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We consider ourselves a trusted advisor and strategic partner. We recognize that in the realm of restructuring, this entails more than legal expertise, analysis, or strategy formulation. It involves cultivating a deep understanding of our clients' challenges, providing nuanced advice, and serving as a trusted confidant in shaping pivotal decisions.

Co-Founders Lance Miller & Peter Elkin

The Pivot > Team

Team Member Bio
Lance

Lance Miller

Founder & Managing Partner

lance.miller@pivotgrp.com

Lance is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Pivot >, where he leads the strategy and delivery of Pivot’s turnaround and restructuring services to Corporate and Private Equity clients. As a former restructuring lawyer and in-house counsel, Lance leverages 20 years of restructuring experience to deliver a unique blend of strategic and practical advice to guide clients through the restructuring process.  Lance’s practice focuses on leadership and restructuring advice for companies, sponsors, and creditors in complex Chapter 11 and out-of-court workout situations. He has experience delivering results in many different roles, including as Financial Advisor, Chief Restructuring Officer, and court-appointed Receiver. 

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements: International Longshore and Warehouse Union (Bankr. N.D. Cal.), Columbia Pulp (Wash. Super. Ct.), iCap Enterprises, Inc. (Bankr. E.D. Wash.), CalPlant 1, LLC (Bankr. D. Del.), Lear Capital, Inc. (Bankr. D. Del.), Apex Parks Group (Bankr. D. Del.), Easterday Farms and Easterday Ranches, Inc. (Bankr. E.D. Wash.), Chesapeake Energy Corp. (Bankr. S.D. Tex.), Sugarfina, Inc. (Bankr. D. Del.), American Apparel, LLC (Bankr. D. Del.), Chemtura Corp. (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.).

Prior to founding Pivot >, Prior to founding Pivot >, Lance was a Partner at a national turnaround and advisory firm and, prior to that, General Counsel for Sugarfina, Inc. and American Apparel. During his time practicing restructuring law, Lance practiced for more than 10 years with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Jones Day.   

Lance’s Board memberships have included Yogaworks and Agway.  He is a member of the California and New York Bar Associations, and various professional organizations devoted to corporate distress.  Lance’s focus for charitable work is centered around Hillel of San Diego. 

Team Member Bio
Peter Elkin

Peter Elkin

Founder & Partner

peter.elkin@pivotgrp.com

Peter is a Founder and Partner of Pivot > where he provides turnaround and restructuring services to Corporate and Private Equity clients.  As a former CFO and COO, Peter leverages over 25 years of experience to deliver a unique blend of financial and operational advice and practical implementation strategies.  Peter brings a track record of success across a multitude of business scenarios, including implementing turnaround strategies as well as guiding companies through growth and hyper-growth phases.  His expertise lies in problem-solving by conceptualizing and then implementing initiatives that make impactful contributions in the areas of financial management, cost reductions, revenue growth initiatives, and operational efficiency improvements.

Peter’s wealth of board experience also reflects his expertise in advising Pivot > clients strategically that enhance business performance, mitigate risk, and ensure proper corporate governance.  This includes helping companies navigate through challenging scenarios such as crisis management, bankruptcy, and company sale processes.  Peter currently serves on the boards of Keep Fit America, OCTANe, and BNG Technologies.  His prior board membership includes Yoga Works, Sugarfina, and Aimtell.  Beyond his board commitments, he also serves as an Advisor and Member of the UCI Council of Industry Advisors and holds the position of Executive In Residence at UCI’s School of Applied Innovation.

