FTI Consulting appointed two senior managing directors in its corporate finance and restructuring segment and launched a dedicated restructuring practice in Manchester, England, to further strengthen the firm’s restructuring and insolvency capabilities in the UK.

The two new senior managing directors are Oliver Wright, who joined FTI Consulting’s Manchester office, and Lindsay Hallam, who joined the firm’s London office. Both senior managing director hires are licensed, appointment-taking insolvency practitioners.

FTI Consulting’s professionals in the firm’s new Manchester office will undertake a range of stressed and distressed advisory work for businesses across the Northwest, from insolvency liquidations and debt restructurings to escalated M&A processes and capital reorganizations.

“We are delighted to welcome Oli and Lindsay to the firm,” Matt Callaghan, a senior managing director and head of the UK mid-market restructuring and insolvency offering at FTI Consulting, said. “They add a wealth of restructuring and insolvency experience to our existing team which, coupled with the launch of our office in Manchester, marks an exciting chapter in the development and continued growth of our practice.”

Wright has advised, led and delivered on UK and international insolvency, restructuring and accelerated M&A transactions in stressed and distressed situations. He brings more than 16 years of advising companies, lenders, shareholders, investors and the UK government on special situations in, amongst others, the retail, financial services, real estate, automotive and manufacturing sectors to restructure and stabilize. Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Wright was at PwC, where he established a reputation for advising lenders and corporates in the Manchester restructuring market. While at PwC, he spent three years in Singapore, where he worked on cross-border restructuring assignments for businesses and financiers across Southeast Asia.

Hallam brings more than 14 years of experience working with corporates, lenders and sponsors on a range of insolvency and restructuring solutions and specializes in advising corporate management teams on their options when facing distressed situations. She has advised, led and executed financial and operational restructurings and accelerated M&A transactions across a variety of sectors, including casual dining, construction, automotive and most notably retail, where she has led on many high-profile insolvencies. Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Hallam was at PwC where she led the restructuring and insolvency team in the South of England.

“With Oli and Lindsay, we are continuing to expand the breadth of restructuring and insolvency experts on our team at a time when the corporate market continues to witness headwinds on several fronts,” David Morris, a senior managing director and head of UK restructuring at FTI Consulting, said. “Their arrival and the launch of our dedicated practice in Manchester reflects our commitment to further strengthen our restructuring capabilities in the UK to deliver the best possible outcome for our clients.”

“I have long admired the work of FTI Consulting’s market-leading restructuring team, so this is a great opportunity to play a strategic role in its future success,” Wright said. “I look forward to working with Matt, David and other colleagues to establish and grow the firm’s offering in Manchester.”

“I am excited to bring my skillset to the firm during this time of investment and growth,” Hallam said. “FTI Consulting is preeminent in advising clients on complex restructuring mandates, which makes the firm the ideal platform for me to continue the restructuring work that I do for clients.”