On the latest episode of Behind the Buyouts, Chris Wood, head of capital markets and financial sponsor coverage at Huntington Bank, discussed the bank’s expansion strategy and evolving M&A landscape.

“We want to build a national franchise that our clients look to to get their financing advice, whether it’s in equity, debt, bonds, loans — we want to be their last bank that they talk to before they’re doing something,” Wood said.

Huntington acquired select businesses from Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in November, Cadence Bank in October and Veritex Holdings Inc. in July to expand its geographic reach, product capabilities and equity capital markets infrastructure.

The bank has also expanded its sponsor coverage capabilities with the addition of Capstone Partners LLC and TM Capital Corp., especially as private equity firms face mounting pressure to exit nearly $4 trillion in unsold assets and return capital to investors to raise fresh funding.

Listen to the podcast with Chris Wood below:

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