Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group Expands West Coast Presence.

Seasoned Transaction Advisor Michael Mackiewicz Joins as Managing Director; Several Professionals Join Firm's Los Angeles and San Francisco Offices

LOS ANGELES -- Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group, LLC, an affiliate of the leading independent global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal, announced that seasoned transaction advisor Michael Mackiewicz has joined as a managing director. Based in Los Angeles, he will establish a presence in the market for the group, which serves private equity firms, hedge funds and corporate acquirers.

Mr. Mackiewicz has an extensive track record providing financial and accounting due diligence advisory services to private equity funds, financial institutions and corporate acquirers. Also joining Mr. Mackiewicz in the Los Angeles office are Jimmy Suruki, as a director, and Kristina Olinger, as a manager. Joining the group in A&M's San Francisco office are Greg Cibuzar, as a manager, and Kacey Coles, as a senior associate.

"Since establishing a dedicated transaction advisory group more than a year ago, the team has strategically grown to more than 40 world-class professionals," said Nick Alvarez, a managing director and national practice leader of Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group. "These accomplished professionals are representative of the financial and accounting talent we've been able to attract to our firm with the goal of providing investors with a completely distinctive and integrated due diligence service that also draws from Alvarez & Marsal's deep operational heritage."

Formerly of the transaction advisory services practice of Ernst & Young, Mr. Mackiewicz has advised domestic and international clients on platform and add-on acquisitions, carve out transactions, working capital analysis for dispute resolution, and purchase and sale agreements. Most recently, he was a managing director with the transaction advisory services practice of FTI Consulting and began his career with the assurance and business advisory group of Arthur Andersen LLP. A graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, Mr. Mackiewicz is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of California, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).

Mr. Suruki, who previously worked with Ernst & Young and also in the audit group of PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializes in providing financial and accounting due diligence and buy-side advisory services to private equity investors and their portfolio companies, corporate acquirers and financial institutions. He has extensive experience advising investors and providing financial and operating transaction support and analyses, and has advised on a number of cross-border transactions involving Canadian, Australian, European and Asian entities.

Immediately prior to joining A&M, Mr. Suruki was a managing director with FTI Consulting. Mr. Suruki holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of California. He is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Ms. Olinger, who spent several years in the assurance and advisory services practices of Deloitte, provides pre- and post-acquisition financial accounting support to private equity firms, strategic buyers and financial institutions. Immediately prior to joining A&M she was a director with FTI Consulting. She earned her bachelor's degree in business economics with an emphasis in accounting from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of California.

Bringing experience from both the public and private sectors, Mr. Cibuzar, who also spent several years in the assurance and advisory services practice of Deloitte, focuses on pre- and post-transaction financial and operational due diligence for debt and equity sponsors. He was most recently a director with FTI Consulting. Mr. Cibuzar holds a bachelor's degree in both finance and accounting from the University of Minnesota. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California and Minnesota.

Mr. Coles specializes in providing financial and accounting due diligence and transaction advisory services to private equity and corporate acquirers. Prior to joining A&M, he was a senior associate with the assurance and advisory practice of Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Coles holds a bachelor's degree in accountancy from the University of North Dakota and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Minnesota.

Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group

For more than 20 years, Alvarez & Marsal has set the standard for working with organizations to solve complex problems, boost performance and maximize value for stakeholders.

Alvarez & Marsal's Transaction Advisory Group works with private equity firms, hedge funds and corporate acquirers to identify and maximize value at every point in the transaction lifecycle. Seamlessly integrating the firm's deep operational heritage with world-class finance, accounting and business consulting expertise, A&M works closely with clients to make informed investment decisions as well as improve the performance of assets they already own - providing independent and objective analysis that goes well beyond routine due diligence.

With a team of seasoned professionals based in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America, Alvarez & Marsal's suite of professional services includes: Turnaround Management, including Performance Improvement, Turnaround Advisory, Crisis & Interim Management, Risk Management Advisory, Creditor Advisory and Claims Management; Business Consulting; Real Estate Advisory; Dispute Analysis & Forensics; Corporate Finance; Tax; and Transaction Advisory.

For more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com.