TMA 5th Annual Great Lakes Conference
May 18-19, 2006
Key Note Speaker
Mark ReuterMark Reutter has been a reporter for The Baltimore Sun and has published in The Wilson Quarterly, Barron's, and The Nation. He is currently a business and law editor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also the author of Making Steel: Sparrows Point and the Rise and Ruin of American Industrial Might and is the editor of Railroad History, the journal of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.
The China Syndrome: Challenges and Opportunities.
Moderator: Beverly Weiss Manne,Tucker Arensberg, P.C.
1500 One PPG Place, Pgh., PA15222
Phone: 412-594-5525
email:
Beverlyis Chair of Insolvency and Creditors' Rights Department of Tucker Arensberg, P.C., where she concentrates in creditors' rights, commercial loan restructuring, bankruptcy and workouts. Ms. Manne also is an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she teaches Commercial Paper-Payment Systems, and Secured Transactions. Ms. Manne obtained her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law as well as her B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Manne is a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations, American Bankruptcy Institute, International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, a past Chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, and currently serves on the Board of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. Ms. Manne served as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Banking Section's UCC Article 9 Revisions Task Force and the Insolvency Law Task Force which was responsible for the adoption of Revised Article 9 in Pennsylvania. Ms. Manne is the author of Chapter 2, "Nonbankruptcy Options: Assignments, Compositions and Receiverships" of Chapter 11 Theory and Practice, LRP Publications, Horsham, Pennsylvania, as well as the author of "Comparative Analysis with the U.S. Law," Romania - The Insolvency System, International Insolvency Institute, Alexandria, Virginia 1999. From 1981 to 1986, Ms. Manne was an attorney for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of General Counsel, Regions I, II and III. Ms. Manne lectures frequently on bankruptcy, banking and creditors' right issues.
Michael Buenzow,Senior Managing Director, FTI Palladium Partners
Address: 333 West Wacker Drive, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL60606
Phone: (312) 252-9333
Email:
Michael is a Senior Managing Director with FTI Palladium Partners, the interim management practice of FTI Consulting. He has over 19 years experience serving as a financial advisor to companies, creditors, and directors of under-performing businesses and companies in transition. He specializes in interim management, operational turnarounds, and financial restructurings. Michael is currently Chief Restructuring Officer of Heating Oil Partners, Inc., a $600 million distributor of home heating oil and other refined petroleum products. He previously served as CEO of Bush Industries, a $350 million diversified furniture manufacturer that is a leading supplier to major “Big Box” retailers. He led the restructuring activities and operational turnaround efforts at Bush which resulted in the restructuring of $160 million of senior bank debt, the successful confirmation of a Plan of Reorganization and the creation of a Shenzhen, China based sourcing group that coordinates the manufacture and delivery of over $100 million worth of goods annually. Michael was awarded the “2005 Large Company Turnaround of the Year” by the Chicago TMA for his work on Bush Industries. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Huffy Corporation/Tommy Armour Golf which has transferred all manufacturing activities to China and is currently owned primarily by a group of China and Taiwan based suppliers as a result of a 2005 restructuring. Michael has had active roles in many significant engagements including Kmart, Bridge Information Systems, Federal-Mogul Corp., Weirton Steel Corporation, Grand Union, and TWA. Prior to joining FTI in 2002, Michael was a partner in the Business Recovery Services practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Michael earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a BBA from NiagaraUniversity. He is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor; a member of the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors, American Bankruptcy Institute, and the TMA.
Samir Desai,Vice President, Key Principal Partners
Address: 800 Superior Ave., 10th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: (216) 828-8125
Email:
Mr. Desai joined Key Principal Partners in 2001 from the North American Funds, a middle market LBO firm, where as a Vice President he was principally responsible for originating new investment opportunities. Before joining North American Funds in 1998, Mr. Desai held various positions at LaSalle National Bank in Chicago. Most recently, he was Vice President- Structured Finance. In this capacity, he originated, structured and managed middle market leveraged lending transactions. Mr. Desai began his career as a Financial Analyst with the First National Bank of Chicago. He received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Finance.
Gerry Murak, Principal Consultant, Murak & Associates, LLC.
Address: 300 International Dr, Williamsville, NY14221USA
Phone: (716) 631-0253
email:
Gerry Murak, the “Enterprise Doctor”, is an executive coach, national speaker and author of the forthcoming business improvement book, “Enterprise Doctor - Secrets Revealed” and leadership book, “Our Fathers Who Art in Heaven...and What They Continue to Teach Us”. Gerry is a member of the National Speakers Association and has given speeches in over 30 states, 2 provinces and China He has worked with General Mills, Ford Motor Company, Ford/Mazda, General Motors, NCR, 3M, United States Postal Service, Army Corps of Engineers, the United Way, National Education Association, and numerous other organizations. Gerry has over 30 years of experience as a change agent, and has provided results across the globe. He is a past Director for the TMA International Board.Additionally, Gerry is a Nationally Certified Professional in Human Resources - PHR, adjunct faculty for CornellUniversity - HR, University at Buffalo – Strategic Planning, and DaemenCollege – Transformational Leadership. Gerry received a BS in Industrial Education, an MBA and an MS inEducationfrom State University of New York at Buffalo. Gerry has a certificate in International Business from CanisiusCollege. Gerry is a Director and past President of the Upstate New York TMA and has received numerous awards including the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics, the Excellence in Service Award – Food Bank of Western New York, the New York State Governor’s “Small Business Advocate of the Year” Award, the Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by Ernst & Young, USA Today, and NASDAQ, the C. Taylor Kew Memorial Award – for Entrepreneurship, and the JC Penney Golden Rule Award.
