TARGETED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Robert Schleizer – Managing Partner & Founder
Biography
Accomplishments
Background & Affiliations
Contact Information
Professional career comprised of over thirty five years of financial and operational experience serving private and public companies in strategic planning, financial reporting, acquisitions and divestitures, and equity and debt financings. Industry expertise includes construction, logistics and transportation, manufacturing and distribution real estate, retail and specialty finance.
As Managing Partner of BlackBriar, his recent engagements include:
Prior to co-founding BlackBriar Advisors LLC, Bob served as Managing Director for BBK, an international financial advisory. Bob was responsible for establishing the Southwest office for BBK, as well as business development on a national basis. Responsibilities included operational oversight of professionals in the southwest market, as well as engagement execution. His engagements included serving as financial advisor for a $50 million revenue multi-state potato grower and processor handling complex financing issues; providing financial advisor services to a lumber mill and logistics concern.
Prior to BBK, Bob was a Practice Leader in the Southwest region for Tatum LLC, where he directed engagements including international companies during his ten years with Tatum. Bob had responsibility for staffing and overseeing client engagements and held various interim management roles including financial advisor for a $200M private equity owned multinational appliance manufacturer; served as CFO for a rapid growing $100M private equity backed motorcycle manufacturer arranging $15 million in new equity and $50 million floor plan lines of credit.
Bob’s accomplishments also included:
Bob’s previous professional experience includes extensive real estate leasing, management and development, COO and CFO of a regional trucking company; owner of a crisis management firm providing financial consulting, leasing, development, renovation and real estate management expertise.
Affiliations and Memberships
Education and Certifications
• Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Arizona State University
• Certified Insolvency Restructuring Advisor (CIRA)
• Certified Turnaround Professional
Lyndon James – Senior Partner & Founder
Biography
Accomplishments
Background & Affiliations
Contact Information
Lyndon is a financial and operational professional with over thirty years of executive leadership positions in diversified industries. Lyndon has extensive energy, mining, manufacturing, retail, distribution, and insurance experience.
Prior to co-founding BlackBriar Advisors LLC, Lyndon was a Senior Director at BBK, Ltd., an international financial advisory firm. He led the energy sector practice for the firm, developing extensive relationships in the exploration and production, refining and petrochemicals, and services sectors of the market. Prior to joining BBK, Lyndon was a Partner of Tatum, LLC in Dallas where he led many successful engagements as CEO and CFO.
Recent engagements include:
• Serving as Financial Advisor to a project team developing and enhancing internal controls and revenue procedures and processes to facilitate the refinancing of a $13 million credit facility for an international $80 million revenue private equity owned oil field services enterprise;
• Serving as CFO and Financial Advisor to a financial troubled $45 million commercial electrical parts distributor. During his tenure, he directed a restructuring of the finance department, negotiated the exit of the CEO, negotiated extensions of a $12 million credit facility multiple times during the restructuring, led the company through an ERP system installation and directed a sale process that netted the owner nearly 3X his investment as a result of the turnaround.
• Serving as CEO for an oil field service company and orchestrating the sale of the company to a private party to resolve operational and financial issues.
• Serving as expert witness in 5 separate lawsuits involving accounting and management issues related to oil and gas investment schemes, including the development of expert reports and testifying in federal and state courts.
• Serving as restructuring advisor for an oil and gas E&P company directing the sale of the firm’s assets to a private equity firm through a Chapter 11, section 363 sale process.
• Serving as interim CFO for a start-up E&P company including completion of a $4 million debt agreement and initiating the natural gas hedging program.
• Leading an oilfield service company, through Chapter 11 bankruptcy as CEO. He marketed the company to potential buyers and coordinated the buyout of the debt and equity by a private equity firm. Also, negotiated and sold the company’s safety business to an outside buyer and led the integration of the merged companies.
• Directing the turnaround of a publicly traded petroleum products distributor created by a reverse merger as interim CFO. He renegotiated and increased the working capital revolving facility after a covenant default; and provided financial leadership to restructure the operations and close down the unprofitable operations.
