TMA Florida NOW Presents: Turnaround War Stories: A Single Case, A Lasting Lesson
📅 Wednesday, July 22 | 🕚 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
đź’» Zoom Webinar
🎟️ Free for TMA Members | $10 Non-Members & Guests
Join TMA Florida NOW for a fast‑paced, insight‑packed session where each panelist shares one unforgettable turnaround war story from their work with distressed companies across the U.S. Each expert will walk through a single case:
What went wrong
- Crisis approach
- Toughest decisions faced
- Outcome
Most importantly, every story ends with one key lesson learned that attendees could apply to their own turnaround, restructuring, lending, legal, or advisory work. A concise, candid look at real‑world turnaround practice - told by the people who lived it.
Featured War Stories
Walking into a corporate crime scene — What happens when you walk into a corporate crime scene disguised as a company in Chapter 11? This case involves three debtors entangled in a $2B fraud and a business in disarray. The panelist will share how the team rebuilt the enterprise, restored legitimacy, and ultimately projected returns of $0.90 on invested capital—a transformation that earned 2017 TMA Turnaround of the Year awards.
When the owner is the obstacle — Sometimes the greatest threat to a company’s survival isn’t the market or the financials—it’s the founder. This story explores what it’s like to enter a distressed business where fear, denial, and emotional attachment were accelerating the decline. Attendees will hear how the practitioner navigated human complexity, built trust, reframed reality, and ultimately guided the company to a successful sale. The lesson: turnarounds succeed when you can reach the person at the center of the crisis.
Rescuing a winery in a shrinking industry — Set during one of the most challenging periods the wine industry has ever faced—falling demand, shifting consumer preferences, and massive oversupply—this case shows how clarity and discipline can still create winners. The panelist will walk through how the team repositioned the business, sharpened its strategy, and delivered a successful transformation that earned the 2025 TMA Turnaround of the Year Award.
If time allowed:
- What early warning signs do practitioners tend to overlook?
- How do you balance speed with accuracy in a crisis?
- What’s a misconception about turnaround work?
Panel
â—† Dawn Ragan, CTP - Senior Managing Director, CR3 Partners
Dawn Ragan has over 25 years of experience in financial advisory, turnaround management, and corporate finance. Dawn’s engagements have included assets and operations around the globe. She has served clients in a variety of roles including CRO, Plan Agent, Trustee, Financial Advisor and as an expert witness. Prior to her consulting career, Ms. Ragan spent nine years in investment banking.
â—† Marjorie (Margie) Kaufman, CTP - Senior Managing Director, KCP Advisory
Marjorie (Margie) has been providing turnaround and interim management expertise to companies around the country for over 37 years. Her experience in developing and implementing strategic and financial plans has successfully driven business success and controlled costs for her clients.
Margie spent over 35 years at several middle market turnaround and restructuring firms, frequently serving as interim Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Financial Officer for companies experiencing financial difficulties. As part of those engagements, she provided cash flow management services, conducted business plan viability analyses, designed and steered turnaround action plans, managed debt and equity placement, sourced refinancing and leveraged her deep expertise in forensic accounting. Margie’s work has spanned many industries, including retail, car rental and sales, distribution, health care, education, manufacturing, food and beverage and professional services.
Margie has been involved with a number of organizations. She is a past chair and member of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC). She is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and Treasurer and Board Member of the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation.
Margie is a current member as well as a Past President, Director and Member of the Past President’s Council of the Northeast Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. She is also an active member of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).
Margie has earned the Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) designation as administered by the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) to recognize business professionals with extensive experience and expertise in representing corporations in the renewal process, both in and out of the courts. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Bridgeport.
â—† Veronica Rocha, Director, MBA - Director, Arch + Beam
Veronica Rocha is a Director with Arch + Beam and brings over 20 years of experience in management, operations, and finance. She has worked on many consulting engagements related to financial distressed companies, Chapter 11 bankruptcies, liquidations and real estate holdings. Her earlier career ranged from commercial operations across the Americas and Europe to consultant roles in private equity. With a deep analytical foundation, she has expertise in operations management, strategy development and execution, and operational and financial analysis.
An advocate of data driven management decisions, Veronica thrives in dynamic, complex environments with a focus on continuous improvement and business success. Exceptional analytical skills and project management skills were developed during an early career in scientific research at NASA Ames Research Center and San Jose State University, followed by work in product and operations management in the biotechnology, pharma, and renewables industries.
A recipient of the Turnaround Management Association’s 2025 Turnaround and Transaction of the Year Award, Ms. Rocha is the current president of the Northern California Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and is an active member of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC).
Ms. Rocha has a M.B.A. in Finance and Strategy from University of California, Davis and a B.S. in Chemistry, Concentration in Biochemistry from San Jose State University.
â—† Lilies Lanway - SVP Head of US Originations, FrontWell Capital Partners
Lilies Lanway is Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Deal Originations at FrontWell Capital Partners, where she leads business development and deal sourcing efforts across the United States. With more than three decades of experience in asset-based lending, factoring, and specialty finance, she is widely recognized for her extensive network and deep relationships within the turnaround, restructuring, and lending communities. Prior to joining FrontWell, Lilies spent 21 years with Accord Financial, where she led the company's U.S. Asset-Based Finance business development team. She is a past president of TMA Florida and a founding leader of TMA Florida NOW, dedicated to advancing and supporting women in restructuring and corporate renewal professions.