Thomas M. Von Lehman,Principal, The Meridian Group
Suite 1700, 223 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA15222
Phone: 412-232-0113
Email:
Tom is a seasoned executive with broad management experience in areas including purchasing and distribution, corporate planning, research and development, commercial development and international marketing. Tom is currently Chief Executive Officer, R.G. Barry Corporation. Since joining R.G. Barry Corporation in March 2004, Mr. Von Lehman has developed and successfully implemented a new business model and financially reengineered the company. For 2005 the company reported earning of $8 million after losing close to $20 million per year in 2003 and 2004. A key element of the turnaround was close down manufacturing in Mexico and go to 100% outsourcing from China.
Previously, he was a principal in The Meridian Group, an investment banking and corporate renewal consulting firm based in Pittsburgh. There, he worked on a variety of turnaround assignments for middle market companies in industries such as building materials, steel fabrication, engineering services and general construction. He also managed two companies for which The Meridian Group was the court-appointed receiver. Mr. Von Lehman also had a 21-year career with PPG Industries Inc. where his last assignment was as Vice President, Specialty Chemicals from 1996 to 2001. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic direction and operations of three global strategic business units with revenues in excess of $600 million. Mr. Von Lehman holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from ThomasMoreCollege and doctorate in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, with a year postdoctoral appointment at the University of Michigan.
Steven J. Weisz,Partner, Practice Group Coordinator, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.
Address: 199 Bay Street, Suite 2800, Commerce Court West, TorontoONM5L 1A9
Phone: 416.863.2616
E-mail:
Steven is a partner and the Practice Group Coordinator, Restructuring & Insolvency Group for Blakes. Steven has extensive experience in a variety of litigation matters relating to insolvency, bankruptcy, commercial fraud and general commercial and priority disputes, including disputes arising from equipment and inventory financing. Steven also has represented debtors, financial institutions, receivers, trustees, suppliers and other creditors and stakeholders in major insolvency and restructuring proceedings. Steven has written numerous articles for the Commercial Insolvency Reporter, the RRSP Journal, the National Insolvency Review and Financier Worldwide magazine, and has been a guest editor for the Journal of Corporate Renewal since 2002. He is a member of the Ontario Bar Association Insolvency Law Section, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and a past president of the Turnaround Management Association Toronto Chapter. Steven has been an international director and member of the executive committee since 2002, and held the offices of vice-president, international relations and finance and is currently the vice-president university relations of the TMA. Steven also has been an instructor for the Business Law Insolvency and Litigation Sections of the Ontario Bar Admission Courses and has co-chaired/presented seminars for the Ontario Bar Association and conducted many seminars on bankruptcy law, litigation, security enforcement and other insolvency matters for various professional organizations. Steven is also a regular contributor to the bankruptcy section of Canadian Forms and Precedents, published by Butterworths Canada Ltd. Blakes' office in Beijing, China consists of Canadian lawyers resident in China and local staff, all of whom have significant experience assisting clients in China and Asia.
Who's Driving this Bus? The Pension Dilemma in America.
James E. Van Horn, McGuireWoods LLP - Moderator
James Van Horn is an attorney with McGuireWoods LLP and focuses his practice on bankruptcy, insolvency, creditors’ rights and commercial workouts. He has a wide range of experience in corporate restructuring, business valuation, forensic accounting and fraud investigation. Mr. Van Horn is an active member of the Turnaround Management Association, serving as the Vice President, Programs, for the Pittsburgh Chapter. Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Mr. Van Horn was a senior consultant in the Bankruptcy and Restructuring Services Practice of FTI Consulting, Inc., and a senior associate in the Business Recovery Services Division of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor, and a Certified Valuation Analyst. He received a JD and MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA from the PennsylvaniaStateUniversity. Email:
Joseph R. House, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Joseph R. House isa Manager inthe Corporate Finance and Restructuring Group at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.He has 11 years of experience as an attorney practicing in the areas of employee benefits, labor and bankruptcy, and has been at the PBGC for almost4 years. He represented PBGC in both of the US Airways bankruptcies and provided counsel on various matters in connection with the United Airlines bankruptcy. Mr. House is currently the senior business representative for PBGC on the creditors’ committees of Delta and Northwest.Mr.House earned a Bachelor ofArts degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross anda Juris Doctorfrom theCatholic University of America.
Email:
Robert A. Morris, Morris Anderson & Associates Ltd.
Robert A. Morris is a Managing Director with Morris Anderson & Associates and has extensive expertise in turnaround consulting, systems development, business appraisal and acquisition strategy, with more than 25 years of experience in analytic, financial and line operating management. Prior to joining Morris-Anderson & Associates in 1998, Mr. Morris was CEO and co-owner of a contract manufacturing firm and then a novelty confectionery start-up. In the early 1990s, he served as a turnaround consultant to numerous companies ranging in size from $5 million to $1.5 billion in assets. He served as Vice President for a national crisis-management firm and as a partner within Corcoran Partners VRS. An active member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Certified Turnaround Professional received undergraduate and graduate degrees from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, which included studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Business. Email:
John Rudd, Newmarket Partners, LLC
John Rudd is a partner in Newmarket Partners, LLC and specializes in financial advisory services, including financial restructuring, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcy. His professional focus is on identifying, developing, and implementing creative financial solutions for clients in financial distress. Mr. Rudd brings a multi-faceted perspective to his clients, having gained extensive experience as an adviser, lender, intermediary, CFO, workout lender, and bankruptcy specialist. Prior to joining Newmarket, Mr. Rudd served as an independent financial adviser; Chief Financial Officer, of Paramount Petroleum, Inc., a $400 million petroleum refiner, and a corporate lender and workout officer for ING Group. Mr. Rudd received an MBA from the University of Southern California, where he earned admission to Beta Gamma Sigma, and received a BS, Economics from the University of Minnesota.
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