Get the right person for Turnaround & Restructuring.

Real engagement work

A turnaround assignment necessitates immediate action to stabilize deteriorating financial and operational conditions while shifting from crisis management to structured oversight. Your chosen executive must prioritize establishing a transparent thirteen-week cash forecast to determine precise liquidity constraints and necessary capital preservation strategies. This involves direct involvement in lender conversations to maintain working capital access and implementing rigorous cost actions across underperforming business units. The engagement focuses on creating a functional operating plan that addresses systemic issues causing poor margins rather than merely treating symptoms. Stakeholder reporting must become frequent and factual to rebuild lost trust, ensuring that every financial decision is supported by verifiable data rather than optimistic projections regarding future performance. The core task is to move from reactive fire-fighting to methodical, data-backed control of the business entity.

Fit beyond job title

Identifying the right executive for a turnaround requires looking past standard CFO or COO titles to find specific expertise in high-pressure financial restructuring and operational stabilization. We evaluate candidates based on their documented experience handling liquidity crises and their ability to execute difficult cost-reduction programs without disrupting essential delivery commitments. A strong candidate demonstrates the capacity to reconcile competing demands between ownership groups, debt holders, and internal staff while maintaining objective control over resource allocation. We focus on individuals who can transition from emergency triage to sustainable management, bringing the technical depth required to fix broken reporting loops and the interpersonal stability needed to manage the inherent volatility found in distressed business environments. Candidates who excel here possess a history of surviving and rectifying complex financial entanglements, not just performing baseline finance functions.

Practical first 90 days

The first ninety days of a turnaround are characterized by rapid assessment and necessary corrective implementation. During the initial thirty days, the executive will focus on cash triage, establishing accurate visibility into incoming revenue and outgoing liabilities while halting non-essential spending. In the second month, the focus shifts toward optimizing the operating plan, refining reporting structures, and refining the thirteen-week forecast based on verified performance metrics. By the third month, the executive should be coordinating long-term stakeholder reporting, formalizing approval limits, and identifying sustainable paths for recovery. These stages are illustrative priorities designed to secure immediate stability, recognizing that the actual pace of implementation remains highly dependent on the specific constraints and unique operational hurdles of your business. Success here is measured by the ability to stop the bleeding while gaining board confidence in the new fiscal plan.

How we evaluate this particular specialty

We evaluate potential consultants by examining their specific history with similar liquidity crises and their demonstrated ability to work alongside boards under extreme scrutiny. Our vetting process involves discussing how they managed lender relationships during tight periods, the specific cost-reduction methodologies they prefer, and their approach to operational oversight when traditional controls have failed. We ask for evidence of how they build consensus among stakeholders and what specific reporting mechanisms they implemented to verify that changes were yielding intended outcomes. We look for individuals who can candidly explain past failures and successes, ensuring they have the technical maturity to manage a situation where financial survival is the primary and constant objective for the leadership team. We prioritize those who demonstrate a firm grasp on the legal and practical realities of avoiding formal insolvency proceedings.

Red flags

Be wary of candidates who promise recovery timelines or offer generic solutions that do not address the specific cause of your liquidity issues. Avoid anyone who suggests they can manage legal, tax, or formal insolvency matters without the input of qualified specialists, as these areas require distinct legal expertise. A significant red flag is an executive who lacks a clear framework for transparency or attempts to hide unfavorable financial data from internal stakeholders or lenders. Be cautious of those who prioritize rapid, large-scale changes without establishing baseline cash controls or those who fail to provide evidence of their decision-making process. Genuine turnaround experts will always favor disciplined, methodical verification over speculative promises of immediate success. When a candidate glosses over the mechanics of their past successes or lacks a clear process for assessing your current debt obligations, proceed with extreme caution.

