FTI Consulting promoted 19 professionals within the firm’s corporate finance and restructuring segment to senior managing director roles on Jan. 1.
The professionals promoted included Sazz Ariyanayagam, Michael Bates, Brent Brackle, Daniel Brosious, Matt Gimlett, Robert Gonzalez, Antonio Guastafierro, Ben Hughes, Lloyd McGuire, William Ng, Christopher Pizzo, Paul Pritchard, Justin Pugh, Harvind Raman, Jim Robinson, Beau Roy, Adrian Sullesta, James Wolf and Amanda Wu.
“This highly accomplished group of new senior managing directors brings a mix of unique experience and exceptional talent in business transformation, transactions and restructuring advisory to the leadership team, key components in successfully navigating the ever-changing nature of the opportunities and challenges FTI Consulting is trusted to guide clients through on a daily basis,” Carlyn Taylor, global co-leader of the corporate finance and restructuring segment and business transformation leader for FTI Consulting, said. “We are proud of each of our new senior managing directors, and we are excited for this new class of leading experts as they continue to develop innovative solutions and create value for our clients around the world.”
“I congratulate our new senior managing directors, who are among a group of leaders who will help us further enhance our capabilities and advance our industry-leading market position,” Michael Eisenband, global co-leader of the corporate finance and restructuring segment at FTI Consulting, said. “Their commitment to performing to the highest standard has allowed us to deliver powerful results for our clients while creating an inclusive environment where talented experts can thrive.”
Ariyanayagam, who is based in Chicago, specializes in leading revenue growth transformations, facilitating organization alignments and driving varied initiatives that deliver accelerated revenue growth along with robust operating results. Ariyanayagam has 15 years of experience helping senior executives and company boards drive sustainable revenue growth and profitability by leveraging digital, data and advanced analytics. He primarily serves technology, telecom, media, industrial enterprises and private equity-owned portfolio companies.
Bates, who is based in Sydney, has more than 15 years of experience working across a variety of business transformation matters, with a focus on private capital advisory services. He has specific expertise in undertaking due diligence, merger integration, cost optimization, cash and working capital management, crisis management, organizational design, performance improvement, independent strategic and diagnostic reviews of businesses and the solving of complex business problems.
Brackle, based in Denver, specializes in merger integration and carve-outs, particularly in the telecom, media and technology industries, and is also part of FTI Capital Advisors, FTI Consulting’s investment banking subsidiary. With nearly 20 years of transactions experience, his expertise includes operational due diligence, business plan review, synergy assessment, separation assessment and deal perimeter, pre-close integration planning, day one readiness, sales effectiveness, organizational design, process mapping, customer experience, synergy validation and delivery, back-office integration and optimization, and TSA development.
Brosious, who is also based in Denver, specializes in restructuring and bankruptcy strategy, liquidity improvement, cash management and M&A transactions. He has served as chief restructuring officer and acted as interim CFO. Brosious has more than 15 years of experience across a range of industries, including mining, real estate, manufacturing and technology, among others. He holds both CPA and Certified Turnaround Professional designations.
Gimlett, who is based in New York, is a leader within FTI Consulting’s transactions practice and specializes in the pre-deal and post-deal phases of the M&A life cycle. With a focus on buy-side carve-outs and integrations, Gimlett has expertise leading cross-functional company initiatives, transactions and business transformation efforts. His industry experience spans across technology, media, power and renewables, financial services, healthcare and consumer retail.
Gonzalez, who is also based in New York, specializes in due diligence and transaction services. Gonzalez has nearly 15 years of experience in M&A and corporate finance, including financial due diligence (both buy- and sell-side), interim management, finance function advisory, financial planning and budgeting, business plan evaluations, merger integration planning and execution, carve-outs, transition service agreements and internal control/systems evaluations.
Guastafierro, who is based in Denver, specializes in advising clients on strategy issues in the telecom, media and technology industry, with a focus on marketing and base management, information and communications technology, B2B offerings, analytics-driven and business intelligence strategy, mobile networks and wholesale. He has nearly 15 years of telecommunication industry experience across markets in Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East.
Hughes, who is based in London, leads FTI Consulting’s restructuring M&A offering in the UK. In 18 years of acting as a lead advisor, he has delivered buy- and sell-side M&A mandates, capital raisings, valuations and financial restructurings. Hughes has worked with a range of clients, including corporates, lenders and investors, across a variety of sectors, such as retail, leisure, healthcare, TMT and industrials.