Prior to founding Pivot >, Peter’s professional experience includes nearly a dozen executive roles as CFO, COO, and CEO.  In addition, Peter’s representative turnaround and restructuring experience includes the following notable engagements: International Longshore and Warehouse Union (Bankr. N.D. Cal.), Columbia Pulp (Wash. Super. Ct.), iCap Enterprises, Inc. (Bankr. E.D. Wash.), Sugarfina, Inc. (Bankr. D. Del.), S.D.N.Y.), Partners Crackers, and NTAS

Team Member Bio
Chelsea

Chelsea Grayson

Managing Director – Halo

chelsea.grayson@pivotgrp.com

Chelsea is Managing Partner of Pivot > where she leverages her vast CEO and Board experience to manage turnarounds, transformations and restructurings for both public and private companies across diverse industries. She has significant experience with M&A transactions and franchise models and is a governance expert. She is very comfortable managing through crisis and distress, and she has lead companies through digital and other transformations, as well as full-blown restructurings. She is qualified to sit on public company audit committees.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Chelsea was the CEO and a board member of American Apparel, which she successfully sold to Gildan Activewear Inc. Subsequently, she was the first ever female CEO of True Religion, where she also sat on the board of directors (chairing the Audit Committee).  Ms. Grayson was most recently the CEO and a board member of Spark Networks, a leading owner and operator of premium online dating sites and mobile applications (including Jdate, Elite Singles, Silver Singles and Christian Mingle), where she was Vice Chair of the board, chaired the Special Committee and was a member of the Audit Committee.

Chelsea is a current board member of Xponential Fitness and served on the board of directors of several other companies including Morphe Cosmetics, Sugarfina Inc., and Delta Dental. Chelsea’s leadership positions also include being an Executive in Residence at Wunderkind, a Board Leadership and Corporate Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Chelsea is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Department of English at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Chelsea earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (Order of the Coif) and her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Team Member Bio
Karl Pearson

Karl Pearson

Managing Director

karl.pearson@etonien.com

Karl joins Pivot > as Managing Director, working closely with Co-Founders, and former colleagues, Lance Miller and Peter Elkin, advising on bespoke client solutions and metrics of success. Karl Pearson has extensive experience serving as interim management and senior advisor across diverse industries, delivering notable improvements in revenue, margins, and operational efficiency. In his roles, he has successfully negotiated with financial stakeholders, raised debt and equity, and navigated bankruptcy proceedings.

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements: CEO for Consumer Products Company with global operations and distribution in over 90 countries – Revamped eCommerce and social media platform, tripled new product development pipeline, lowered operating expenses 15%, and improved EBITDA performance 20%; CRO for Consumer Products Company with global operations – Reduced operating loss from ($14M) to break-even in 4 months through cost reduction, inventory management, and improved revenue forecasting; Senior Advisor for Telcom Company – Managed company cash flows, implemented KPI system, reduced operating expenses 20%, and oversaw completion of $110M infrastructure project; Interim CFO for Electronic Recycling Company with 700+ employees across 8 facilities throughout the US – Raised new capital to fund needed capital expansion plans and implemented new pricing programs driving gains in gross margin.

In addition to his role at Pivot >, Karl is Managing Director of the ETONIEN Companies, a collective of highly specialized, synergistic consulting firms of which Pivot > is a part. Karl brings executive-level oversight to client projects and ETONIEN resources to drive project and client success. Prior to joining ETONIEN, Karl held numerous C-level roles as an Operating Partner for Private Equity funds, a CEO, COO, and CFO for a multitude of Industrial, Consumer Product, and Distribution-based companies, and a Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) / Senior Financial Advisor (FA) for over 40 clients.

Karl earned his Bachelors in Economics from Penn State University and MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Karl is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Zuca, a maker of innovative luggage and backpacks for K-12 and professional travelers. Karl was previously an active member of professional organizations including Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).

Team Member Bio
Chadd

Chadd Davis

Partner & Strategic Advisor

chadd.davis@etonien.com

Chadd is a Partner at Pivot > and joins the team as Strategic Advisor, working closely with Co-Founders Lance and Peter to identify growth opportunities servicing Private Equity Firms and their portfolio companies. Chadd owns & operates the ETONIEN Companies, a synergistic group of consulting firms providing highly specialized consulting and advisory services to Private Equity and corporate clients. Under Chadd’s leadership, The ETONIEN Companies have completed hundreds of successful engagements with PE clients, including countless M&A transactions. Recognizing a clear need in the market for strong restructuring and turnaround resources, Chadd’s involvement in Pivot > is a logical extension of the service offerings of the ETONIEN Companies.

