Mesirow Financial Consulting Enhances Position with Executive Promotions
Firm Adds Senior Directors and SVPs to Ranks

NEW YORK, NY April 5, 2011 – Mesirow Financial Consulting, LLC (MFC) announced today that it has promoted several key professionals, effective April 1, 2011. Jim Nugent and Kristin Winford have been named senior managing directors; Thomas Jones and Ben Wei have been named managing directors; and Brad Hayes, Jennifer Koondel Davidson and Luke Liakopoulos have been named senior vice presidents. The promotion of these talented professionals reflects MFC's continued growth and its leadership in the financial advisory services arena.

"These professionals provide outstanding service to our clients. They each have a record of advising stakeholders on complex issues across a wide range of situations and industries," said MFC president, Ralph S. Tuliano. "Growing and retaining the industry's best talent is one of the most important investments we can make."

Nugent, 47, joined the firm in 2000 and has more than 25 years of experience in providing corporate recovery, interim management, business planning, debt restructuring, and operations and performance improvement management consulting services. Nugent, specializes in providing business advisory and financial and operational turnaround consulting and negotiation assistance in complex restructuring matters and has served as chief restructuring officer and other executive roles in an interim management capacity during restructuring situations. His industry experience spans myriad industries, including healthcare, airlines, gaming, automotive, construction, real estate finance, manufacturing and distribution. Nugent received his B.S. from Northern Illinois University and his M.B.A. from DePaul University.

Winford, 38, joined the firm in 1999 and has more than 15 years of experience providing strategic operations and performance improvement services. She currently leads MFC's national operations and infrastructure business units as well as provides overall strategic guidance of people management and operating functions, including strategic planning and budgeting, financial management, resource deployment and management, sales and marketing, information technology, research, performance management and rewards, recruiting, culture and retention, knowledge management, communications, change management and professional growth. Winford, based in the firm's New York office, also leads the US efforts for the firm's international joint venture, BTG Mesirow Financial Consulting. She received her B.A. from Southern Methodist University and her M.B.A. from Arizona State University.

Jones, 41, has 20 years of experience providing corporate restructuring, audit, litigation support and other creditor advisory services. He has significant international experience, including commercial dispute and bankruptcy-related litigation assistance. Other recent experience includes interim management, turnaround strategy implementation, and evaluation of business performance. He has extensive telecommunications and manufacturing experience, as well as considerable retail and pharmaceutical knowledge. Jones, who joined the firm in 2005, is a Certified Public Accountant, and is based in New York. He earned his B.S. from State University of New York at Binghamton.

Wei, 37, has over 15 years of experience in providing financial analysis, business advisory and valuation consulting services to publicly-traded and privately-held companies. He has advised clients on valuation issues related to financial reporting, tax planning, intangible assets, complex securities, litigations and restructurings. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and received his B.A. and M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Wei joined the firm in 2007 and is based in the firm's Los Angeles office.

Koondel Davidson, 35, joined the firm in 2010 and is based in Los Angeles. She has over 12 years of experience in valuing capital stock, minority and controlling interests, privately-held interests, debt and derivative securities and intangible assets. She has performed numerous valuations for collateralization, financial reporting, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, strategic planning, and tax reporting purposes. She is a senior accredited member in the business valuation discipline of the American Society of Appraisers. Additionally, she received her B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University with a focus in finance.

Hayes, 32, has over eight years of experience performing financial advisory services, including financial and operational restructurings, buyer and seller due diligence, merger and acquisition investment banking advisory and financial statement audits. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor, and received his B.S. from Indiana University and M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Hayes joined the firm in 2009 and is based in Chicago.

Liakopoulos, 38, has more than 16 years of experience performing valuations of business enterprises, intangible assets, equity and debt. He specializes in the valuation of income-producing capital assets for sale/leaseback transactions, tax leases and synthetic leases, lease portfolio reviews, project financing and end of lease negotiations. Liakopoulos, who received his B.S. from DePaul University, joined the firm in 2010 and is based in Chicago.

A full-service financial advisory consulting provider, Mesirow Financial Consulting provides corporate recovery services, litigation and investigative services, valuation services, interim management (interim management services provided by Mesirow Financial Interim Management, LLC), operations and performance improvement, distressed M&A and capital raising services, alternative investment services, due diligence services and technology advisory services.

Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1937, it is an independent, employee-owned firm with more than 1,200 employees in locations across the country and in London. With expertise in Investment Management, Global Markets, Insurance Services and Consulting, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals. For more information about Mesirow Financial, please visit our website at mesirowfinancial.com.

 

The Mesirow Financial name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc., © 2011, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not necessarily complete and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. It should not be assumed that any recommendations incorporated herein will be profitable or will equal past performance. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any Mesirow Financial investment vehicle(s).

Securities offered through Mesirow Financial, Inc. member NYSE, SIPC. Insurance services provided through Mesirow Insurance Services, Inc.