Ankura Consulting (Ankura) announced the appointment of David Sawyer as Senior Managing Director. Based in the New York office, Mr. Sawyer will practice with the firm’s Turnaround and Restructuring Group.
David Sawyer joins the ranks of Ankura’s business advisory team after more than 25 years in the global financial markets industry, where he focused extensively on restructuring and turnaround issues through his experience as a hedge fund distressed debt and special situations investor, as well as the global head of workout and restructuring at a major international financial institution.
Prior to joining Ankura, Mr. Sawyer was the Global Head of Portfolio, Counterparty Credit and Workout & Restructuring at Barclays where he led a worldwide team of more than 130 people and managed all of the bank’s distressed principal positions, including post-restructured equity.
Previous to his role at Barclays, he ran the Restructuring and Portfolio Group for Silver Point Capital where he was responsible for leading restructuring and workout activities for the hedge fund, including active participation on creditor committees and managing investments in its $3 billion private financing portfolio. He was also a member of Silver Point’s Distressed Private Equity Group, and was responsible for the execution of the restructuring process, transitional efforts from debt-to-equity ownership, and post-ownership operational strategy and activities.
Earlier in his career, he was a director at Credit Suisse, managing workouts and restructurings for the bank. Prior to that role, he was a senior member of their credit risk group focused on the media and telecom industries. He also held roles in the risk departments of Societe Generale and HSBC where he focused on leverage lending.
Kevin Lavin, Ankura Co-President and Global Head of the firm’s Turnaround and Restructuring Group, stated, “David is another great example of the level of excellence Ankura is committed to providing for our clients. Throughout his career, David has been a leader not only in managing businesses but also in taking an active role in developing the “people values” necessary to make his businesses successful. His understanding of the importance of culture and collaboration, coupled with his world-class expertise globally in the financial, restructuring, and turnaround spaces, makes David the perfect fit for Ankura.”
David Sawyer said, “What drew me to Ankura went beyond finding an organization where my restructuring and turnaround expertise would add value and my practice could grow. It was also about Ankura’s commitment to how they choose to deliver traditional advisory and expert services to clients, as well as the unique culture which values collaboration, its individuals, and their respective experiences. This combination, in my view, always results in delivering well-considered and informative perspectives to clients. Ankura is building the A-level team, bringing together the kind of people I used to call first when working as a distressed debt holder and needed advice.”
Sawyer is a graduate of Georgetown University.
Ankura Consulting is a business advisory and expert services firm where we apply a deep understanding of both the opportunities and challenges clients face to deliver impactful, senior-level counsel. An independent firm built on five key principles – Integrity, Quality, Diversity, Collaboration, Longevity – Ankura’s relationships extend beyond one engagement or issue and our industry experts are empowered to provide high-touch, unique approaches to clients every day. We offer a wide-range of services in Data Analytics & Technology Services, Investigations & Accounting Advisory, Litigation & Disputes, Regulatory & Contractual Compliance, Risk, Resilience & Geopolitical, Turnaround & Restructuring.