In addition to his role at Pivot > Chadd is partner and co-founder of ETONIEN, enhanceHCM, and Crosby Row, leading professional service firms that specialize in providing interim support to private equity firms and their portfolio companies across C-suite leadership, human capital management, and strategic sourcing and procurement. Day to day, Chadd leads the ETONIEN team but over the last 10 years, Chadd developed a keen sense of the PE landscape with an ability to identify market needs, recruit talented leaders and build businesses tailored to capitalize on those opportunities.

Chadd is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Just 4 Kids (formerly the Children’s Bureau) a Los Angeles based organization that just celebrated its 100th year helping vulnerable children.  His previous board positions include the Red Cross Los Angeles Chapter.

Chadd earned his BA from the University of California, Los Angeles where he lettered four years on the UCLA Men’s Varsity Soccer Team, winning the 2002 NCAA National Championship. Following a successful career at UCLA, he played soccer professionally for one season in New York.

Team Member Bio
Jair Clarke

Jair Clarke

Managing Director of AI and Technology

Jair Clarke is Managing Director of AI and Technology at Pivot > leveraging his extensive track record as a Fortune 15 CTO, CEO, Chief AI Officer, Board Member, and Executive Advisor to the Chairman of a $20B a year technology company.​

With previous roles at Fortune 50 companies like Microsoft, Disney, IBM, and Lockheed Martin, Jair managed billions of dollars, grew a team of 20 to a $1B+ organization (leading thousands of personnel), led AI, Digital, and tech transformations. In addition, he had global P&L responsibilities, and was accountable for overseeing the design, implementation, and scaling of critical systems, products, engineering teams, and infrastructure. Jair directed the end-to-end lifecycle of product development, ensuring seamless integration of advanced technologies into operations, while optimizing infrastructure for performance, reliability, and scalability across various industries.​

Before joining Pivot Group, Jair was a Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft, where he supported a $175B business unit, leading initiatives in AI, automation, and digital transformation. He is currently a Board Member for Xponential Fitness (NYSE:XPOF), OneMedNet (NASDAQ:ONMD), Executive Advisor to the Chairman at World Wide Technology, CEO of Laigic, and advisors to multiple private companies. Jair’s extensive industry knowledge, coupled with his dedication to innovation and diversity, enables him to provide strategic guidance in complex turnaround and restructuring situations.​

Jair holds a degree from the University of Miami, where he was part of the national championship-winning football team.

Team Member Bio
Seth Wellisch

Seth Wellisch

Managing Director

seth.wellisch@pivotgrp.com

Seth joins Pivot > as Managing Director where he advises clients on transactional, operational and acquisition matters. His deep understanding of real estate dynamics enables him to effectively assess and optimize real estate assets. Seth’s expertise in special situations proves invaluable for identifying opportunities for cost reduction, maximizing property value, and renegotiating leases or contracts as needed. With a comprehensive knowledge of both commercial and residential real estate markets, Seth provides strategic insights and actionable recommendations that drive the real estate component of restructuring initiatives.

Seth’s representative experience in real estate portfolio management encompasses roles at ACCO Engineered Systems and AeroVironment, where he navigated complex real estate dynamics. Additionally, his tenure at Samitaur Constructs, as the listing agent for a 1M square feet adaptive reuse portfolio, and at iCap Enterprises, Inc., handling valuations for bankruptcy estates, underscores his proficiency in addressing unique challenges inherent in turnaround and restructuring situations within the real estate sector.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Seth founded his own firm, Jarrus, a real estate consulting firm specializing in advisory in special circumstances such as bankruptcy estates and lender REO. In addition to founding his own firm, Seth’s professional roles included Principal positions at Hawkwood Ventures, Lee & Associates (West Los Angeles), and Cresa (Los Angeles) over the course of which expanding knowledge / expertise in various aspects of property management, brokerage, and acquisitions.