Interim plus permanent search

Our service model allows for an interim assignment followed by a potential permanent search, structured as two separate engagements to provide maximum flexibility during a crisis. We facilitate the search for an interim executive who can provide immediate stability and financial control, followed by a distinct process if your organization decides a permanent leader is necessary to manage long-term recovery efforts. You are never obligated to use the interim consultant for the permanent role, nor are you required to begin a recruitment process until the business environment is stable enough to evaluate permanent leadership needs. Fees are transparently agreed for each scope, ensuring that your organization controls the transition from crisis response to long-term operational hiring. This approach allows you to secure immediate management relief while keeping your options open for the long-term future of the entity.

Transformation, Restructuring & Turnaround

• Interim Chief Restructuring Officer
• Interim Chief Transformation Officer
• Interim Head of Business Transformation
• Turnaround CEO
• Turnaround CFO
• Interim Cash Management Lead
• Interim Performance Improvement / Cost Reduction Lead
• Interim Operating Partner
• Interim Value Creation Lead
• Interim Wind-Down Manager
• Restructuring officer
• Chapter 11 Chief Restructuring Officer
• Interim Transformation Director
• Interim Head of Transformation
• Interim Turnaround CEO
• Turnaround executive
• Interim CEO for distressed companies
• Restructuring CFO
• Crisis CFO
• Interim CFO for distressed companies
• 13-week cash flow consultant
• Liquidity management lead
• Fractional Operating Partner
• PE value creation lead

Finance & Accounting

• Interim CFO
• Fractional CFO
• Interim VP Finance
• Interim Finance Director
• Interim Chief Accounting Officer
• Interim Controller
• Fractional Controller
• Interim Plant / Division Controller
• Interim Assistant Controller
• Interim Accounting Manager
• Interim VP of FP&A
• Fractional FP&A Lead
• Interim Treasurer
• Interim Head of Tax
• Interim Director of Internal Audit
• Interim SEC Reporting Director
• Interim Technical Accounting Lead
• SOX Program Lead
• Interim Head of Investor Relations
• Interim Credit & Collections Director
• Interim Project Accounting Manager
• Contract CFO
• CFO consultant
• Fractional Finance Director
• Interim Principal Accounting Officer
• Interim Corporate Controller
• Contract Controller
• Contract Accounting Manager
• Accounting Supervisor
• Interim Director of FP&A
• Interim Head of FP&A
• FP&A consultant
• Interim Head of Treasury
• Interim Treasury Director
• Cash management consultant
• Interim VP Tax
• Interim Tax Director
• Tax consultant
• Interim Chief Audit Executive
• Interim Head of Internal Audit
• Internal audit consultant
• Interim Director of External Reporting
• Interim Financial Reporting Manager
• SEC reporting consultant
• Technical accounting consultant
• ASC 606 consultant
• ASC 842 consultant
• Interim Director of Technical Accounting
• Interim SOX Manager
• SOX compliance consultant
• Internal controls lead
• CFO
• Outsourced CFO
• Exit-Readiness CFO

Executive Leadership & Board

• Interim CEO
• Fractional CEO
• Interim President
• Interim General Manager
• Interim Managing Director
• Interim Division / Business Unit President
• Interim Country Manager
• Interim Deputy CEO
• Interim Chief of Staff
• Fractional Chief of Staff
• Interim Executive Chair
• Independent / Non-Executive Board Director
• Board Advisor
• Interim President & CEO
• CEO consultant
• Fractional President
• Interim Division President
• Interim Business Unit President
• Interim Site GM
• General manager consultant
• Chief of Staff to the CEO
• Strategy & Operations Lead
• Interim President or General Manager

Legal, Risk & Compliance

• Interim General Counsel
• Fractional General Counsel
• Interim Deputy General Counsel
• Interim Chief Compliance Officer
• Fractional Chief Compliance Officer
• Interim Chief Risk Officer
• Interim Head of Legal Operations
• Interim Privacy / Data Protection Officer
• Interim Corporate Secretary
• Interim Head of Regulatory Affairs
• Interim Contracts Director
• Interim Chief Legal Officer
• Interim Head of Legal
• Fractional Legal Counsel
• Fractional Compliance Officer
• Compliance consultant
• Interim Head of Risk
• Enterprise risk consultant