Preston Hollow Begins Team Build

Following the launch of Preston Hollow Capital in January 2014 by Jim Thompson, the long-time President and CEO of ORIX USA, the firm has hired two former ORIX USA Directors to fill key positions on the firm’s rapidly growing team.  Nga Nguyen will serve as Director of Transaction Structuring and John Dinan has been named General Counsel of Preston Hollow.

“In the role of Director of Transaction Structuring, Ms. Nguyen will oversee multiple aspects of transaction execution.   Ms. Nguyen’s experience in the markets will be a real asset to our company in the present market environment,” said Mr. Thompson. “And, as General Counsel for Preston Hollow Capital, Mr. Dinan’s responsibilities will include oversight of legal and compliance matters, transaction negotiation, documentation and execution, as well as the application of his specialized expertise in credit-related matters.”

From 2008 to 2014, Ms. Nguyen was employed by ORIX USA, where she served as a Director and Trader with responsibilities that included trading ORIX’s municipal bond portfolio, evaluating new investment opportunities and transaction restructuring. In addition, she managed the CMBS portfolio at ORIX during 2013. Prior to ORIX, Ms. Nguyen was a research analyst at Credit Suisse’ Structured Finance Group, where she advised institutional clients on CMBS and the commercial real estate market. She also held previous positions with Merrill Lynch’s Mortgage Trading System where she structured Agency CMOs, ABS and other fixed-income products. Ms. Nguyen received dual bachelor degrees in Computer Science and Pure Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Dinan previously served as Director and Senior Legal Counsel for ORIX USA, which he joined in 2001 to provide a multifaceted range of legal and investment support to the real estate, capital markets, corporate finance and municipal investment divisions. Prior to joining ORIX, Mr. Dinan was a development partner with one of the nation’s largest multifamily merchant builders. He began his legal career in 1981 with concentrated expertise in the areas of real estate tax and finance, creditor’s rights, bankruptcy and debt restructuring, and later became a founding member of one of the 20 largest law firms in Dallas. Mr. Dinan received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his graduate and master’s law degrees from Cumberland School of Law and New York University, respectively.

“As we continue building a talented team at Preston Hollow Capital, we will continue to look for specialized experience, track record and expertise,” said Mr. Thompson. “Both Ms. Nguyen and Mr. Dinan bring unique insight to their roles, making them key members of the Preston Hollow team.”

Preston Hollow Capital is a non-bank investment platform launched in January 2014 by Jim Thompson, the former, long time President and Chief Executive Officer of ORIX USA. The firm seeks to produce superior risk-adjusted returns across a spectrum of investment strategies, including fixed income, private equity, venture capital and alternative investing.   Preston Hollow is based in Dallas (www.phcllc.com).

© 2014 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 5-14-14