Chris Creger
CIRA, Principal, Restructuring and Dispute Resolution Practice
New York, NY
Chris Creger provides financial advisory, business restructuring, and transaction support services to corporations, lending institutions, private equity firms, hedge funds, and law firms. He works with a wide range of clients including secured lenders, bondholders, unsecured creditors, debtors, stockholders, private equity, and other investors in areas that include turnaround, bankruptcy, out-of-court workouts, litigation, lender and M&A due diligence, transactional support, and profit improvement.
Chris has significant experience serving clients in a wide range of industries including media, retail and consumer products, manufacturing and distribution, oil and gas, telecommunications, publications, textiles, healthcare, not-for-profit, and energy.
- Chief Restructuring Officer to a distressed $225M+ for-profit general medical and surgical hospital.
- Chief Restructuring Officer to 100-year-old family-owned business which provides essential check cashing services, collateral based loans, and specialty retail outlets to communities throughout the state of New Jersey
- Deputy Chief Restructuring Officer to a $220M multifacility (22) orthopedic specialty surgery, physical therapy, and urgent care health network
- Interim Chief Executive Officer to private equity-owned, $100M+ digital media and gaming company that implemented applications for various social networks
- Deputy Chief Restructuring Officer to award winning, Chapter 11 reorganization for international $115M sales distribution company focusing on replacement parts in construction and off-highway earthmoving equipment
- Lead Restructuring Advisor in the $27M refinancing of an international wholesaler of raw paper materials (ancillary and recycled) to packaging companies overseas, primarily in Latin America
- Financial Advisor to a $25M refinancing and additional $20M equity raise for an international privately held organics management company specializing in renewable energy and organic waste recycling
- Developed analytical cash-flow materials and provided strategic guidance for the New York State Office of the Attorney General in bankruptcy resolution for national not-for profit
- Conducted assessment of global advertising and media company, defining go forward plan for company undergoing significant industry transformation and customer forfeiture
Events and speaking engagements
- “Understanding and Enhancing Business Value of Post-COVID Distressed Businesses – Including Evaluating the Post-COVID Business Plan & Strategies to Preserve Value,” American Bankruptcy Institute 2021 Winter Leadership, December 2021.
- “Rhythm and Blues - Understanding the Economics of the Music Industry,” Turnaround Management Association Annual Conference, Nashville, TN, October 2021.
- “The Treatment of MAAP Payments in Bankruptcy,” for the Journal of Corporate Renewal, the official publication of the Turnaround Management Association, September 2021.
- “Creative Strategies for Workouts, Restructuring, Modifications, Servicing & Litigation,” New York City Distressed Commercial Real Estate Forum, New York, NY, January 2021.
- “How to Restructure an Industry that Has Been Shut Down, and How to Prove Feasibility When You're Starting from Ground Zero,” American Bankruptcy Institute 2020 Insolvency Summit, October 2020.
- “The Behind-The-Scenes Story of TMA's Turnaround of the Year,” Turnaround Management Association, New Jersey Chapter, November 2020.
Awards and recognition
- Secured Finance Network (formerly the Commercial Finance Association) (SFNet) “40 Under 40” list for 2022
- American Bankruptcy Institute’s (ABI) “40 Under 40” list for 2020
- Turnaround Management Association (TMA), 2020 Turnaround of the Year Award for his success in the turnaround and sale of Allentown, Pennsylvania based Coordinated Health.
- Turnaround Management Association (TMA), 2019 Turnaround and Transaction of the Year award, for role on the team working on highly complex and public restructuring process of a not-for-profit organization’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the Southern District of New York
- M&A Advisor's 12th Annual Turnaround Award Winner "Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year (over $25-100 million)"
- 2020 Turnaround Atlas Award Winner, Out-of-Court Restructuring of the Year
Professional affiliations
- Turnaround Management Association (TMA, NYC and Global)
- Turnaround Management Association, former chair of New York Chapter’s NextGen
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- International Insolvency Institute
- Secured Finance Network
Education
- MBA, University of South Carolina, Darla Moore School of Business, 2023
- BS, Financial Economics – Centre College
- International Business & Managerial Finance, University of Nicosia (Intercollege)
Prior business experience
- CR3 Partners, LLC, Director
- BDO Consulting USA, LLP, Manager
- EPIQ Systems, Senior Consultant