Leadership

Arnold H. Dratt
Chief Executive Officer
adratt@hilcoappraisal.com

 Arnie's background includes 18 years of experience in the business advisory, turnaround and reorganization field. He co-founded The Dratt-Campbell Company in 1991 to provide on-site turnaround assistance and debt restructuring services. The company also managed the sale of several prominent companies including Schwinn Bicycles and Ace Baking. While with Dratt-Campbell, Arnie and his staff managed more than 250 engagements in the U.S., Europe (France, Germany and the UK) and Asia (Japan and Korea). At Hilco he is the CEO of Hilco Appraisal Services and an Executive Vice President of Hilco Trading, the parent company.  As such, he works very closely with Hilco Industrial in the US and the UK and EU and several other Hilco business units.

Prior thereto, Arnie was Executive Vice President and Managing Director of a national crisis management firm. He was responsible for three offices (Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh) and led approximately 150 turnarounds. Arnie is a graduate of The Harvard Law School (1969) and Amherst College (1966).

Arnie is a member of the Founders' Council of the Governing Board of The Commercial Finance Association Education Foundation, and a frequent lecturer before business, legal and banking groups, such as ALI-ABA, The Turnaround Management Association, The Commercial Finance Association, TEC in Wisconsin, and The Robert Morris association. He has published a number of articles on the workout process, including "Turnaround or Merry Go Round: When One Brass Ring Isn't Enough," and "Gone With The Schwinn.  He has lectured at Kellogg Business School and Northwestern Law School on bankruptcy and reorganization topics.

Andy Dahlman
Senior Vice President, M&E Group Leader
adahlman@hilcoappraisal.com

Andy joined Hilco in 2000.  He has been in the auction, liquidation and appraisal industry since 1994.  Andy is a certified M&E appraiser and holds membership in numerous professional organizations, including AMEA (Association of Machinery and Equipment Appraisers) and the Equipment Appraisers of North America.   Andy has served as a consultant to financial institutions on asset-based lending and recovery, and has been called upon as an expert witness in bankruptcy proceedings.

Ed Zimmerlin, Jr.
Senior Vice President, Inventory Group Leader
ezimmerlin@hilcoappraisal.com

Ed Zimmerlin has worked with Hilco Appraisal Services since 2001 and during the course of that time re-located from Hilco's Boston office to our corporate headquarters in Chicago to help form Hilco's industrial inventory appraisal group. Over his time with Hilco Ed has worked directly on over 300 inventory appraisals and overseen over 2500 projects. Ed also works closely with Hilco's various liquidation groups especially when they involve a Company Hilco has performed the valuation work for. Before joining Hilco Ed worked with Staples Corporation, Fidelity Capital and GE Lighting. Ed holds a bachelors degree in finance & accounting from Babson College in Wellesley, MA and is an active member of the CFA and TMA.

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John "JJ" Jefferson
Executive Vice President, National Accounts
jjefferson@hilcoappraisal.com

JJ has been a important part of The Hilco Organization since 2000. In his early days with Hilco, he was instrumental in starting-up our M&E valuation practice, working closely with Norm Adler in this regard.  When Hilco’s M&E and inventory valuation disciplines were merged in 2002, JJ assumed a more broadly-based appraisal origination role.  In 2005, JJ was promoted to Senior Vice President and the head of our North American business development group.  In 2007, he was named as head of the national accounts program.  Prior to joining Hilco, JJ was active in the Canadian banking system, serving in various managerial roles with two banks for a total of 20 years.
 
EXECUTIVES EMERITUS
Hilco Appraisal Services has a long history and rich heritage built upon the strong shoulders of quality leaders.  We are proud to honor them as Executives Emeritus.

Norm Adler
Executive Emeritus

Norm Adler spent 30-plus years helping to build and shape the business asset appraisal industry.  He is widely acknowledged to be the visionary behind the appraisal methodology and reporting structure used today by asset-based lenders. Norm was a founding member and the first president of the Association of Machinery and Equipment Appraisers (AMEA), and served on its Board of Directors.  He also served in leadership roles with the Machinery Dealers National Association (MDNA), American National Standards Institute Association (MNSI), Turnaround Management Association (TMA), American Bankruptcy Institute (AMI), and Commercial Finance Association Educational Foundation (CFA).

 

As a practitioner, Norm conducted thousands of M&E and inventory valuations in industries such as durable goods manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, medical, high tech/electronics, plastics/rubber, printing and graphic arts, heavy equipment, and both food and chemical processing.  He also spent countless hours mentoring the next generation of senior-level appraisers and leaders who now competently represent Hilco Appraisal Services.

 

Jack Washbourn, ASA
Senior Vice President

Jack had a distinguished career in Hilco's appraisal business. He had experience with virtually all asset categories, but his principal focus was machinery and equipment valuations. Jack, who holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree as well as an MBA, is a certified M & E appraiser and holds membership in numerous professional organizations, including the Association of Machinery and Equipment Appraisers, American Society of Appraisers, and the Equipment Appraisers of North America. His expertise has been widely recognized through numerous speaking engagements, published articles and appearances, and as an expert witness in bankruptcy proceedings.