STAPLETON - Key Persons
Alicia applies over 15 years of accounting experience to manage Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable for the firm and its clients.
Prior to joining Stapleton, Alicia served as Accounts Payable Specialist, Bookkeeper and Payroll Specialist, and Accountant at wide-ranging large and small companies. Alicia is fluent in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Receivership, Interim CEO / CFO, Liquidation
Managed the agricultural and harvesting operations of eighteen farms, maximizing receivables and generating cash through the sale of crops to almond processors. Liquidated farm equipment and sold the farms pursuant to the court-approved process.
Job Titles:
- Director, Property Management
Audrey Nefkens applies over 25 years of accounting experience to expertly manage the pre-existing accounting and operations staff of businesses in receivership or undergoing restructuring. She ensures rents and other receivables are collected, oversees accounts payable, and establishes good vendor and tenant relationships.
As a key member of Stapleton's team, Audrey is equally successful managing income-producing real estate assets as manufacturers and service companies. She has managed buildings ranging from residential and commercial properties to a United States Customs and Border Protection property requiring security clearance from the U.S. Government.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Audrey served as the accounts receivable manager for a large food manufacturer and distributor and for a major furniture retailer. An avid traveler, she has visited most of the USA, Europe and the Caribbean and enjoys experiencing new cultures and exotic lifestyles.
Education
Chaffey College, A.A., Accounting, 1998
West Los Angeles College, A.A., English, 1986
Job Titles:
- COO and Its President
- Education
- Junior Associate
Blake leverages strong organizational skills and business knowledge to support Stapleton Group's leadership team. He assists the firm's COO and its President with marketing, business development, project support, accounting and firm administration.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Blake interned for SagePoint Financial Inc. where he assisted the Branch Manager and Partner in managing over 100 client investment portfolios and 401Ks. Responsibilities included researching market conditions and new investment rules for client communications, and data management utilizing various financial service software programs.
Education
University of Oregon, B.S. Business Administration, concentration in Finance
Bud Ross applies years of experience building long-term value for companies across diverse industries, including business services, hospitality, technology, and real estate. He supports Stapleton Group's senior management by managing day-to-day operations for a wide range of engagements.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Bud served as the managing partner of Albatross Ventures, an opportunistic investment fund focused on distressed assets and intellectual property. Prior to Albatross, he was a director of a single-family office where he optimized operations and spearheaded alternative investment strategies and business development. His accomplishments include the acquisition and successful exit of multiple companies in the healthcare, venture, and hospitality spaces. Bud started his career with a restaurant group where he turned around operations, doubling revenues in one year, and structured four M&A transactions.
Education and Certificate
Stanford University, Certificate, Institute for General Management
The University of Kansas, B.G.S. Communication Studies
Cathy Garnica leverages significant real estate transactional experience to transform and liquidate troubled real estate assets and ventures, achieving the best possible outcomes for clients. She skillfully provides the financial analysis necessary to make informed decisions, drafts and reviews documents and contracts, manages title and escrow issues and serves as liaison between the many parties involved through closing.
Cathy's experience spans a wide-range of real estate assets at all stages of development, from raw land to retail developments, commercial buildings, hotels, apartments and single family homes. Regardless of the asset or the stage of the project, she maintains focus on the client's goals while ensuring each and every detail is addressed.
Previously, Cathy served as a senior loan coordinator and managed the successful closing of approximately $800 million in real estate loans.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Education
Chase contributes to wide-ranging client work as well as the firm's operations. He supports Stapleton Group's senior management and client teams in the areas of project management, property management, operations, and reporting.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Chase gained organizational design and business administration skills as an intern at various companies. His practical experience spans equipment and property liquidations and auctions, retail operations, inventory management, and customer service.
Education
University of Connecticut, B.S., Environmental Studies & Geography (minor)
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Assistant Controller
Chuck is a highly skilled accountant with over 22 years of experience. He applies accounting, tax and analytical skills with a superb attention to detail to assure accounting and financial processes are legally compliant and in accordance with best accounting practices.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Chuck served as a Senior Accountant for private companies where he gained experience in the property management, real estate, retail, hospitality, restaurant, education, amusement and manufacturing industries. His responsibilities included consolidated financial reporting, tax reporting, bankruptcy reporting, complex reconciliations, financial analysis, budgets, projections and system conversions.
