Our People

Hilco's team of highly-experienced retail, corporate finance and business recovery specialists is supplemented by a retail support team covering all Human Resources, EPoS and Administration activities so that Hilco UK, alone, can provide a COMPLETE service to our clients with high partner level involvement in each case.

Paul McGowan
Chief Executive


Paul McGowan is a founding partner of Hilco UK and has spent the last 12 years in the European retail and fashion markets, having qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Northern Ireland and spent two years within KPMG, London.

Moving into the fashion industry from KPMG, Paul has acted as Finance and Operations Director at Jacqmar plc and Leslie Fay (UK) Limited managing all aspects of finance, administration, supply chain and retail operations before becoming Chief Executive at Leslie Fay.

Paul joined Hilco UK as a Partner at the inception of our European business and is responsible for all operational aspects of the UK business.

Andrew Pepper
Chief Operating Officer


Andrew Pepper has been providing solutions to under performing businesses for over sixteen years.  He has advised Lenders and Directors on all aspects of corporate restructuring, from leading turnaround engagements to being appointed an administrator of a business.   Andrew is a Chartered Accountant and a former Partner of Kroll and BDO – he has held senior positions in KPMG and PwC during his career.

A specialist in the ABL, Retail and Leisure sectors, Andrew has led a number of advisory engagements on large and small businesses including Morgan Ltd, Unwins plc, “Slug & Lettuce”, and Collins & Aikman.  Andrew has also worked in an advisory capacity across Europe in cross jurisdictional ABL transactions in Germany, Poland and Romania.  Over the last few years, a large number of these engagements have involved businesses turning over in excess of £60 million per year.  Equally Andrew has personally dealt with many smaller businesses, where hands-on control has been essential.

Together with his experience in dealing with retail businesses turning over in excess of £1.2 billion, Andrew has found time to advise Trustees of a top five UK charity on the restructuring of its commercial activities. In 2006 Andrew was ranked 48 in Retail Week’s Top 100 Power List.

Howard Gunn
European Chief Financial Officer


Howard, having trained as an accountant at Peat, Marwick Mitchell & Co. in the late 1970s, established a small business involved in the trade and retail distribution of high security products. He then entered the computer industry and became Finance Director and Company Secretary of CHS Electronics Plc, one of the principal computer distribution companies in the UK, for over 10 years with responsibility for all finance functions, credit management and human resources.

Howard left the computer industry to join Hilco UK in September 2003 as the financial controller before becoming Chief Financial Officer in June 2005.

John Freise
Vice President of Operations


John has worked with Hilco since 1999 in the US as a Senior Lead Consultant on deals such as Mervyns Dept. Stores, PharMor, Wilson’s Leather, Musicland Stores, Just for Feet and Country Road. Prior to that John was Vice President of Sales at Lesco, Inc, Cleveland where he was responsible for the management of the overall sales and profit generated by three sales channels; Service Centers, Golf Courses, and Key Accounts.

John has also worked in senior positions at Roses Discount Stores, Target Stores and Macy’s Department Stores.