George G. Hicks

George Hicks is a Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chair. He is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Based in Minneapolis, George co-founded the firm in 1993.

As a founder, George was an original architect of the firm’s investment thesis and philosophy and has helped guide the application of those principles to an ever-changing, growing and dynamic investing environment. He has presided over the growth of the firm, overseeing its transition from a start-up to a global enterprise with the infrastructure required to support offices around the globe and a diverse investor base. George played a central role in developing the mandates and raising the capital for Värde’s funds. He has served as a lead creditor in a number of corporate restructurings and has served on the boards of a number of the portfolio companies owned by the Värde funds. George transitioned to Executive Chair in 2022 after serving as Co-Chief Executive Officer through 2021 and Co-Chief Investment Officer through 2017.

Prior to founding Värde, George served as senior vice president of Cargill Financial, the financial services subsidiary of Cargill, where he helped build and manage the company’s worldwide merchant banking department. A lawyer by training, George also served as counsel in the Cargill legal department.

George graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota with a B.A. in Economics and History, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Asia Society.