What does a CRO do? Join the Judges as they ask questions of experienced CROs about how the manage a company in bankruptcy to success or to its strategic alternatives. This webinar will also be a master class the big picture activities that make it into court and the many things it takes to be successful that do not present in court, but are vital to a successful resolution.
Panel:
Ken Yager, Founder & President, Newpoint Advisors Corporation
Ken is the founder and President of Newpoint Advisors and has 25 years of executive leadership experience in stakeholder communication. He has worked with clients in a variety of industries in over 150 engagements. Ken regularly takes on profit and loss and risk-management responsibility for cash-constrained companies in growth, leveraged-buyout and turnaround situations. He also has successfully worked on implementing hundreds of initiatives involving, operations and project management, team building, marketing, and sales and joint-venture management. He is a fierce advocate for capital preservation and saving jobs.
Judge Jacob A. Brown, United States Bankruptcy Court Middle District of Florida
Judge Jacob Brown received his J.D. from Samford University Cumberland School of Law and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Pulp & Paper Science & Technology from North Carolina State University. Prior to law school, Judge Brown worked as a chemical engineer in manufacturing facilities throughout the southeast and in Alaska.
Judge Brown started his legal career by clerking for Judge Jerry A. Funk in the Jacksonville Division. Before joining the bench, Judge Brown was a partner with Akerman LLLP in Jacksonville, where for over 20 years, he represented secured and unsecured creditors, committees, trustees, and debtors in bankruptcy, and handled commercial litigation and business law matters. Chambers USA, an independent research company that provides detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers, noted he is “a deal-maker and an excellent advocate.” In addition, Judge Brown is active in bar activities. He is a former chair of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar and a past-president of the Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association.
Judge Catherine Peek McEwen - United States Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Florida
Catherine Peek McEwen is a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Florida (appointed August, 2005). She is also an adjunct professor at the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Prior to becoming a judge, she was in private practice, concentrating on commercial litigation with an emphasis on representing parties in bankruptcy cases.
Judge McEwen was graduated from Stetson University College of Law cum laude in 1982 and received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida (B.A., Political Science) in 1979.
She is the judicial chair of The Florida Bar Business Law Section Bankruptcy/UCC Committee and a member of The Florida Bar Business Law Section Executive Council as well as past chair of The Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee. She is a member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Legislative Committee and is a Past Editor in Chief of the NCBJ Conference News, past co-chair of the NCBJ’s Future of the Conference Committee and past member of its National Bar Association Liaison Committee, Endowment for Education Board, Public Outreach Committee, Ethics Committee, and the Newsletter Committee. She is a past chair and a member of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (of Florida) Pro Bono Committee. She is on the Board of Directors of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers.
She was elected into the American Law Institute in 2012. Among her other honors are the Stetson University College of Law Distinguished Alumnus Award (2007), Hillsborough County Bar Association Jimmy Kynes Pro Bono Service Award (2008), the Stetson University College of Law J. Ben Watkins Award (2009), the Florida Association for Women Lawyers Leaders in the Law inaugural class designation (2010), the Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association’s Luis “Tony” Cabassa Award (2012), the George Edgecomb Bar Association’s Delano S. Stewart Diversity Award (2015), the inaugural Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Distinguished Federal Judicial Service Award (2016), the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association Ben C. Willard Award (2016), the University of South Florida Distinguished Alumna Award (2016), and the Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. Judge Don Castor Justice Award (2016).
Paul Fioravanti - CEO & Managing Partner, QORVAL PARTNERS, LLC
In 2011, Paul Fioravanti joined QORVAL, a boutique management consulting and business improvement firm founded by turnaround expert and Fortune 500 CEO, James R. “Jim” Malone. With over 87 engagements across 37 industries, Paul has served in roles such as CEO, COO, CRO, and CTO, leveraging data-driven strategies to deliver measurable financial, operational, and sales improvements. Known for his work ethic, objective analysis, and ability to drive organizational transformations, Paul has a proven track record of revitalizing businesses.
Paul has led major turnarounds, including a 39-year-old automotive manufacturer, where as CEO, he rebuilt teams, enhanced brand awareness, improved compliance, and achieved a 185% revenue increase. He also guided a retail client to become publicly traded, doubling revenue and increasing EBITDA by 9X, and restructured a $350M pharmaceutical CDMO, driving EBITDA from negative $50K to $32M while managing debt, operations, and compliance.
Paul has advised private equity, hedge funds, and startups, spearheading initiatives like LEAN-based process improvements and post-merger integrations. A Certified Turnaround Professional, he holds degrees from the University of Rhode Island and Bryant University, is a Leadership Rhode Island graduate, and actively contributes as a board member, advisor, and speaker.
Pat Diercks - Partner, PKF Clear Thinking LLC
Pat has over 17 years of experience as a consultant in the turnaround/restructuring arena dealing primarily with companies in the consumer product manufacturing/distribution, staffing, metal products, manufacturing and retail industries. He has led/participated in numerous assignments related to cash management and operational performance improvement, as well as frequently serving as financial advisor to various constituents in bankruptcy proceedings.
Pat has assisted clients with the preparation and analysis of business plans, financial statements, cash flow reporting and forecasting, collateral analysis and monitoring, out-of-court wind-downs, refinancing, organizational restructuring, labor standards development, and POS implementation/training.
He has provided services to both debtors and creditors within the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process including: the preparation of cash collateral forecasts, DIP budgets, claims analysis, asset analysis and recovery, and estate wind-down activities.
Additionally, he has served as both a Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Strategy Officer as well as other interim senior management roles. Pat has also been retained by numerous bankruptcy estate trustees/plan administrators to assist with post- confirmation activities and managing/administering the plan.