Mike has nearly three decades of experience as a lender and adviser to retail and consumer companies in a variety of life cycle stages to optimize capital structures, enhance liquidity, improve financial performance, drive gross margins, and reduce expenses. He helps develop capital raising, growth, and turnaround strategies for organizations across the consumer products space.

For retail and consumer products clients, effectively managing liquidity through periods of uncertainty is paramount to either avoiding the need for or ultimately achieving a successful operational turnaround.”

About Mike

Mike has an extensive background in acquisition, growth and turnaround financing, collateral valuation and disposition, and underwriting and legal negotiation and documentation. He has worked closely with companies, lenders, private equity firms, entrepreneurs, and private family offices on cash flow budgeting, liquidity strategies, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and capital markets executions.

Mike advises clients in need of debt recapitalizations, liquidity management, and asset disposition. He also serves as a subject matter expert in collaboration with other Huron professionals for retail and consumer or lender advisory clients. Mike has experience working with executive leaders and owners of brick-and-mortar stores; e-commerce retailers; and apparel, footwear, and consumer products wholesalers and manufacturers.

Since 2002, Mike has negotiated and structured lending terms to over 100 companies in the retail, wholesale, direct-to-consumer (DTC), technology services, and software sectors. He has appraised inventory and analyzed the liquidation metrics of many of the industry’s largest retailers, apparel and footwear wholesalers, and consumer products companies.

Throughout his career, Mike has:

• Led the financing for the acquisition/merger by a private equity firm of two large and distressed bedding, pillow, and textile manufacturers, marketers, and wholesalers.
• Facilitated the refinancing and led the transaction of a private equity firm’s acquisition of a vintage-style licensed sports apparel wholesaler, direct-to-consumer (DTC) seller, and retailer. The company was later sold to a large strategic buyer.
• Structured and co-led a financing of a distressed grocery retailer to facilitate the sale of company-owned store locations to franchisees.
• Advised on the recapitalization and distribution of capital to family members of a privately held retailer of sports licensed apparel.
• Led the financing and facilitated the negotiation of terms related to the sale of a middle-market equestrian-focused retailer and cataloger to a private equity firm.
• Helped facilitate the sale and leaseback of a large department store retailer’s owned headquarters real estate and buildings.
• Led the financing of a seasonal sports and lifestyle product retailer and later advised on the company’s sale process to a private equity firm.
• Facilitated the negotiation of forbearance terms of a large software company with stakeholders, including a private equity firm and a syndicate of lenders. The company ultimately survived and was sold to a large strategic buyer.

Prior to joining Huron, Mike served as managing director and head of retail finance at BMO Harris Bank. He has held leadership positions at Citizens Bank, Wells Fargo Capital Finance, and Banc of America Securities (now part of Bank of America). Mike began his career with asset disposition firm The Ozer Group (now part of Gordon Brothers).

Mike earned his Master of Business Administration from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in finance from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. He is licensed under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7, 79, and 63.

Mike is a member of Secured Finance Network (SFNet) and Turnaround Management Association (TMA). He volunteers with Big Brothers of Massachusetts Bay.