Alvarez & Marsal Forms Dedicated Private Equity Performance Improvement Group

Firm Draws on Deep Operational Heritage to Help Private Equity Firms `Navigate
Away From Danger Zone`

Nick Alvarez, Jeff Feinberg, Kathy Iversen, Richard Jenkins, Charles Lowrey and
Markus Lahrkamp Serve as National Practice Leaders to Group of 30 Professionals
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
As private equity firms face a new investment landscape in the wake of the
credit crisis and dramatic market shifts, Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), one of the
leading independent global professional services firms specializing in
performance improvement, turnaround management and business advisory services,
has formed a dedicated Private Equity Performance Improvement group.

"The challenging environment has forced private equity firms to hunker down and,
in many cases, quickly implement financial and operational changes in their
portfolio companies that allow them to preserve value," said Nick Alvarez, a
managing director and national practice leader of A&M Private Equity Performance
Improvement. "Drawing on our operational heritage and range of practical
expertise, Alvarez & Marsal`s performance improvement team has led the way in
working closely and collaboratively with mid-and large cap investment funds and
their portfolio company management teams to solve complex problems before they
evolve into distressed situations, prevent value deterioration and position
businesses for long term improvement. Our team includes a deep bench of
experienced industry C-suite operators and performance improvement oriented
consulting professionals who help to accelerate the process either on an interim
management or in a management consulting role. We are approximately 30 dedicated
professionals with plans to be 50 in the next several months, exclusively
serving private equity portfolios."

A&M`s private equity professionals provide end-to-end services to private equity
firms throughout the entire investment lifecycle. This includes due diligence
and pre-acquisition support, post-acquisition performance improvement services
and exit support, as well as serving in interim management positions.

The group`s leadership team includes:

* Nick Alvarez is a managing director and national practice leader with more
than 15 years of operating experience. Based in New York, Mr. Alvarez focuses on
assisting private equity sponsors with due diligence and post-acquisition
performance improvement and interim management.
* Jeff Feinberg has rejoined the firm as a managing director and national
practice leader after most recently serving as a managing director and operating
partner at Angelo Gordon, a major private investment firm. Based in New York,
Mr. Feinberg was formerly a member of A&M`s turnaround and restructuring group
for eight years.
* Kathy Iversen is a managing director and national practice leader who most
recently served in A&M`s Business Consulting group and prior to that was the
senior vice president of global sourcing and strategy for Target. Based in
Chicago, Dr. Iversen is an expert in financial operations, supply chain, cost
reduction, strategic and leverage sourcing, business innovation, organizational
integration, transformation and revenue enhancement.
* Richard Jenkins is a managing director and national practice leader who most
recently served in A&M`s Transaction Advisory Group. Based in Denver, Mr.
Jenkins specializes in analyzing strategic business plans, managing cash
requirements and developing plans to improve financial management and reporting
functions. He is currently serving as interim CFO for a Midwest concern.
* Charles Lowrey is a managing director and national practice leader, most
recently with A&M`s Business Consulting group; he built and led its Accounting
Advisory and Remediation Practice. Based in Houston, Mr. Lowrey brings extensive
experience in working directly with boards and CFOs to quickly remediate broken
financial organizations and processes; he brings hands-on expertise in financial
reporting and controls, shared services, merger integration and outsourcing. Mr.
Lowrey is currently serving as an interim CFO and board member of a private
equity owned manufacturing company.
* Markus Lahrkamp joins A&M as a managing director and national practice leader
based in New York. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, he brings a
wealth of expertise in top-line growth and performance improvement for
manufacturing, distribution and services companies across a variety of
industries. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Lahrkamp was the president and CEO of
Arthur D. Little, Inc. and Droege & Comp., Inc. He built and led both of the
companies' private equity practices in New York, and focused on due diligence
and value enhancements for a significant number of private equity-sponsored
portfolio companies.

Alvarez continued, "Clients choose Alvarez & Marsal Performance Improvement
Group when they are looking to rapidly identify opportunities and efficiently
implement improvements relating to the critical operating EBITDA levers and cash
drivers of a business. It's about speed to action oriented execution and
achieving results. This is what our firm delivers, makes us stand apart and is
why clients consistently choose us."

In addition to the newly comprised management team, Steven D. Goldstein has
joined as a managing director and Dan Powell, previously of the turnaround and
restructuring group at A&M, is a managing director. Joining the firm as senior
directors are: Mike Barna, Mark Oser, Pierre Boldt and Torben Wetche. Stuart
Douglas, Tim Keneally, Ryan Schmidt and Mike Simoncic have all transferred from
the firm`s Business Consulting group, and Darrin Wald has transferred from the
firm`s Transaction Advisory Group, to serve as senior directors for A&M Private
Equity Performance Improvement. Also, Marcy LoCastro has joined as a senior
advisor.

