Cynthia Romano
Global Director, Performance Improvement and Restructuring
Cynthia Romano has more than 25 years of experience in performance improvement, turnaround management, transaction support, and investment analysis. Cynthia’s areas of expertise include liquidity management, profit improvement through operational restructuring, organizational and process redesign, capital sourcing, and business and creditor workout/management. A co-leader of the firm’s Performance Improvement practice, Cynthia focuses on increasing collaboration across service lines and creating new services to help clients drive growth.
Cynthia’s work adds significant value to middle- and upper-middle market companies nationally and internationally in various industries including healthcare, manufacturing, education, technology, security, distribution, professional services and not-for-profit.
- Workout advisor to a $300M skilled nursing operator with significant liquidity challenges.
- Workout advisor to a $75M multi-specialty medical practice rollup.
- GM of ambulance company with 911 contracts. Stabilized cash and operations, sold business (start to finish) in 6 weeks.
- CFO of $75M oil distributor. Family business returned to profitability after 3 loss years via operational turnaround, successfully recapitalized, then sold for 50% higher than initial estimate.
- COO of $30M paper manufacturer. After 14 loss months, achieved profitability within 4 months.
- CRO of $40M construction engineering firm. Company returned to profitability and successfully refinanced.
- Acting GM of aerospace manufacturer in Chapter 11 with sole source defense-related contracts. Successfully operated company with limited infrastructure to complete manufacturing/sale of inventory, complete contracts, and sell business.
- Workout advisor to $300M multinational brokerage. Secured lender paid down 79% in 2 months; management buyout and refi paid remaining in debt in full.
- Liquidating agent for retailer under Chapter 7 Trustee control. Gross recovery exceeded appraiser’s valuation by 9x.
- Advisory to 170M family business. Improved financial controls, redesigned organizational structure around new management team, and spearheaded next generation assessment.
Events and speaking engagements
- MCLE New England Webinar, "1st Look" at the Impact of COVID-19 on Business Bankruptcy Practice, Expert Panelist, April 27, 2020
- Expert Webcast, Driving Value in Private Equity Portfolio Companies, Panelist, March 19, 2020
- CohnReznick LLP, Bolster Finance and Operations Against Coronavirus Disruptions, Panelist, March 19, 2020
- TMA Florida, Interactive Case Study, March 5, 2020, Tampa, Florida
- 2020 TMA Distressed Investing Conference, Interacting with Private Equity in Today's Environment, February 6, 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada
Press
October 28, 2020 | Bloomberg Law
Hospital Bankruptcy Surge Looms as Virus Rages, Stimulus Lapses
May 26, 2020 | abfjournal
The Impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Asset-Based Finance
April 30, 2020 | Modern Healthcare
Covid-19 pandemic likely put some bankruptcies on hold
Awards and recognition
- Turnaround Management Association (TMA), 2020 Turnaround of the Year Award Winner, Chief Restructuring Officer in the turnaround and sale of Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Coordinated Health
- Smart CEO Brava Award Honoring Top Female CEOs, Winner
- Turnaround Management Association (TMA) Northeast Chapter’s Small Company Turnaround of the Year, Co-Winner
- Harvard Business School Turnaround Conference, Panelist
- MIT PE Symposium, Panelist
- ABI National and Regional Conference, Panelist
- Nassau County and Boston Bar Association, Panelist and Trainer
- Debtwire Podcast - Healthcare Restructuring, Guest Speaker
- Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) - Performance Improvement, Guest Speaker
- Babson College, Suffolk University, and MIT Sloan MBA programs, Guest Lecturer
- “The Three C’s of a Turnaround: Cash, Communication, and Control” ABF Journal, Co-Author
- “Key Issues in Operational Turnarounds” (with Gerald Sherman), TMA Northeast Journal, Author
Professional affiliations
- Turnaround Management Association, Board Member (Former, Northeast), Committee Member (NYC) and Member
- American Bankruptcy Institute, Advisory Board Member (Northeast)
- Association for Corporate Growth
- Women Helping Other Women
- Financial Women’s Association
- International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation
Education
- MBA, International Management, MIT Sloan School of Management
- BA with honors, Educational History and Policy, Brown University
Prior business experience
- CR3 Partners, Partner
- Chrysalis Management, CEO
- CRG Partners, Managing Director
- Bain Corporate Renewal Group, Manager
- Technology Company, CEO
- Angel Investor Group, Financial Analyst
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