Education
California State University-Los Angeles, B.S Business Administration, Accounting (major) and Economics (minor)
Cooper leverages his background in public and private accounting to support Stapleton Group's senior management on complex restructuring and receivership engagements. He assesses finance departments, analyzes significant transactions, investigates financial records and internal controls, and provides stakeholders with financial reporting and operational projections for data-driven decisions.
Cooper began his professional career at Deloitte where he earned the position of Manager. His responsibilities included supervising and managing the annual audit and reviews of a $2BN+ Fortune 500 corporation. Cooper also established financial reporting and internal control protocols for small to mid-sized companies in the life science, gaming and insurance industries. He performed going-concern analyses, technical accounting evaluations and assessments of internal controls.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Cooper served as the accounting and financial reporting manager for a medical device company. Among other achievements, he collaborated with consultants across all business functions to improve the company's operational controls and established and streamlined financial reporting protocols for annual audits and quarterly reviews.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Stapleton Group 's Phoenix
- Real Estate Services
Dave Everson, manager of Stapleton Group's Phoenix office, applies nearly 30 years of experience in asset management, construction, land development, home building, marketing and sales to turnaround and liquidate real estate properties. He is well-informed about the Phoenix-Scottsdale-Tucson residential real estate market, including affordable housing and technologically-advanced, energy-efficient communities.
As a third-generation home builder, Dave has been awarded the DOE Housing Innovation Award for Energy Efficiency, the DOE Production Builder Award, and the EPA airPLUS Leader Award for indoor air quality.
Education
University of Arizona
David P. Stapleton, a nationally-recognized federal receiver, trustee and restructuring expert, resolves complex problems caused by non-performing commercial loans and shareholder disputes. In representing creditors, business owners and legal counsel, David quickly identifies the obstacles between the parties involved and implements actions to overcome impasses. His expertise spans receiverships; assignments for the benefit of creditors (ABCs); bankruptcy plan administration and liquidations; federal equity receiverships; and, financial advisory.
Lenders, creditors and attorneys turn to David for his strategic approach to maximizing financial recovery, rather than simply following the most obvious path. He has led the successful resolution of over one hundred troubled business and real estate projects, exceeding his clients' expectations numerous times.
David founded Stapleton Group in 2008 to provide clients with a single-source solution when faced with business or real estate-related problem loans or shareholder disputes. He began his career as a CPA* at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, providing financial and restructuring services for Fortune 500 clients out of PwC's New York, London, Frankfurt and southern California offices. He then served as a director at a national provider of workout services, and worked for a subsidiary of Leucadia National Corporation where he underwrote and acquired businesses and land, condominium and resort assets.
David Stapleton founded the firm in 2008 with the vision and experience to provide far more than clients may expect of a professional fiduciary or financial advisor. Since then, our full-service team of financial consultants and industry experts has resolved over 600 troubled situations with over $4 billion in aggregate assets. That's a lot of problems solved.
Job Titles:
- Certified Paralegal
- Paralegal
Deborah, a certified paralegal with 40 years of experience, manages the firm's court and property management reporting, court calendars, document control and analysis and database management. She also drafts legal pleadings and correspondence, taking great care to keep clients informed in a timely fashion.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Deborah was a paralegal for a publicly-traded gaming company for 22 years. She also worked for many law firms in San Diego, California as well as for the Canadian Bar Association President for one year. She has assisted attorneys in all phases of legal cases, contract management, estate planning, corporate and public company compliance and transactions.
Education & Certifications
University of California San Diego, B.A. Communication
University of California San Diego (UCSD Extension), ABA-Approved Paralegal Certificate program, with honors
Certified Paralegal qualification, NALA - the Paralegal Association
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Executive Administrator
Jake DiIorio, a seasoned restructuring expert and court-appointed fiduciary, is instrumental in resolving complex turnarounds, receiverships, and loan workouts for operating businesses and real estate entities. He designs and implements strategies to repair fractured relationships between debtors, creditors and other stakeholders to achieve the best outcomes for all parties involved.
