BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (July 6, 2020) – Founders Advisors today announced that Ken Hirsch has joined its firm and will serve as a Managing Director in the Dallas office. Ken has over 30 years of corporate finance experience advising middle market companies on debt and equity financings, mergers & acquisitions, special situations and strategic initiatives; he has initiated and executed over $3 billion in transactions over his career.

Ken will lead the newly formed Capital Solutions Practice, focused on helping companies with a wide range of services, including refinancing debt, debt or non-controlled equity recapitalization, growth financing and capital advisory in distressed situations.

“We are excited to have Ken join Founders to help build out our advisory platform and grow our Dallas presence” said Duane Donner, Founders’ CEO and Founder. “As we move forward, we believe it is important to have a dedicated Managing Director assisting our clients in putting in place the right capital structure to achieve their strategic and financial goals. Ken’s experience and expertise, combined with Founders’ industry bankers, will allow us to raise the level of service and optimize the outcome for lower middle-market companies.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the Founders team and help build its Capital Solutions practice. I have always admired the firm’s commitment to delivering thoughtful advice and excellent service to its clients,” Ken said.

Prior to joining Founders, Ken was a Managing Director with BKD Capital Advisors, with responsibility for the firm’s Gulf Coast region investment banking practice and was a partner at Blackhill Partners, a preeminent energy restructuring firm. Sharing his clients’ entrepreneurial spirit, Ken earlier was a co-founder of Western Reserve Partners, a boutique investment bank located in Cleveland, Ohio, where he assisted in growing the firm into a premier middle market investment bank. Ken also opened Western Reserve’s Dallas office and was a general partner serving on the investment committee for the firm’s private equity investment fund, Public Square Partners. Prior to Western Reserve, Ken was a key member of McDonald Investments’ (Key Capital Markets) investment banking practice where he managed the firm’s private capital practice. Ken began his career in investment banking at Key Bank following a start in commercial banking at The First National Bank of Chicago.

“Founders has served a lot of companies over the years, and bringing Ken on board demonstrates our commitment to serving lower middle-market companies, particularly those addressing highly complex financial situations,” said Wesley Legg, President at Founders.

Ken grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Economics, with Honors, and earned his M.B.A., with a concentration in Finance, at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  Ken and his wife, Julia, reside in Dallas where he is actively involved on the Board of The First Tee of Dallas and is on the Auction Committee of The Texas State Fair.