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H.I.G. Capital CEO Brian Schwartz wants to keep the firm growing without changing the middle-market strategy it has followed for over thirty years. In an October 21, 2026, interview on Bloomberg Deals, Schwartz discussed his transition into the top job. He also talked about the firm's growth to about $75 billion in capital under management, and why it must protect its edge as it gets bigger.
It was his first Bloomberg interview since he became CEO in April 2026. He took over from H.I.G. co-founder Sami Mnaymneh. Schwartz joined the firm in 1994 and is the first CEO who is not a founder.
His appointment is a big step for H.I.G. The company started as a small private equity business. Today it is a global investment platform that covers private equity, credit, and real assets.
Schwartz did not describe the change as a major shift in direction. He stressed steady progress, long-term growth, and the strength of the skills the firm already has.
During the Bloomberg interview, Schwartz said leadership succession is something that happens over time, not in one moment. "Well, I view the succession as a process, not an event," he said.
That view fits how H.I.G. set up its leadership. Before he became CEO, Schwartz spent about six years as co-president. He ran daily operations and sat on investment committees across the firm's strategies. Because he was so involved for so long, the firm kept a steady course as it got ready for its next stage.
Under the changes announced in April, Mnaymneh became Executive Chairman, joining fellow co-founder Tony Tamer. Doug Berman, who used to lead U.S. Private Equity, became co-president alongside Rick Rosen.
This setup keeps the founders involved. At the same time, Schwartz now holds responsibility for the firm's overall direction. It also shows how much the business has changed. H.I.G. has grown a lot, both in the regions it covers and in the types of investments it makes.
Schwartz looked back at his early days to show how far the firm has come. When he joined in 1994, H.I.G. managed about $70 million. By the time of the Bloomberg interview, that number was about $75 billion.
That growth turned H.I.G. into a global investment manager. Even so, the firm still focuses on middle-market deals.
H.I.G.'s growth sets the stage for its reported goal of reaching $100 billion in capital under management in about three years. Bloomberg mentioned the target in its introduction to the interview. It would be another big step for a firm that has kept adding new strategies and building its global reach.
Schwartz did not repeat the timeline himself. He said growth is about more than raising more capital. In his view, size helps the firm do its job well. It lets H.I.G. keep its deal sourcing, its operating teams, and its deep knowledge in place, and all of that helps its portfolio companies.
These resources matter a lot in the middle market. Companies at this size often need real hands-on help to reach their full potential.
During the interview, Schwartz pointed to the firm's skill at finding off-market deals. He also talked about how H.I.G. sends operating partners to help the businesses it owns.
So for H.I.G., a bigger platform does two things. It helps the firm bring in more investor money, and it adds to the tools the firm uses to carry out its plans. Its mix of private equity, credit, and real assets also lets it find deals in many kinds of markets and at different points in a company's funding.
Its recent deals show how wide that platform is. In 2026, H.I.G. announced deals for Phoenix ME, a UK engineering services company, and Outcomes, a healthcare technology company that works with pharmacies.
These deals show the firm is active in business services, industrials, healthcare, and tech-related markets.
Even as it grows, H.I.G. plans to stay in the middle market. Schwartz made that clear. He said the firm's size in this space gives it an edge over managers that don't have the same hands-on resources.
That edge matters more now. Higher borrowing costs and a tough exit market are putting pressure on private equity firms. Managers can no longer count on cheap debt or rising values to make money. They have to show they can make their companies better.
For H.I.G., the ability to find complex deals and add real value to them is tied to its long-term growth plans. The test for Schwartz will be keeping those strengths while running a much bigger and more varied firm.
His appointment also points to a wider trend in the alternative asset industry. Established firms are building leadership teams that can carry them past their founding years.
Schwartz's Bloomberg interview suggested the next chapter will hold to the same investment approach. At the same time, the firm will keep adding capital and operating strength.
H.I.G. now manages about $75 billion and has a reported goal of $100 billion. It heads into its next stage of growth under a CEO who has been part of nearly its whole story.
