R. Clark Locke Managing Director Tel: 512.478.7575

Mr. Locke advises management and directors on the strategic options available to financial institutions.  He has worked with clients on both the buy-side and sell-side of mergers and acquisitions as well as branch and subsidiary divestitures. In addition to M&A activities, Mr. Locke is also involved in raising capital, both debt and equity, for community banks and thrifts.  In this capacity, he has handled private placements of capital and the conversion of a mutual thrift to stock form.  During his career, Mr. Locke has advised clients on a wide variety of transactions representing more than a billion dollars in aggregate transaction value.   Recently, he has advised buyers on FDIC-assisted acquisitions of failed institutions.  He has contributed to the American Banker and a number of the Business Journals.  Mr. Locke has also been a speaker at Bank Director magazine’s national mergers and acquisitions conference.

Prior to joining Hovde Financial, Mr. Locke worked for Navigant Consulting, Inc., an international consulting firm.  During his tenure in management consulting, he focused on strategic planning and valuation services for clients in the financial services, healthcare and utilities industries.

Mr. Locke earned a bachelor of science degree in economics from the University of Michigan and remains involved in the University's Alumni Association.  Mr. Locke is a CFA charterholder (Chartered Financial Analyst) and is licensed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authorityas a registered representative and holds the following licenses: Series 7 and 63. He is also a member of the CFA Institute and Society of Chicago.  He currently serves on the board of Junior Achievement of Central Texas which teaches financial literacy in schools located in the 17-county area in central Texas. He also supports initiatives to improve the quality of life in third world counties, and has traveled to Lesotho (Southern Africa), Venezuela and Brazil to provide medical care, build homes and provide food to people living under challenging conditions. Mr. Locke currently resides with his wife and daughter in Austin, Texas.