# WHP Global

WHP Global is an Asset Manager based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** New York, NY, United States
- **Founded:** 2019
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** whp-global.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/whp-global

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

WHP Global is a brand management and acquisition firm based in New York, New York. Founded in 2017, the company owns and manages a portfolio of brands with retail sales figures. It focuses on acquiring and building consumer brands through digital commerce, product licensing, and global market expansion.

## Sectors

- Consumer
- Retail
- E-commerce

## People

- Yehuda Shmidman — Chairman and CEO

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at WHP Global?

Yehuda Shmidman, the Chairman and CEO who founded the firm in 2019, leads investment decisions alongside a board that includes representatives from Ares Management and Oaktree Capital. Shmidman previously ran Sequential Brands Group and held senior roles at Iconix Brand Group, giving him two decades of experience in brand licensing acquisitions. Day-to-day brand operations for each portfolio company are run by separate brand presidents.

### Is WHP Global a private equity firm or a brand operator?

WHP operates as a hybrid — it raises permanent-equity capital from institutional investors but directly manages brand assets through licensing and operational oversight rather than the typical private equity buy-and-improve-then-sell cycle. The firm holds brands indefinitely, similar to how Authentic Brands Group operates, but focuses more heavily on accessible luxury and mass-market categories rather than celebrity-driven portfolios.

### What investment stages or brand profiles does WHP target?

WHP targets mature brands with at least $100 million in annual retail sales that have strong consumer awareness but underperforming distribution. The firm does not invest in startups or early-stage consumer concepts. Target sectors include fashion apparel, toys, home goods, and sports equipment — categories where brand IP can be licensed across multiple product types and geographies without requiring the firm to own factories or inventory.

### Does WHP Global participate in fund commitments, or does it only do direct brand acquisitions?

WHP is structured as an operating company, not a fund, so it does not participate in third-party fund commitments as a limited partner. Its capital comes from equity raised from institutional investors including Ares Management, Oaktree Capital, and Solus, which hold minority stakes in the platform company itself. All brand acquisitions are made directly by WHP's corporate entity.

### How is WHP Global related to Ares Management and Oaktree?

Ares Management led the initial $700 million equity commitment to WHP at formation in 2019, alongside Oaktree Capital and Solus Alternative Asset Management. These firms are minority equity holders in the platform company, not creditors. Ares provided an additional $375 million in growth equity in 2023 to fund acquisitions including the Express and Rag & Bone transactions.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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