Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) announces the expansion of its dedicated global Media & Entertainment (M&E) practice under the co-direction of new managing directors Dr. Peri Shamsai and Edward Hanapole. The practice, within the firm’s Corporate Performance Improvement (CPI) group, also includes eight new managing directors. The expansion demonstrates A&M’s strategic commitment to serving clients whose industries are at the forefront of driving and reacting to the next wave of digital transformation, which will require all industries to build new capabilities to remain competitive and success in coming decades.
The new hires underline A&M’s rapid growth and the depth of industry talent the firm attracts. The eight new managing directors are Ardy Khazaei, David Wisnia, Jeff Mischka, Jinsu Wang, Chris Furst, Nick Strauss, Angela Solk and Mike Natoli. Also joining them are new senior directors Christina Geslien and Rajasekhar Mantrabuddi, and directors Thomas Ohanian and Manoj Parakkal.
Mike Davidson, managing director and lead for the Corporate Performance Improvement group said, “The expansion of our Media and Entertainment practice represents the next phase of our strategic growth plan building on A&M’s operational heritage and results-oriented mindset to drive change. Marking our 40th year as a restructuring and transformation leader, A&M’s M&E practice underscores the firm’s ability to service clients in critical growth industries against the backdrop of digital change.”
Collectively, Hanapole and Dr. Shamsai have more than a half century of experience in television, broadcast, news, publishing, education, music, internet and data sub sectors. They have successfully led and advised strategic transformations at the C-suite level both as operating managers and as outside consultants across a broad range of M&E sectors and markets. They will direct the firm’s mandate to operationalize client strategies by leveraging their team’s technology, operations, innovation execution, product development, enterprise operating models and organizational design expertise.
Prior to joining A&M, Dr. Shamsai spent five years with Accenture’s Media and Entertainment group in New York, and 10 years with EY’s Media and Entertainment group, both in partner/managing director roles. Previously, she spent 10 years in industry leadership roles at Discovery Communications, Reed Elsevier and BMG Entertainment. Dr. Shamsai earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Brown University, a PhD in historical musicology from Columbia University and an MBA from Insead School of Business.
Dr. Shamsai remarked, “The deep and broad-based Media and Entertainment talent that we have assembled will provide our clients with the hands-on experience to maximize value in an industry undergoing constant change and volatile disruption.”
Before joining A&M, Hanapole served as the Global Media & Entertainment practice leader and a lead account partner for M&E at IBM Consulting. Over his 20+ year career, he served as an industry operator across various industry segments including as chief information officer (CIO) for STARTV in Hong Kong, vice president of Global Technology at News Corp, CIO for Kaplan Inc. and CIO for New York Times Digital. He earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications management, television, radio and film from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He holds 10 patents in content systems and commerce.
Hanapole said, “Our exceptional team exemplifies A&M's dedication to empowering our media and entertainment clients with the expertise needed to help compete and lead across all sectors and into the forefront of this ever-evolving digital landscape and next wave of transformation.”
About Alvarez & Marsal:
Companies, investors and government entities around the world turn to Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) for leadership, action and results. Privately held since its founding in 1983, A&M is a leading global professional services firm that provides advisory, business performance improvement and turnaround management services. When conventional approaches are not enough to create transformation and drive change, clients seek our deep expertise and ability to deliver practical solutions to their unique problems.
With over 7,500 people across six continents, we deliver tangible results for corporates, boards, private equity firms, law firms and government agencies facing complex challenges. Our senior leaders, and their teams, leverage A&M’s restructuring heritage to help companies act decisively, catapult growth and accelerate results. We are experienced operators, world-class consultants, former regulators and industry authorities with a shared commitment to telling clients what is really needed for turning change into a strategic business asset, managing risk and unlocking value at every stage of growth.
To learn more, visit: AlvarezandMarsal.com. Follow A&M on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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