Mr. Powell was previously a managing director for A&M`s turnaround and
restructuring group. He has more than 25 years of broad-based experience as an
operating general manager, mergers and acquisitions specialist, and senior
strategist for both high-growth and established businesses. Earlier, he spent
eight years with McKinsey & Company, where he was active in the firm's private
equity, consumer goods and retail practices. He also served as CEO of a national
distributor of sporting good products and COO of a branded shoe manufacturer.

Mr. Goldstein brings more than 30 years of experience as a senior operating
executive. He joins A&M after serving as the founder and president of Chaycon
for eight years, a boutique advisory firm providing consulting and leadership
coaching where, in many cases, he assumed an interim CEO role and assisted with
the selection and transition to permanent management. Previously, Mr. Goldstein
was the president of Sears Credit Services and served on the Sears Management
Committee and earlier, served as chairman, president and CEO of American Express
Bank as well as a member of the American Express Planning and Policy Committee.
He is currently serving as an interim CEO of a Midwest bank.

Over the course of his more than 25 year career, Mr. Barna has served in
numerous senior and executive roles. He has been a business partner and direct
report to six CEOs over the last 13 years. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Barna
served as senior vice president and CFO for Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.
Previously, he held executive positions with Trafin Corporation and GE Capital
Corporation, where he last served as executive vice president-aviation services.
In his current role for A&M, Mr. Barna is assisting an air-services and
transport company.

Mr. Oser has specific expertise in strategic sourcing of goods & services,
leveraged / collaborative sourcing, organizational design and post merger
integration. Prior to joining A&M, he was a director with Archstone Consulting
where he helped build, and was ultimately asked to co-lead, the strategic cost
reduction practice. Earlier, he was director of member engagement for the
WorldWide Retail Exchange (now Agentrics), and also previously served as a
manager in the operations practice of Deloitte Consulting. Additionally, Mr.
Oser owned a frozen dessert manufacturing business that produced all-natural
sorbets.

With more than 10 years of consulting experience throughout North America,
Europe and Asia, Mr. Boldt provides clients with operational, strategy and
turnaround expertise across a broad array of industries including automotive,
electronics and other manufacturing sectors. Prior to joining A&M, he was a
principal at Arthur D. Little, Inc. where he was instrumental in building and
leading their private equity practice.

Mr. Wetche is an accomplished general manager and financial executive with
successes in diverse industries undergoing rapid change and increasing
competitive pressure, including paper and chemicals, industrial polyester, lime,
capital equipment, food, cement, packaging and metal recycling. Most recently,
he served as treasurer and CFO for Schweitzer-Mauduit, a public $800M specialty
paper manufacturer. Previously, he was CFO and vice president of Performance
Fibers and earlier, served as senior vice president and CFO of Heidelberg
Americas.

Ms. LoCastro brings more than 30 years of experience in providing accounting
solutions, software package implementation, business process improvement, and
management reporting solutions to CEOs and CFOs. Prior to joining A&M, she
served as the managing partner of the New York office of Tatum, LLC, a leading
executive services firm providing strategic and operating leadership in finance
and information technology. Previously, she held principal and partner roles
with accounting and consulting firms, including Deloitte & Touche LLP, Ernst &
Young and JH Cohn LLP.

About Alvarez & Marsal Private Equity Performance Improvement:

For 25 years, Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, has
led the way in working with investors and their portfolio companies to provide
end-to-end services that improve performance and maximize value for stakeholders
in every economic cycle. Whether serving in interim management or advisory
roles, the firm draws on a deep operational heritage and hands-on approach to
deliver comprehensive services across the investment lifecycle including due
diligence/acquisition support, performance improvement and business advisory
services, portfolio management, turnaround management and exit support, among
others.

A&M has earned consistent recognition for its client work domestically and
internationally by the Turnaround Management Association and was recently named
Turnaround Firm of the Year by M&A Advisor and M&A Atlas Awards. The firm has
been named one of the top ten best firms to work for by Consulting Magazine. For
more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com.

Linden Alschuler & Kaplan, Inc. Public Relations
Hannah Arnold/Suzanne Hallberg, 212-575-4545
or
Alvarez & Marsal
Rebecca Baker, 212-759-4433
Chief Marketing Officer

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