McGuire, who is based in Dallas, has more than 15 years of cross-functional professional services experience, including roles as a business turnaround consultant; financial restructuring advisor for both out-of-court and bankruptcy engagements; and lawyer and litigator for public and private companies, lenders, unsecured parties and government entities.
Ng, who is based in New York, specializes in providing financial advisory services to creditors and distressed companies in both in- and out-of-court situations. He is a member of FTI Consulting’s creditor rights team and has more than 15 years of restructuring experience. His expertise includes evaluation and development of plans of reorganization, development of financial models and recovery analyses, review of business plans, assessment of cash flow forecasts, investigation of avoidance actions and other analysis to formulate and pursue strategies to maximize value for creditors.
Pizzo, who is based in Atlanta, specializes in providing financial advisory services to lenders and distressed companies in both in- and out-of-court situations and serving in interim management roles for both healthy and distressed businesses. Pizzo has more than 30 years of experience in financial and operating turnaround plans, financing arrangements, liquidity management, financial modeling and cash flow projections, bankruptcy proceedings, SEC reporting and capital raising, among other areas.
Pritchard, who is based in London, has more than 20 years of experience providing tax advice to both lenders and borrowers in relation to restructuring situations. He has advised on the tax aspects of complex and large debt restructurings. He is also a transactions specialist advising on tax due diligence and structuring of corporate acquisitions and disposals involving listed corporates, private equity and infrastructure funds.
Pugh, who is based in Denver, specializes in providing event-driven strategic, operational and financial advisory services to companies across the spectrum of energy transition. Pugh frequently serves as an interim manager on behalf of private equity sponsors, a fiduciary on behalf of boards of directors, a trustee on behalf of state courts and a financial advisor on behalf of infrastructure asset owners and financiers.
Raman, who is based in San Francisco, co-leads the technology go-to-market team within the FTI Consulting’s TMT industry practice and has expertise in helping private equity firms and corporations in growth and cost transformations, commercial and operational due diligence, M&A, carve-outs and post-merger integrations. He has driven value through enterprise transformations, cost take-outs and revenue uplift programs. Raman specializes in organizational transformation, R&D portfolio optimization, go-to-market strategy, technology and infrastructure optimization.
Robinson, who is based in Toronto, specializes in advising management, directors, lenders, private equity/debt firms, unions and other stakeholders in both formal and informal restructurings. He has expertise in restructuring strategy, leading complex projects and cross-border restructurings, assisting with stakeholder negotiations, acting in an interim management capacity and developing recapitalization and realization strategies. He has advised both public and private enterprises in multiple industries, including retail, real estate, technology, energy, heavy industries, hospitality and gaming.
Roy, who is based in San Francisco, specializes in providing financing, M&A and restructuring advisory services to clients in the aviation industry. His experience includes business plan development, debt financing for aircraft and engine acquisitions, sale/leaseback transactions, sourcing public and private equity capital, fleet restructurings, §1110 stipulations, labor contract negotiations, buy- and sell-side advisory mandates, debtor-in-possession and exit financing, §363 sale processes, valuation, exchange offers and litigation support.
Sullesta, who is based in Denver, specializes in business transformation and transactions advisory in the telecom, media and technology sectors. Sullesta has more than 20 years of experience in helping clients design and deliver large-scale business transformation and performance improvement initiatives and advising clients through the transaction life cycle, from due diligence to integration and carve-out planning and execution.
Wolf, who is based in Boston, is a finance and accounting expert in FTI Consulting’s office of the CFO solutions practice. With more than 20 years of experience, Wolf builds planning and performance management strategies that innovate accounting controllership and FP&A. He designs solutions to improve collaboration and partnership between finance and operations, streamline processes and achieve back-office efficiency through automation with enterprise performance management tools.
Wu, who is based in New York, is a member of FTI Consulting’s office of the CFO solutions practice and specializes in providing finance strategy, finance transformation and transaction advisory services to domestic and multinational companies. She has 20 years of experience, with industry expertise in telecom, media and technology, automotive, diversified industrials, healthcare and life sciences, financial services and retail and consumer products.