• Serving as interim CFO for a $200 million, 70 store retail chain. He managed the company’s financial functions thru an extended capital restructuring which included numerous asset sales and a bank debt refinancing.
• Serving as interim CFO for a $40 million aircraft parts distributor. He managed the financial function during a distressed business sale that allowed the business owners to retain an ownership stake in the new business and maintain senior management positions.
• Serving as CFO of the 8th largest oil refinery in the U.S., secured a $450 million construction loan through a syndication of 20 U.S. and international banks and $70 million working capital revolving credit facility for general corporate purposes which helped the company complete a $1.2 billion refinery upgrade project.
As Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Insurance Team One Services, Inc., Lyndon developed the initial business plan for the startup and was responsible for the development of the community bank insurance agency program.
Lyndon was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Henry Group, Inc. a privately owned manufacturing and Installation Company servicing the food industry, where he led a mergers and acquisition program and managed finance, accounting, information technology and human resource functions.
Lyndon also held executive accounting and finance positions for ARCO Oil and Gas Company, a $20 billion oil and gas exploration and production company; as well as ARCO Coal Company, one of the largest and most profitable international coal mining companies in the world.
Affiliations and Memberships:
• Member – Energy Leadership Group
• Dallas Petroleum Club
Education and Certifications
• Master of Science in Management and Administrative Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, University of Texas, Arlington
• Certified Public Accountant, State of Texas
• Registered Financial Gerontologist
Harold J. Kessler – Managing Director
Biography
Accomplishments
Background & Affiliations
Contact Information
Over his thirty year career, Harold has provided strategic, financial and operations leadership for mergers and acquisitions, restructuring engagements and orderly liquidations in interim management and advisory roles.
He has served as interim President, Chief Restructuring Officer and financial advisor representing borrowers, debtors, lenders and creditors in bankruptcy and out-of-court restructurings and has served as trustee and reorganization plan administrator. Harold also brings over 20 years of experience as an asset-based lender and portfolio manager with transaction history in loan restructurings, workouts, liquidations, wind-downs and originations.
His diverse industry expertise includes aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, business and professional services and real estate.
Since joining BlackBriar, Harold has served in multiple roles for our clients including:
• Liquidating Trustee for litigation trust following 363 sale of multi-location Assisted Living enterprise;
• Financial Advisor to lending institution liquidating sale of assets foreclosed from Aerospace Parts Reseller in Chapter 11;
• Financial Advisor to lending institution assisting with sale of $30 million sale of consumer loan portfolio, real estate and other assets in an orderly wind down of a family business;
• Liquidating Agent for $25 million Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction enterprise;
• Financial Advisor to $80 million financially stressed medical device manufacturer and rental company;
• Financial Advisor to $15 million manufacturer of aerospace parts acting on behalf of the lender to facilitate sale of the enterprise to private equity buyer;
• Financial Advisor to $50 million multinational equipment importer/assembler during restructuring through sale of the business to a strategic buyer.
He currently serves as creditor representative and board member of DLH Master Landing Holding, LLC and Allen Capital Partners, LLC, (currently, The Allen Group has more than 8,000 acres under development across the United States). He served in a key role during the successful confirmation of the debtor’s reorganization plan as financial advisor to the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee.
Prior to joining BlackBriar, Mr. Kessler led Barrier Advisors’ corporate restructuring, trustee and examiner services and was a senior team member of the firm’s investment banking and corporate finance practices. At Barrier, he served as financial advisor for First Lien Lenders of Graceway Pharmaceuticals LLC, Bondholders of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marcal Paper Mills, LLC, FC Term Lenders Liquidating Trust, Acme Packaging Corporation, Prime Succession, Inc., Amcast Industrial Corporation and Thayer Aerospace Consolidated, Inc.
