AlixPartners congratulates Lisa Donahue on her induction into the Turnaround Management Association Hall of Fame

She oversees one of the largest transformation groups in the world; most recently served as Chief Transition and Development Officer at Westinghouse

NEW YORK (Sept. 26, 2018) - Lisa Donahue, Global Leader of the Turnaround & Restructuring practice at consulting firm AlixPartners, received congratulations from her AlixPartners colleagues today upon her formal induction tomorrow into the Turnaround Management Association’s (TMA) Turnaround, Restructuring, and Distressed Industry Hall of Fame. 

Established by the TMA in 2008, the Hall of Fame’s mission is “to honor and preserve the names of those whose outstanding individual contributions have increased the stature and respect of an industry dedicated to stabilizing underperforming companies, rebuilding corporate value, and retaining jobs.” The TMA bestows this honor only once every five years, and only 20 other inductees preceded this year’s class of five. 

“On behalf of everyone at AlixPartners, I offer my warmest congratulations to Lisa on this great honor,” said Simon Freakley, CEO of AlixPartners. “One of the pioneers in the field of turnaround and restructuring, including being one of the first women to lead a global practice, Lisa is a leading light in her field and this honor reinforces that. She is also an inspiration for others looking to follow in her footsteps in the very exciting field of corporate renewal.”

Lisa, who also sits on the Management Committee of AlixPartners, joined the firm in 1998 and in her current position oversees what is one of the largest corporate-transformation practices in the world.  She was named to her current position in 2013 and has been a Managing Director at AlixPartners since 2001.  A recognized leader and mentor, Lisa is an expert at guiding underperforming companies through complex negotiations and operational restructurings. She most recently served as Chief Transition and Development Officer at Westinghouse Electric Company LLC during that company’s successful transformation and reorganization.

Prior to Westinghouse, Lisa was Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) at the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, or PREPA, the government-owned corporation responsible for electricity generation, power distribution, and power transmission throughout Puerto Rico. Before that, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Power Corp., where CEO Barry Welch said of her in Treasury & Risk Magazine, “Lisa has stepped in and owned the job as if she were a permanent hire.  She has provided invaluable advice…during a time when we are growing and transitioning into a larger, more diverse organization.” 

From 2006 to 2008, she served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Houston-based energy company Calpine Corp., after which Financial Week dubbed Lisa a “turnaround artist,” and in that same article Calpine General Counsel Gregory Doody said of her, “It is amazing to watch the things she can get accomplished while maintaining a sense of humor.” 

As versatile as she is deeply experienced, Lisa served as CRO of SemGroup LP in 2008 and 2009, Chief Executive Officer of New World Pasta Co. in 2004 and 2005, as CFO and CRO of battery-maker Exide Technologies Inc. from 2001 through 2003, and, prior to that, as CFO of sporting-goods company Umbro International Inc.  Her more notable non-officer engagements include work at the Denmark-based shipping company TORM A/S, Houston-based TBS Shipping Services Inc., US movie-theatre chain Regal Cinemas Inc. (now part of Regal Entertainment Group), and Graham-Field Health Products Inc. (now GF Health Products Inc.).

She is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, the non-profit think tank specializing in US foreign policy and international affairs.  She is a former board member of the TMA and a former board member of the American Red Cross.  In 2002, Crain’s New York Business named her to its “40 Under 40” list, and in 2007, Lisa, a wife and mother of three, was named “Woman of the Year” by the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC).  A regular speaker at forums around the world, she was also a regular contributor on restructuring issues to the Wall Street Journal’s “The Examiners” series. 

In 2016, Lisa was an honoree of The Honorable Tina Brozman Foundation (also known as “Tina’s Wish”), named for late chief judge of the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which is dedicated to helping fund research for ovarian cancer screening. For six years, she served on the board of Her Justice, a New York-based non-profit that provides free legal services to women in domestic crisis, and she received the Her Justice Humanitarian Award in 2015.

The TMA Hall of Fame ceremony will take place tomorrow at the TMA Annual, held at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. A TMA-produced video about Lisa and her career to be shown at the ceremony is below:

Past TMA Hall of Fame inductees include AlixPartners’ Founder Jay Alix and Vice Chairman Al Koch.

About the Turnaround Management Association
TMA Global is a leading organization dedicated to turnaround management, corporate restructuring, and distressed investing. Established in 1988, TMA celebrates its 30th anniversary with more than 9,000 members in 49 chapters worldwide, including 32 in North America. Members include turnaround practitioners, attorneys, accountants, investors, lenders, venture capitalists, appraisers, liquidators, executive recruiters, and consultants, as well as academic, government, and judicial employees.

About AlixPartners

AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully address their most complex and critical challenges. Our clients include companies, corporate boards, law firms, investment banks, private equity firms, and others. Founded in 1981, AlixPartners is headquartered in New York, and has offices in more than 20 cities around the world. For more information, visit www.alixpartners.com.