FTI Consulting launched the firm’s corporate finance and restructuring segment in Milan, Italy with the appointment of four business transformation and restructuring senior hires, continuing its growth across continental Europe and providing a permanent presence in Italy.
The new appointments include Francesco Leone, who will lead FTI Consulting’s Italian corporate finance and restructuring business, Claudia Lotti, Barbara Biassoni and Raffaele Fiorella.
FTI Consulting is a New York Stock Exchange-listed global business advisory firm, providing clients with multidisciplinary solutions to complex challenges and opportunities. The corporate finance and restructuring segment advises on complex restructurings, turnarounds, transformations and transactions, helping companies and stakeholders address major financial, operational and transactional challenges.
The launch in Italy follows FTI Consulting’s expansion of its corporate finance and restructuring segment in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) into the Netherlands with the acquisition of BOLD in February 2022 and the appointment of four professionals in March 2022, as well as its expansion into France in May 2022.
“Barbara, Claudia, Francesco and Raffaele have worked on some of the most complex and high-profile transformation, financing and restructuring situations in Italy,” Kevin Hewitt, chairman of EMEA at FTI Consulting, said. “We are very pleased they have joined FTI Consulting and are excited about the opportunity for our corporate finance and restructuring business in Italy and its contribution to our wider EMEA growth strategy.”
“I am delighted to welcome our new senior appointments to our growing corporate finance and restructuring practice in EMEA, at what is a period of transformational growth for the business as we continue to expand across Continental Europe,” Diederick van der Plas, a senior managing director and the EMEA head of corporate finance & restructuring at FTI Consulting, said. “Barbara, Claudia, Francesco and Raffaele bring outstanding expertise and networks, and we look forward to further expanding our business and advising clients with their most complex challenges.”
Biassoni, a senior advisor, has more than 25 years of advisory experience in financial turnaround, with strong expertise in financial restructuring processes including insolvency. She has worked on financial operations projects, including providing M&A, business valuations, fairness opinions and impairments tests, business planning, crisis management and liquidity management services. She has particular experience in the energy and utilities, hospitality, telecommunications and media and transportation sectors. Previously, Biassoni was a partner at the Erre Quadro consulting firm, prior to which she worked as counsel at a global business advisory firm.
Lotti, a senior managing director, has more than 20 years of experience leading operational improvement projects and crisis recovery plans, as well as optimizing clients’ financial operations. She has extensive experience in both consulting and interim management roles and has worked with corporate clients and private equity firms active in various sectors, including retail and consumer goods, fashion and luxury, automotive and industrial goods. Lotti’s previous roles have included senior positions at global business advisory firms, most recently as a partner at The Boston Consulting Group.
Leone, a senior managing director, has more than 25 years of experience leading business transformation and operational restructuring projects for corporate and financial clients, including in interim management roles, and has particular expertise in retail and consumer products, fashion and luxury, yacht and ship building, industrial goods and healthcare. He also has served in interim executive and managerial roles, including as chief transformation officer. Leone joins FTI Consulting from The Boston Consulting Group, where he led the Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel turnaround and transformation practice.
Fiorella, a senior advisor, has more than 25 years of experience in advisory and interim management roles, including chief restructuring officer in a number of consolidation, restructuring or liquidation processes. His experience includes cost rationalization, business plan design and implementation and liquidity management in various sectors, including construction, gaming and leisure and airlines and aviation. Fiorella is a chartered accountant, statutory auditor, and expert witness at the Court of Milan, working on plan certifications pursuant to the bankruptcy law, and M&A, business valuations and fairness opinions. Fiorella previously was a partner at the Erre Quadro consulting firm and counsel at a global business advisory firm.
