so the best way to light that fire is to discover what it is that you love and make it your career.  It has to be something that excites you every day as you come to the office (or sign onto Zoom).  When you can find that, passion will come on its own.  

The second piece of advice that stands out to me that has impacted my career is not to expect more from people than they are capable of.  Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and it’s impossible to be great at everything.  It’s critical to recognize this within yourself and your partners.  If you expect more from someone than they are capable of, you will be continually disappointed.  Understanding people’s limitations and managing around that will make you far more successful personally and professionally.

Did you change the way you approach work while working remotely during the pandemic?  Have these habits stayed with you as we emerge from the crisis?

I think it would have been almost impossible not to change your approach to work in the pandemic.  The best deals that I have done have come about as a result of close relationships that have been built over time. At the most basic level, people want to work and do deals with people that they like and trust.  Building trust over Zoom and other digital platforms is much more difficult than doing it in person.  While I was certainly able to meet new people over the pandemic, my biggest successes came from my existing network.  I fundamentally believe that I am more productive working together with my colleagues in person in our office and meeting in person to develop more relationships.  While the flexibility to work from home in certain circumstances is a powerful tool, I do not believe that it is an effective replacement for in-person meetings.

How do you define a good leader?

Leadership is not defined by any single trait.  A good leader must be able to inspire and motivate others, maintain a strong culture, balance the current performance of the business while positioning for the future, have good judgment and conviction but also the ability to change course when things don’t go as planned.  Intelligence and judgement are important, but passion and humility are critical.  Passion inspires others around you and motivates everyone you work with.  Humility allows you to admit mistakes and move past them quickly.  In our business, deals move quickly and unpredictably.  The ability to course-correct is critical to success.  Good leadership requires a lot of different skills which is why truly great leaders are hard to find.