Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) announced the addition of Managing Director Mark Howard to its Public Sector Services unit. Howard will be the national lead of the state and local government consulting practice.

Howard brings more than 35 years of combined experience as an executive consultant to governments and as a government executive.  His consulting work has focused on back-office operations, financial / budgeting management and government performance management. Some of his notable assignments include leading the implementation of a new budget system for the State of California, redesigning the operating model for 14-county health and human services agencies in Minnesota and developing shared services business cases and implementation plans for several major university systems.

Howard also spent 10 years in city management where he has served as Department Head, Budget Director, Deputy City Manager and City Manager for cities in Texas, Colorado and Wisconsin. Over the last 25 years, Mr. Howard has also worked with governments across the globe, including several UN agencies, the French Ministry of Finance and provincial governments and universities in Australia. In the U.S., he has worked with cities, counties, states, special districts and federal government agencies.

Tom Elsenbrook, a Managing Director and leader of A&M’s Corporate Performance Improvement practice, said, “Mark’s extensive background and notable leadership experience make him an excellent choice to lead our state and local government practice. Mark will provide our clients the expertise they require as they tackle the many changes and challenges governments face today.”

Prior to joining A&M, Howard spent over 20 years with Accenture where he most recently served as Global Lead for the Public Administration / Regulatory industry group. He led Accenture’s team of experts in researching and forecasting future trends, and changes in government and worked with clients to prepare for those changes.

Commenting on his decision to join A&M, Howard said, “Governments are facing major changes right now, largely driven by technology, but, just as significantly, in the way they operate and finance themselves. Alvarez & Marsal’s extensive turnaround experience coupled with its history of operational excellence well positions the firm to guide governments through these challenges so they can best meet their constituents’ needs.”