Seth is a member of the Board of Directors for Proyecto Pastoral and Shane’s Inspiration. He is also a Big Brother for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and International volunteer for the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Seth graduated from The University of Texas, Austin with a degree in Government.

Team Member Bio
George Demos

George Demos

Senior Director

george.demos@pivotgrp.com

George joins Pivot > as Senior Director, where he provides industry-agnostic management advisory services including interim CFO, pre-divesture and M&A expertise. His prior CFO roles include Grimmway Enterprises and the National Test Pilot School, both included major acquisitions and post-M&A integration. A highly qualified and seasoned professional, George’s expertise and experience includes CRO, receiverships, interim CEO/CFO, debt restructuring, sell-side advisory, strategic planning and start-up engagements.

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements: DC Solar (largest Ponzi scheme in Easter Dist of CA), Easterday Ranches (BK in Eastern WA, Atlas Award), King Mountain Tobacco (NAGG, BK in Eastern Dist of WA, Atlas Award), GenCanna (1st CBD BK case)

Prior to joining Pivot >, George’s previous roles included:

Noise Control, Inc. – interim CEO

Grimmway Enterprises – Chief Financial Officer

National Test Pilot School – Chief Financial Officer

Johasse Rebar – sell-side adviser

Whitten Pumps – Chief Restructuring Officer

River Ranch – interim Chief Financial Officer

George graduated from the California State University, Fullerton, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. George holds a California CPA (Inactive) certificate.

Team Member Bio

Matt Covington

Managing Director

matt.covington@pivotgrp.com

Matt is a Managing Director at Pivot > where he provides performance improvement, turnaround and restructuring services to Corporate and Private Equity clients.   He leverages 20 years of experience to deliver strategic financial and operational solutions to companies in financial distress or other special situations.  Matt focuses on providing strategic advice and leading teams executing solutions for our corporate clients and their sponsors.  He has led in-court and out-of-court restructurings, and has served as CFO and COO, where he has been recognized for effective leadership of teams and utilizing a data-driven approach to drive EBITDA growth.

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements:  Ciber, Inc. ($700 million; IT Services and Staffing); Confidential ($250 million; Specialty Finance); Confidential ($400 million; Entertainment); Natrol, Inc. ($70 million; Nutritional Supplements), City of Stockton ($1.1 billion; Municipal), Select Staffing ($650 million; Staffing) , Powerwave Technologies ($300 million; Manufacturing), Meruelo Maddux Properties ($320 million; Real Estate).

Prior to joining Pivot>  Matt was a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal, a leading firm globally in turnaround and restructuring advisory, and prior to that was a Managing Director with Conway MacKenzie, a middle-market focused turnaround and restructuring firm.  More recently, Matt served as interim CFO for Revolution Prep, an EdTech company, and in several operational roles leading teams at Findox, a Fintech company that was sold to Reorg Research.

He holds a JD/MBA from the University of Chicago and an AB in Economics and English from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was on the men’s swim team.

Matt is a former President of the SoCal TMA.  He is a longstanding supporter of Minds Matter, a mentoring organization for academically accomplished, low-income high school students, and helped to launch the Los Angeles chapter.  He served on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Financial Oversight Committee, and is an AYSO coach and referee.

Team Member Bio
Schlesinger

Mike Schlesinger

Managing Director

mike.schlesinger@pivotgrp.com

Mike joins Pivot > as Managing Director, where he leverages his extensive experience helping clients navigate complex situations and challenges related to real estate assets. As real estate advisory specialist, Mike is committed to leveraging his diverse perspective and operational proficiency to empower Pivot > clients in achieving their real estate objectives amidst evolving market dynamics. His operational expertise encompasses multifamily, office, industrial, retail, and hospitality assets, ensuring a comprehensive approach to real estate advisory. Mike’s mission is to provide strategic guidance to clients, maximizing value and facilitating success in challenging transactions.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Mike founded Schlesinger Real Estate Advisors (SREA), a full service commercial real estate advisory and consulting firm providing a wide range of services to clients across the commercial real estate spectrum. With a background spanning over 25 years and transactions exceeding $1 billion, Mike crafted tailored solutions across asset management, loan workouts, acquisitions, and finance.