Prior to Barrier, he served as Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Guaranty Business Credit Corporation, where he managed a secured lending portfolio consisting of $500 million in commitments with over 50 loans to companies in various industries.
Prior to Guaranty, Harold served in senior management and lending positions as:
• Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Banc One Management & Consulting Corporation where he managed a portfolio with over 1,400 assets:
• Regional Manager for AT Commercial Credit Corporation (Ameritrust Bank); and
• Credit Manager for BT Commercial Corporation (Bankers Trust Corp).
Affiliations and Memberships
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Association of Insolvency Restructuring Advisors
• Association for Corporate Growth
• Turnaround Management Association – board member & president of the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter
• Commercial Finance Association – Southwest Chapter
Education and Certifications
• Adelphi University – Bachelors of Business Administration Finance and Marketing
• Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP)
• Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA)
Joseph (Joe) M. Danko – Senior Director
Biography
Accomplishments
Background & Affiliations
Contact Information
Senior financial and project management professional with over 30 years of experience in areas that include financial management, financial reporting, including SEC, SOX and internal control, streamlining operations and acquisition and divestiture strategy development and mergers and acquisitions integration, due diligence and execution.
Joe has served in senior leadership positions in companies in insurance, consumer membership plans, healthcare savings and financial services industries.
Since joining the BlackBriar team, Joe’s engagements have included:
• Serving as financial advisor to a $40 million multi-location retail chain directing a project to improve financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting to meet external reporting requirements;
• Serving as team leader for complex financial and accounting project for a $25 million multi-location amusement enterprise in conjunction with an acquisition and refinancing;
• Serving as financial advisor to provide an assessment of the financial impact on future earnings of strategic initiatives and operational restructuring of a $70 million logistics enterprise as part of a recapitalization of a 60 year old family enterprise.
• Leading the successful assessment of financial reporting systems, processes and procedures for a distributor of a team sports equipment and apparel company with annual revenue of $10 million leading to a sale to a strategic buyer;
• Serving as interim CFO for a hospital physicians staffing company with annual revenue of $60 million;
• Directing reverse merger and purchase accounting activities for a direct selling of home-décor products business with annual revenues of over $100 million;
• Serving as financial advisor for one of the big 3 auto manufacturers to facilitate a successful transition from an $80 million revenue troubled auto supplier to a new manufacturer and to assist with litigation support as part of the settlement process.
In his varied roles he has served as interim CFO and member of senior management team that with direct responsibilities for financial statement preparation, review and reconciliation to general ledger and supporting systems; enhancement and maintenance of financial statement reporting and external compliance reporting; financial staff assessment, training and development; and liaison with outside auditors, tax, legal, I/T, H/R and insurance advisors; and development and maintenance of banking, customer and vendor relationships.
Prior to joining BlackBriar, Joe served as CFO for a Dallas, Texas based development stage public company that develops and markets technologies to recover synthetic oil, carbon black and other organic products from waste tires. He was responsible for all financial reporting including SEC and tax compliance. He also provides support for the Company’s capital raising efforts.
From 2004 to 2012, Joe served as Controller of Access Plans, Inc., a $50 million revenue public company, based in Oklahoma and Texas that markets consumer membership plans, healthcare savings and membership plans and individual major medical insurance programs. Joe integrated two major acquisitions into the financial management reporting process and directed the sale of non-core business segments. He was responsible for financial and SEC reporting and SOX 404 assessment and compliance processes. He implemented income tax reduction strategies that resulted in combined recovery and savings of over $1.5 million in federal and state income tax refunds and obligations.
Prior to Access Plans, Joe served as a consultant to a Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas regional CPA firm where he directed and participated in Sarbanes-Oxley – 404 (SOX) risk assessment and compliance for major Fort Worth based bank with assets of almost $1.0 billion and a regional trucking company based in Waco, Texas with annual revenue of almost $500 million.