Jake applies deep experience as a fiduciary to manage projects ranging from solvency analyses to comprehensive receiverships and chapter 11 restructurings. Upon taking control of operations, he works closely with management to assess financial and operational viability in order to design the optimal path to recovery, ranging from recapitalizations to going-concern sales, asset dispositions and liquidations. He provides clients with key reports throughout the process to facilitate informed decisions.
Prior to joining the Stapleton Group in 2010, Jake was a senior auditor at Ernst & Young in New York, NY, where he specialized in valuation analysis for Fortune 500 companies across multiple industries.
Career Highlights
Receiver, Turnaround Consulting, Rents & Profits, Sellside M&A
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor
- CIRA
- CIRA / Director, Financial Advisory
Joan is a skilled CPA and turnaround consultant with public and private accounting and financial advisory experience. She provides the critical analyses lenders, creditors, shareholders and management teams need to design strategic plans for financially troubled companies.
In her role as Associate Director, Joan serves as a financial advisor to insolvent debtors. She develops the 13-week cash flows, cash collateral budgets and plan projections essential for successful financial turnarounds and reorganizations under bankruptcy. She also provides liquidation analyses to assess viable options for troubled debtors and works with banks and attorneys throughout the bankruptcy and receivership processes.
Joan began her career at Ernst & Young in Virginia working on audits of publicly-traded real estate clients. Seeking diversity, she joined a medical diagnostics company where she served as Senior Accountant and then Cost Accounting Manager. In these roles, Joan collaborated with the company's operations, supply chain and financial planning and analysis teams to manage inventory and COGS. She also was responsible for all SOX controls related to inventory and fixed assets.
Career Highlights
Cash Flow Analysis, Ch. 11 Bankruptcy
Job Titles:
- Director, Operations Advisory Services
- Founder and Principal of Sorokin & Associates
Jorge Sorokin, an internationally respected performance improvement consultant, applies decades of experience to guide distressed companies and growing businesses through operational restructurings and optimizations. He develops corporate infrastructures and scalable, repeatable methodologies resulting in sustainable growth for manufacturing, distribution, and service companies across the globe.
Jorge delivers supply chain and lean management practices, strategic planning, technology transfers, onshoring, change management, project management, and P&L management. He holds the copyright on a continuous flow computer simulation application.
During his 40-year career, Jorge has completed successful engagements for companies in industries including distribution, consumer products, retail, e-commerce, biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, electronics, furniture, office products, apparel, polymers, food and beverage, telecommunications, transportation, and construction, among others.
Jorge is Founder and Principal of Sorokin & Associates (S&A), an international performance improvement consulting firm. He began his career with General Electric where he completed its Manufacturing Management Training Program. Jorge was instrumental in the turnarounds of Hobie Cat Company and American Optical, owned an international manufacturing garment business, and founded Spend-Trends, a predictive analytics company targeting paid search advertising. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.
As VP Operations, Jorge was instrumental in the operational turnaround and successful sale of American Optical, a 160-year-old international manufacturer and distributor of ophthalmic mineral glass and plastic lenses with plants in multiple countries. Jorge had P&L responsibility for 1,026 employees across 3 production plants, R&D, and Engineering. He successfully reduced manufacturing costs by 32% ($23 million), improved productivity by 80% by optimizing continuous flow processes, and improved fill rates to major distribution centers to 98% (7,000+ SKU's). As a result, the company was sold for $100M to Sola International, which eventually was acquired by Zeiss Optical.
Justin draws on his background in structured finance and Mortgage-Backed Securities consulting to support Stapleton Group's senior management on complex restructuring and real estate engagements. He applies deep experience in real estate finance and complex discounted cash flow modeling to analyze stakeholders' positions and present quantifiable, impactful solutions.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Justin served as a manager at Ernst & Young on its Structured Finance Consulting team. During his tenure at Ernst & Young, Justin collaborated on the successful issuance of over $100 billion in Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. His key responsibilities included modeling complex discounted deal cash flows, assessing appropriate credit risk retention requirements, reviewing detailed securities offering documents, and managing deal executions. Justin also provided quantitative assessments of numerous REIT portfolios and insights on their expected credit loss.