In his previous roles, Mike held key positions at leading firms such as Latitude Management Real Estate Holdings and Hackman Capital Partners, where he excelled in acquisitions, asset management, and investor relations. Mike began his career as an Audit Manager for PwC.

Mike earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Team Member Bio
Stan Ho

Stanley Ho

Senior Director

stanley.ho@pivotgrp.com

Stan joins Pivot> as Senior Director, where he provides management advisory services leveraging his experience in finance, technology, and operations across multiple industries. Stan’s expertise and experience includes executive management, strategic planning, sell-side advisory, receivership and restructuring.

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements: CalPlant 1, LLC (Bankr. D. Del.), Chesapeake Energy Corp. (Bankr, S.D. Tex.), Easterday Ranches and Easterday Farms (Bankr. E.D Wash.), iCap Enterprises, Inc. (Bankr. E.D. Wash.)

Prior to joining Pivot >, Stanley was CEO and UDP of Bernstein Research Canada, a leading institutional broker-dealer and was Managing Director at AllianceBernstein, a global asset management company. Previously Stan worked in management consulting at McKinsey & Company, advising clients in industries across technology software and hardware, financial services, consumer products, utilities, communications, manufacturing and non-profit. Stan was a successful entrepreneur, as a founding employee at venture-funded software startup Closedloop Solutions which exiting via acquisition in 2003.

Stan has an Honours Bachelor of Commerce with high distinction from Trinity College, University of Toronto, and a Master’s degree in Mathematical Economics from the University of Toronto. Stan has been a CFA charterholder since 2001.

Stan is a member of the Board of Trustees at Trinity College, University of Toronto, has previously served on the board for Cecil Community Centre as Board Chair for two terms, and was formerly on the board of an educational bicycle co-operative in Toronto serving as Board co-chair. Previously he was an advisor and former member of the Board at the Youth Action Network.

Team Member Bio
Steve Borse

Steve Borse

Senior Director

steve.borse@pivotgrp.com

Steve Borse joins Pivot > as Senior Director, where he brings over 15 years of hands-on operational and financial experience to his role, specializing in cash flow management, financial closing and consolidation, financial and operational reporting, business modeling, change management, and compliance. With a background as a former Controller, Steve collaborates closely with Corporate and Private Equity clients, conducting comprehensive financial and operational assessments to drive strategic initiatives.

His expertise includes guiding companies through restructuring processes, with previous engagements including notable cases such as CalPlant, LLC and Sugarfina, Inc.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Steve held key financial leadership roles at Venice Brands LLC, Athletic Greens, and Sugarfina Inc.

He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and an MSA from the University of Phoenix. Active in charitable endeavors, Steve supports the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and enjoys spending his free time traveling, skiing, golfing, and cooking.

Team Member Bio
Kyle Liebentritt

Kyle Liebentritt

Senior Director

kyle.liebentritt@pivotgrp.com

Kyle Liebentritt is a Senior Director at Pivot > bringing over 15 years of experience in corporate turnarounds, restructurings, and management consulting. Throughout his career, Kyle has built a successful track record of developing and executing performance improvement plans, balance sheet restructurings, debt refinancings, and strategic growth initiatives for clients in the middle and lower-middle markets.

Before joining Pivot, Kyle launched his career at Alvarez & Marsal and held leadership roles with Conway MacKenzie and Mackinac Partners, where he advised companies across various stages of the corporate life cycle. His expertise ranges from creating business plans for startups to driving distressed operational transformations and offering bankruptcy advisory services.