Prior to moving to Dallas, Texas in 2004, Joe worked at Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company in Omaha, Nebraska, a Fortune 500 insurance and financial services organization with multi-line products for individuals, business and groups throughout the United States with annual revenues of $3.7 billion and assets of $18.4 billion, where he held various financial and project management officer positions that include Vice President, Enterprise Project Office (VP-EPO), First Vice President, Special Projects Administration and First Vice President and Division Controller.
As VP-EPO, Joe established the enterprise project office to assess and monitor major IT development projects totaling $135 million. He led review of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project that resulted in company-wide cost savings of over $10 million.
Joe also directed review of Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM) project, analyzing buy vs. build software alternatives and assessed brokerage hierarchy requirements and vendor RFP responses, resulting in a more focused build approach with cost savings of $7.0 million.
As First Vice President, Special Projects Administration, Joe directed the project team that sold Mutual’s Canadian insurance branch to a major Canadian bank where he played major roles in strategy, due diligence, negotiations, developing agreements, and closing and post closing administration. Realized gain exceeded management’s expectations. In addition, he implemented company-wide operational assessment process over Mutual’s business units and administrative areas with annual expense budget of $650 million and over 6,000 employees.
As First Vice President and Division Controller, Joe served as CFO of one of Mutual’s subsidiaries that marketed travel insurance, foreign currency exchange and business services in airports throughout the US with revenues of $20 million and foreign currency exchange turnover of $50 million. He co-led joint venture and ultimate sale of company to major UK-based foreign currency exchange company that operated in 39 countries with more than 29 million customers, where is played major role in developing strategy and conducting negotiations. Gain on sale and cost savings from joint venture exceeded $10 million.
Joe worked as an Audit Senior with Touche Ross & Co, CPA’s (1976-1979).
Affiliations and Memberships
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants
• Financial Executives Networking Group
Education and Certifications
• University of Nebraska at Omaha – Bachelors of Science in Business Administration - 1976
• Certified Public Accountant (Inactive Status) – State of Nebraska
Kathy Norderhaug – Senior Director
Biography
Accomplishments
Background & Affiliations
Contact Information
Senior financial professional with over 25 years of experience in strategic and financial operating roles with in the oil and gas and banking industries. Kathy has served in management positions both domestically and internationally as Manager of Strategic Planning, Director of Finance and Administration and Manager of International Accounting. She has an extensive background in forensic accounting related to oil and gas operations and has provided expert testimony in litigation matters for related to the accounting practices of exploration and production companies.
Since joining the BlackBriar team, Kathy’s engagements have included:
• Project team leader to install accounting processes for a multi-national roll up of six oil drilling products companies to improve invoicing and collection processes. The multi-phase project was instrumental in the client qualifying for a new $13 million credit facility to finance the company’s operations;
• Senior role in complex financial reporting and process reorganization of multi-location amusement park operations acquired by a private equity in conjunction with a financial restructuring;
• Project team leader to develop accounting processes, documentation and internal controls to support and acquisition and integration of the financial department for a $90 million public oil and gas exploration company and integrate to a new ERP and financial reporting platform;
• Forensic support for complex oil partnership litigation cases.
Prior to joining BlackBriar, Kathy served as financial consultant to the Trustee for a liquidating trust in a $400 million gas production company to recover investor funds in a complex bankruptcy case.
She served as the Manager of Strategic Planning for a gas production firm leading a forensic accounting initiative to collect over $8 million in unbilled revenues, provided financial reporting to the board of directors, the trustee and served as primary financial officer for the company’s bankruptcy reporting.
She was an owner and operator of a printing company for four years for a company acquired from a liquidating trust which was sold for a 6x return after improving operations, revenue and product offerings.
From 1984 to 1996, Kathy held multiple financial leadership roles with Maxus Energy Company including Director of Finance and Administration in Bolivia for three years, Manager of International Accounting and Administration and Senior Business Analyst of Strategic Planning. Shed has developed and implemented budgeting, forecasting, policies and procedures to manage multinational offices for Maxus and supported the investment banking process for financial reengineering of the company.