Education
College of the Holy Cross, B.A. Economics & Accounting
Kent Johnson, a respected receiver and banker, applies 40 years of experience and proven processes to resolve problem commercial loans, real estate loans and real estate projects. He has been appointed receiver in Federal District Court regulatory actions and in State Court real estate and business asset recovery actions involving wide-ranging asset classes. He also has been appointed referee of commercial real estate partition actions and has been a senior member of dozens of receivership teams operating in both federal and state courts for regulatory, real estate, and commercial litigation.
Kent's broad experience spans real estate classes including residential, multifamily, commercial, and industrial facilities, and industries including residential and commercial development, manufacturing, contracting, health care, shopping centers, and wholesale distribution.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Kent served as Executive Vice President at Robb Evans & Associates for over 13 years. He was responsible for marketing assets, negotiating and approving sale terms, and obtaining court approvals. Kent began his career in banking and served as chief credit officer, banking administrator and president of independent banks. Kent's diverse background also includes loan and asset resolution, real estate evaluation, due diligence and real property disposition.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Education and Certification
Matthew is an experienced financial analyst specializing in fiduciary services, court appointed receiverships, financial restructurings and business crisis management. He provides troubled operating businesses and their lenders and stakeholders with the necessary financial reporting and operational projections for data-driven decisions and serves as project manager in the implementation of tactics to achieving operational turnarounds and liquidations.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Matthew served as senior financial analyst and project manager for an industry-leading turnaround consultancy specializing in court appointed receiverships. His industry experience includes healthcare, real estate, construction, financial services, retail, restaurants and hospitality, among others.
Education and Certification
San Diego State University, B.S., Business Administration
In completing successful turnarounds, Mike manages all aspects of designing and implementing restructuring strategies, leads capital raises, and negotiates with lenders and investors. He leads clients through complex legal processes in formal and informal reorganizations. By achieving unity among disparate creditor and investor groups, clients become renewed, recapitalized, and viable business enterprises.
Monica applies over twenty years of experience in sales, marketing and corporate administration to support the firm's executive team. She strengthens client and referral source relationships, conducts business development, and collaborates with existing partners. Monica also manages Stapleton Group's impact in local communities, charities, and service organizations.
Education
National University, M.S.
Southern Methodist University, B.A.
Stapleton Group maximizes the recovery of capital for creditors, turns around troubled businesses, and helps resolve disputes between shareholders.
Job Titles:
- CFF, CIRA
- CFF, CIRA / Senior Managing Director
Neal Gluckman, a forensic accountant and expert witness, provides lenders, equity investors and legal counsel with the financial information they need to make informed decisions. His quick assessments of a company's current and prospective cash flow allow clients to establish go-forward strategies and resolve disputes. Neal leads the firm's Financial Advisory Services practice working in the Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California offices.
Lenders and investors frequently seek Neal's assistance in assessing the future performance of their portfolio assets. He adeptly provides loan monitoring services in due diligence and workout assignments, and serves as court-appointed examiner in Chapter 11 cases. Neal also performs investigations to identify preferences and fraudulent conveyances and provides expert testimony regarding solvency, damages, tracing funds, cash collateral and other financial matters.
After serving as a senior manager at a Big 4 public accounting firm, Neal was a partner for 20 years in a regional public accounting firm in Los Angeles. He led the firm's Investigative Auditing Department, serving as the engagement partner on numerous forensic assignments. Neal is active in the turnaround and restructuring community and served on the California Society of CPAs' committee on fraud. He has taught accounting at Pepperdine University in both the graduate and undergraduate programs.
Career Highlights
Expert Witness, Litigation Support
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Associate Director
- Consultant
- Education
- Manager With Alvarez & Marsal Taxand
Olivia is a skilled consultant and accountant with expertise in financial analysis, forecasting, modeling, project and client management, and domestic and international corporate taxation. She leverages her background to support Stapleton Group's senior management on Financial Advisory engagements and internal operations.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Olivia served as a manager with Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC in Washington, D.C. Her responsibilities included federal and state compliance and consulting services for partnerships, corporations, trusts and individuals in the real estate, private equity, and retail industries. Olivia is a CPA candidate.
