Jay Alix is the founder of AlixPartners, LLC, an internationally recognized firm of corporate performance improvement, turnaround and financial advisory professionals. He is also co-founder, Principal and Managing General Partner of Questor Partners Funds, a turnaround buyout fund focused on investing in underperforming and distressed companies.
As a recognized corporate turnaround expert, Jay has assumed the roles of CEO, COO and CFO to lead turnaround initiatives at underperforming companies. His work with these companies included developing and implementing strategies to improve liquidity, restructure capitalization, avert crises, realign organizational structure, and improve profitability. His success is based on his deep financial and operations experience, negotiating expertise, and his ability to build consensus among diverse groups in order to achieve corporate goals.
Jay and his firm also have been retained by the managements or boards of directors of Fortune 1000 companies to serve as restructuring and turnaround advisors. Such engagements include General Motors Corporation, Finova, Fruit of the Loom, Zenith, National Car Rental System, Umbro International, Ryder System, Inc., Maidenform Worldwide, Unisys Corporation, and G. Heileman Brewing Company.
Jay’s first entrepreneurial endeavor was to found AlixPartners in 1981. Today, AlixPartners employs more than 185 professionals, which includes 140 consultants specializing exclusively in solving the problems of underperforming and troubled companies. They serve in interim management roles, as financial, operations and IT turnaround advisors, and as litigation and valuation consultants. The firm has offices in Detroit, New York, Chicago, and Dallas.
In 1995, Jay realized his vision of combining turnaround management expertise and capital with the formation of Questor Partners Funds. Questor acquires and turns around underperforming and financially troubled companies. Its unique approach of providing both capital and experienced hands-on turnaround management answers a growing need in the current market for smart capital. Questor’s $300 million first fund is fully invested. Its past and current portfolio includes APS Automotive Systems, Channel Master and Ryder TRS. In 1999, Questor closed its second fund with $840 million of capital, twenty percent of which is earmarked for overseas investment. Jay has served as Chairman of the Board of Ryder TRS, Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors of AP Automotive Systems.
In addition to his investment activities and consulting work, Jay has written many articles on turnaround management, has co-authored a book, published by West Publishing, on the financial issues facing companies in reorganization, and has spoken to many audiences on buying and selling companies in transition, debt negotiations and the corporate revitalization process.