Kyle is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA) and an active member of the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors (AIRA), Turnaround Management Association (TMA), and American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).
He earned his B.S. in Finance from Marquette University and has been a dedicated volunteer for Team One Step since 2011, supporting child oncology services.

Team Member Bio
Liz Gonzalez

Liz Gonzalez

Director

liz.gonzalez@pivotgrp.com

Liz joins Pivot > as Director, where she leads the Strategic Communications practice, helping clients navigate critical communication moments during times of immense change and scrutiny. Her extensive experience spans corporate and executive communications, public relations, reputation management, risk assessment, and rapid crisis responses, successfully helping clients build trust, understanding, and advocacy across critical stakeholders. She also serves as a media spokesperson and provides media training to prepare clients for challenging interviews, public speaking engagements, and overall digital and public profile enhancement. Liz has worked with private and public companies, private equity firms, executive leaders, government officials, and high-profile individuals.

Beyond communications strategy, Liz also pivots into key roles supporting complex transaction and corporate restructuring engagements with initiatives, including the preparation and execution of court reporting processes, facilitating discovery processes, and conducting corporate fraud investigations.

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements: TRX, Century21 Circle, iCap Equity, CalPlant, Ventec Life Systems, BumbleBee Foods, Earth Fare, Allied Healthcare Products, Houlihan’s Restaurants, Spinrite, TruFood Manufacturing, Unipharma, Punch Bowl Social, IPC Systems, The Hospital at Westlake, Republic Metals Corporation, Lear Capital, Imperial Toy, Apex Corporation, and Columbia Pulp.

Liz graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a Business Foundations certificate from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2023, she was recognized as one of Ragan and PR Daily’s Top Women in Communications, and in 2021, she was named an Emerging Leader by M&A Advisor. Liz is an active member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and serves on the board of its Southern California Chapter.

Team Member Bio
Austin Singer Pivot > Director

Austin Singer

Director

austin.singer@pivotgrp.com

Austin is a Director at Pivot> where he provides advisory services leveraging his experience in corporate turnarounds, restructurings and liquidations.

Prior to Pivot >, Austin advised both debtors and creditors in bankruptcy matters and underperforming companies in a variety of industries. He led numerous financial investigations which involved contract disputes, financial statement fraud and asset misappropriation. He is experienced in corporate liquidations, corporate restructuring, accounting/fraud detection and business valuations. Austin began his career in audit & assurance at Deloitte.

Austin holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.  He received his Master of Science in Accounting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Austin is a Certified Public Accountant in Arizona & Texas. He is also Certified in Financial Forensics issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Austin is the treasurer and board member of the Maricopa County Bar Foundation (Arizona). Austin previously served on the Audit Committee of Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona.

Outside of work, Austin enjoys playing sports and volunteering within his community.  Austin was a member of the Trinity University baseball team that won the Division III College World Series in 2016. Austin is a member of Saguaros Children’s Charities, an organization that raises roughly $2 million each year for local Arizona non-profit organizations. He is also a Big Brother for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Arizona and a volunteer for the Miracle League of Arizona.

Team Member Bio

Laura Berg

Director – Marketing

laura.berg@pivotgrp.com

Laura is Marketing Director at Pivot> where she leads the organizations branding and marketing efforts. Leveraging her experience in strategic branding and business development, Laura brings her team leadership skills to drive stakeholder engagement and workflow management.

Prior to joining Pivot> Over the last 20 years, Laura has held leadership roles at both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. She helped lead the team that sold AST Computers to Samsung for $2B and drove growth at QLogic from $100M to $1B.

At her last role, Laura was with AskVet as the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development and then Chief Revenue Officer, directing strategic partnerships, programs, and enterprise sales for the cutting-edge digital and AI pet healthcare platform. As a start-up in the highly competitive pet health market, Laura was able to drive an impressive 185% average YoY revenue growth, as well as secured lucrative multi-million-dollar deals with industry-leading partners such as Banfield Pet Hospitals, Mars Pet Health, Royal Canin Pet, Merck Pharmaceuticals, MetLife Pet Insurance, and Figo Pet Insurance.

