H. Michael Hogan, Consulting

Bio

Michael leads the firm’s Corporate Finance and Restructuring practices. An accomplished senior-level executive, he has over 30 years of diverse experience in operations, finance and strategy. He specializes in assessing strategic options, stabilizing and turning around underperforming businesses and driving exits, by improving operations and margins, refocusing strategy, negotiating debt structuring/renegotiations, increasing cash flow and managing expenditures with focused leadership and control.

Financially pragmatic, Michael is experienced as both an operator and an advisor, with a long track record of working alongside executive teams, boards, investors, lenders and other parties in interest to improve outcomes. He has extensive experience helping public and private companies with domestic and international operations in a wide variety of industries, including technology (hardware, software, cleantech, biotech, social media, SaaS, ecommerce, semiconductor), telecommunications, manufacturing, distribution, retail, construction and agriculture/wine.

*Michael holds his interest in the firm through THE HOGAN TRIAD GROUP

Q&A

I decided on turnaround management because I was once at a troubled company and enjoyed the challenge. Too often people call us on the worst day of their professional lives, and there’s a lot of panic. Going through it myself, I learned the right questions to start with to help clients get comfortable in an area most had never seen and prepare them for the process. I also help them build the right plan and avoid making rash decisions.

The firm is interested in growing a lot of different business categories that are important to clients – and it’s been a great opportunity to grow and expand a turnaround practice with the ability to leverage the firm’s broader expertise and capabilities to ensure maximum value for my clients.

I get to become very intimately acquainted with my clients’ businesses, and I once worked with a winery where I needed to live on premise. It was such a tight-knit group that I really got a sense of everyone’s role. Things were troubled, with a communication disconnect between production and marketing. On top of that, agriculture is hard – there are so many factors you simply cannot control for, like weather. But, through trust and collaboration we were able to stabilize the winery, and the owner was able to sell to a new party.

Watching my kids grow up and overcome life’s challenges. The successes I see around them and being able to share in that with them.

My first boss, who was critical in helping me understand how to align with client goals to create success. She taught me to be hyper-inquisitive and collect as much information as possible, as well as the need to focus on results and be flexible on what we could do to help clients.

Don’t assume anything. Too often people will tell you what they think you want to hear, not realizing that total honesty (even when difficult) is what’s truly needed. Try to see things from the perspective of your client and understand what they are facing.

Partnering with clients to create the best outcomes out of challenging situations.