Prior to Maxus, she served three years as a financial officer for Texas Commerce Bank directing accounting, budgeting and financial analysis for international operations.
Prior to Texas Commerce Bank, Kathy served for two years as a financial analyst and accountant for Shell Oil Company.
Kathy served as on the Board of Trustees from 1996 t0 2003 for St. Alcuin Montessori School, the largest Montessori school in the U.S. Her roles included President, Vice President of Finance and member of the development and executive committee. She was instrumental in raising over $500,000 through various charitable functions for the school.
Affiliations and Memberships
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants
Education and Certifications
• Thunderbird Graduate School –Masters of Business Administration – 1979
• Southern Methodist University – Bachelor of Business Administration - 1978
• Certified Public Accountant – State of Texas
Bill McDonald – Director
Biography
Accomplishments
Background & Affiliations
Contact Information
Accounting professional with 30 years’ experience solving complex financial reporting, litigation, cash flow, internal control and process challenges in a variety of industries including oil and gas, transportation, distribution, direct-marketing, medical, high-tech, professional firms, defense contractors, communications, real estate, wholesale/retail and telecom. His experience includes extensive financial analysis and support for several complex litigation projects.
Prior to joining BlackBriar, Bill served in as a consultant in project roles including as financial analyst, interim controller, staff accountant, internal auditor and installed software systems for multiple clients. He has performed Sarbanes Oxley control reviews and supported complex financial litigation.
Bill’s recent engagements, including working with BlackBriar include:
• Financial Advisor for wind down and liquidation of Texas based aviation parts sales and licensed maintenance
operation. Supported marketing efforts of two divisions of enterprise. Primarily responsible for preserving critical FAA
documentation to facilitate sale of over $15 million of parts inventory and key player in wind down effort.
• Served as Financial Analyst for 13 location $800 million revenue group of auto dealerships in Texas in bankruptcy.
Primarily responsible for required bankruptcy financial reporting, cash management, inventory control and
reconciliation and overseeing accounting staff. Bill provided support for research on complex litigation issues involving
over $50 million in fraudulent accounting transactions.
• Served as Financial Advisor and Co-Controller for regional Texas based $40 million revenue commercial electrical
distributor for two years on operational turnaround. Worked with team to facilitate sale to strategic buyer; Sonepar
resulting in 4x return for owner.
• Served as key accounting consultant for AT&T’s DirecTV Latin America operations for 1½ years establishing
processes and financial reporting protocol.
• Provided accounting analysis and support to Borden Dairy and LALA Brands to analysis and establish complex
transactions including purchase accounting, step-up in basis and depreciation, and assist with the annual audit.
Bill’s recent engagements continued:
• Provided accounting services for Florida-based $100 million revenue anesthesiology practice establishing financial
records for planned acquisition/merger and assist with firm’s initial audit by Big 4 accounting firm.
• Provided accounting and financial advisory services to professional service firms in multiple industries including
healthcare, accounting firms, architectural entities and law firms.
Prior to his work as a consultant, Bill served as Business Manager for James, Harwick & Partners, a $15 million revenue architectural firm where he worked with ownership to:
• Establish improved banking relationships.
• Reduce financial and operational reporting costs and insurance costs by over $1 million annually.
• Directed project to decentralize project management and evaluate new project software.
Prior to his tenure at James, Harwick & Partners, he served as CFO and other senior financial positions for a number of firms including:
• Dallas-based law firm with 30 professionals.
• Start up debit card/ATM provider.
• $25 million revenue nutritional supplement direct marketing enterprise.
• Private distributor of water products.
• Oncology medical practice.
• $25 million air cargo/LTL transport company.
Bill started his accounting career advancing to Audit Manager and achieved his CPA designation working with
Grant Thornton, LLP, where he worked for eight years.
Education and Certifications
• Texas Tech University - Master of Science in Accounting
• University of Texas – El Paso - Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting
• Certified Public Accountant – Texas (Retired Status)