Previously, Laura worked as Vice President of Marketing & Business Development for Sitoa Corporation a start-up in the early eCommerce services industry – expertly bridging the gap between retailers and manufacturers through innovative technology, Director of Global Corporate Marketing for Qlogic Corporation and Director of Global Brand & Product Marketing for AST Computer.

Outside of work, Laura loves to travel and is an avid reader. She a is also actively involved with local charities focused on helping at risk high school and college students.   

Team Member Bio
Mike Forde

Michael Forde

Managing Director

mike.forde@pivotgrp.com

Mike joins Pivot > as Managing Director, where his expertise in leveraging data discipline and business intelligence to realize market potential is critical to business operators and stakeholders. His ability to implement rigorous analytics across the organization enables informed decision-making, driving scale and efficiency during pivotal growth phases. Mike’s leadership style, characterized by transparency and progressive idea generation, fosters a culture of innovation and agility, essential qualities for navigating turbulent business environments. With a keen focus on speed-to-market and ROI, Mike ensures that restructuring and turnaround efforts are executed swiftly and yield measurable results.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Mike more than two decades honing his expertise in optimizing marketing portfolios, both through digital and traditional channels. From guiding startups to surpass $10M in sales within their first year to scaling established organizations to over $100M in annual sales, Mike’s track record showcases his ability to drive growth and revenue generation, crucial elements for companies undergoing restructuring. His passion for organizational growth, coupled with his adeptness at applying rigorous analytics across all facets of operations, positions him as an invaluable asset in navigating the complexities of turnaround and restructuring efforts.

Mike also spent 14 years with Fidelity Investments, where he worked closely with senior leadership and the business partners throughout the sales and service functions to consistently improve the prospect and customer experiences. Mike managed key institutional client relationships spanning many sectors, including those with Goldman Sachs, Pfizer, PNC Bank, Walgreens and BP.

Mike holds partnership interests in multiple businesses in both B2B and B2C markets. He extends his leadership in business to the community through civic involvement. He coaches his two sons and daughter in hockey and serves on the program’s Board of Directors.

Mike earned his BS in Marketing from Boston College and his MBA from Babson College.

Team Member Bio
Sarah Rohr

Sarah Rohr

Director

sarah.rohr@pivotgrp.com

Sarah joins Pivot > as Director, where she bring clients a comprehensive understanding of sustainable agriculture, value chains, economic principles, and project management. Her passion and academic rigor, research contributions, and practical experience positions make Sarah a valuable asset to the Pivot > team particularly as it relates to agricultural economics and sustainability within the food and agricultural industries. In her professional experience, she has excelled as a multi-faceted project manager, leading initiatives such as the development and execution of platforms and processes for venture funds and collaborative leadership development groups.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Sarah was a senior author and contributor to various publications focusing on economic sustainability and externalities in agriculture. Recent work includes research on the implications of reducing household food waste in the Australian apple industry, value chain operations and efficiency. In addition to this work, Sarah’s previous roles included:

One Step Closer and the J.E.D.I Collaborative – Project Manager

OSC Venture Fund – Project Manager

American Trading International – Export Accounts

Next Logistics – Accounts and Finance

Sarah earned her PhD from the University of New England Food Loss and Waste: Definitions, Policy Assessment and the Value Chain Approach, including impacts on social welfare. Sarah earned her Bachelor of Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of New England with an Honors Dissertation on the Australian Pork Industry.

Sarah is passionate about supporting non-profits in supporting those facing food and housing insecurity.