Education
University of Maryland, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Arts in Economics
CPA Candidate
Phil Cutting, a highly-successful business operator and consultant with over 40 years of experience, advises on complex receiverships, turnarounds and liquidations. His diverse background spans operating companies with annual sales from $200 million to $1 million, large and small hotels, office buildings, retail properties, multi-family housing, marinas and golf courses. In managing engagements valued over $2 billion during the past 25 years, Phil coordinated with legal and technical consultants to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Previously, Phil served as Managing Director of a national provider of workout services where he oversaw 170 receivership, consulting and hospitality projects. He spent the first 20 years of his career working in various positions for international hospitality and real estate companies, including as general manager of four and five-star hotels, handling all aspects of operations, market positioning and asset management.
Career Highlights
Food Manufacturer/Distributor: Interim CEO; Liquidation
Rick Dutkiewicz, an accomplished turnaround professional, develops and implements strategies to resolve operational inefficiencies that stress cash flow. He applies over 30 years of experience as CFO of and advisor to public and private companies to quickly assess the dynamics compromising performance and implement the appropriate resolution. Rick has completed multiple successful turnarounds involving out-of-court and Ch. 11 bankruptcies and sellside M&A.
Rick leads Stapleton's teams advising lenders, creditors and other stakeholders in the Rocky Mountain, Midwest and Southwest regions to achieve quick and appropriate resolutions for companies across a wide range of industries, including restaurants and hospitality, consumer products, manufacturing, agriculture, real estate and construction and banking.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Rick served as CFO for multiple public and private corporations, including Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Igloo Products Corporation, Vari-L Company, Inc., Imperial Headwear and Coleman Natural Products. He has served as a director and has chaired the audit committees of multiple public companies. He began his career in public accounting at KPMG in Los Angeles and Denver.
Career Highlights
Awarded CFO of the Year for Small Public Companies
In the inaugural year of Denver Business Journal's CFO of the Year award in 2008, Rick was recognized as CFO of the Year for Small Public Companies for his leadership and efforts in the successful turnaround of Einstein Noah Restaurant Group. The four-year turnaround effort culminated in the "Re-IPO" of Einstein in June 2007.
Ryan applies deep credit and transactional skills gained in the banking industry to support Stapleton Group's senior management on Financial Advisory engagements and internal operations. During his banking career, he was involved in numerous leveraged ESOP transactions, recapitalizations and growth financings, and assisted in underwriting over $100 million C&I loan commitments.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Ryan served as an associate at Pacific Premier Bank in its Asset Based and ESOP lending divisions, advising middle market companies on senior debt capital solutions. His responsibilities spanned risk assessment, collateral management, deal execution and loan originations for business in the manufacturing, distribution, contracting, wholesale and industrial industries.
Education & Certificate
University of San Diego, B.A., Business Administration
Certified Insolvency & Restructuring Advisor (CIRA), AIRA
Job Titles:
- Director, Financial Advisory
Stephen has delivered tailored solutions for companies in the energy, infrastructure, retail, and manufacturing industries, among others. He has consummated numerous M&A transactions for distressed and healthy businesses.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Stephen served as a restructuring vice president for leading specialty financial services and consulting firms including Carl Marks Advisors and AlixPartners.
Career Highlights
Financial and Operational Turnaround, Oil Refiner
Yenni Liang applies over 20 years of experience in real estate-related accounting, financial management, project management and profitability to manage the firm's accounting operations. She guides strategic accounting decisions, continuously improves workflows and controls, and ensures compliance with all financial reporting requirements.
Prior to joining Stapleton Group, Yenni served as controller of multiple companies, including a property management company where she coordinated the accounting and financial management of over 200 residential properties; a nationwide affordable housing developer and investment company where she managed a $2+ billion portfolio in LIHTC and New Markets Tax Credits; and, KeyBank Real Estate Capital where she coordinated the financial management of over $1 Billion in tax credit and equity investments. She also was president of a specialty sportswear company, and was a consultant with a public accounting firm where she advised clients on profitability and process improvement.