Team Member Bio
Sarah Abu Shanab

Sarah Abu Shanab

Director – HR & Culture

sarah.abushanab@pivotgrp.com

Sarah joins Pivot > as Director – HR & Culture, bringing almost two decades of strategic Human Resources expertise, specializing in organizational restructuring and transformation. With a track record of success in building modern people processes and teams for early to mid-stage businesses, Sarah collaborates closely with leaders across industries to drive impactful change. Her hands-on approach and commitment to excellence have consistently delivered positive outcomes, making her a trusted partner in navigating complex HR challenges. Sarah’s expertise extends to designing and implementing robust onboarding programs, developing employee recognition initiatives, and leading benefits redesign efforts to improve employee engagement and satisfaction as well as drive cost savings.

Prior to joining Pivot >, Sarah held leadership positions at prominent organizations, including Anine Bing, Full Stack Finance, Bird Rides, ModelLand, and Sugarfina where she demonstrated her ability to drive HR initiatives that support business growth and employee engagement.

Sarah holds a Certificate in Human Resources Studies from Cornell University and is a PHR-certified professional. Committed to making a difference, Sarah actively supports charitable causes.

Team Member Bio
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Samuel Lester

Senior Director

sam.lester@pivotgrp.com

Sam joins Pivot> as Senior Director, where he provides technical advisory services leveraging his experience in technology, management, and operations across multiple industries.  Sam’s expertise and experience includes executive management, strategic technical analysis of software products, management of large technical teams, product-market-fit of specific technical projects, factory management and operations, streamlining of technical expenses and services.

Representative experience includes the following notable engagements: Sam has built products or advised clients from the following companies: Koch Industries, Goldman Sachs, CitiGroup, UBI Banca, Coca-Cola, JC Decaux, Clear Channel, LG, Nexon, Mahindra, Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, Reserve Bank of Sri Lanka, TicketSocket USA, BlueJeans.

Prior to joining Pivot>, Sam was a Co-Founder and CTO of WalletSocket, a leading software and product development company. Here Sam helped develop products that are used by billions of people worldwide managing a large team across the United States and India. Previously, Sam was Co-Founder and COO of ATOM machines, an ATM manufacturing company that sold traditional and cryptocurrency ATM machines. Sam managed an entire factory of ATM workers and was in charge of team building and streamlining of the manufacturing process. Sam was also a Co-Founder  and CTO of MBLM Group, a Mauritius based broker dealer that was among the first licensed institutional cryptocurrency dealers in Africa. Finally, Sam was a software engineer at BlueJeans, helping to develop their corporate video conferencing service and scaling it to companies across the world.

Sam is a board member of Remaster Inc, an AI based document processing platform. Sam also serves on the board of WalletSocket Inc. Sam has a BS and MEng from Cornell University in Computer and Information Science. Sam graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Team Member Bio

Andrew Sokoloff

Analyst

andrew.sokoloff@pivotgrp.com

Andrew Sokoloff is an Analyst in the Banking Advisory at Pivot>, leveraging his experience in business operations and client relations from previous roles in private banking and asset management. Prior to joining Pivot, Andrew completed the Private Bank/Asset Management Development program at PNC Bank, where he held multiple client-facing and operations roles.

During his time as a Banking Analyst and a Fiduciary Analyst, Andrew supported high net-worth clients with assets ranging from $1M to $20M. His experience includes business development, financial planning, trust and estate management, and legal issue resolution. As a Strategy and Operations Analyst with Hawthorn Private Bank, he supported the Chief Operating Officer in managing ultra-high net-worth clients ($25M and above) and played a key role in launching the Donor Advised Fund to an online platform.

Andrew holds a degree in Finance from the University of Dayton and is active in his community, serving as a Boys’ Basketball Varsity Assistant Coach at McDowell High School, an Assistant Coach/Trainer at Erie County Athletic Academy, and a volunteer with the Church of the Nativity.

Nurturing and retaining top-tier talent is not just about their expertise but also fostering a mindset that goes beyond traditional roles. A dynamic team, unbound by narrow perspectives, is well-positioned to tackle challenges using innovative approaches. Unleashing the full potential of our talent aligns seamlessly with our broader vision of adopting a more proactive role in anticipating critical financial distress situations before they arise.

Join The Team