Accordion, a private equity financial consulting and technology firm, has hired Allen Schaar and Sanjay Purohit as managing directors for its performance improvement and restructuring solutions practice. Previously, Schaar was an operating partner at Highlander Partners while Purohit is a former managing director at M-III Partners, LM+CO, and Probot Ventures.
NEW YORK, April 30, 2020 — Accordion, the private equity financial consulting and technology firm, today announced that it has made two significant hires, further expanding its Performance Improvement & Restructuring Solutions (PIRS) practice. Allen Schaar and Sanjay Purohit have joined Accordion as Managing Directors within PIRS, extending the breadth and depth of the firm’s ability to improve the trajectory of underperforming and distressed companies, particularly those within a private equity environment.
Accordion’s restructuring platform is unique to the market. It is differentiated both in terms of the lens with which Accordion approaches restructuring, and the expertise and operational acumen it brings to bear.
Said Rishi Jain, Managing Director and Head of Accordion’s Performance Improvement & Restructuring Solutions Practice: “We are, uniquely, on the side of equity – and work quickly to provide clients with critical visibility, followed by tactical assistance to actively manage liquidity. We bring a cross-functional approach to our at-risk clients. Beyond restructuring, we pull in expertise from across the private equity lifecycle, including accounting and strategic financial planning and analysis. That’s a fundamentally different restructuring playbook – one that seeks to avoid Chapter 11 scenarios.”
And, continued Jain, “Allen and Sanjay are fundamentally different restructuring advisors. They’ve each spent years in the trenches: rolling up their sleeves as interim executives, advisors, and restructuring officers to help companies drive value. They bring to Accordion deep value stabilization expertise at a time when our clients need it the most.”
Based in Dallas, Allen Schaar joins Accordion’s PIRS practice as a Managing Director. Schaar brings nearly four decades of value creation experience, the last 20 years of which have focused on the turnaround of underperforming or highly distressed middle market companies. Schaar most recently was an Operating Partner with Highlander Partners and an independent sponsor making middle market investments. He has also served as a Partner with Bain & Company, leading its Corporate Renewal Group (CRG) Practice, AlixPartners, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Over the course of his career, he has been a turnaround advisor, CEO, control investor, strategy consultant, and a transformation leader. Schaar has worked in a broad set of industries including manufacturing, consumer products, healthcare, retail, technology, and business services.
Sanjay Purohit joins Accordion as Managing Director in PIRS, with nearly two decades of experience leading performance improvement projects, both in interim CEO and restructuring advisory roles, and in various sectors including retail, manufacturing, auto ancillary, logistics, and technology. Before joining Accordion, Purohit spent 16 years in the performance improvement and restructuring field, working with corporations, restructuring firms, and private equity sponsors. He was previously a Managing Director at M-III partners, LM+CO, and Probot Ventures. There, he led the execution of restructuring and performance improvement projects and strategic advisory engagements for a wide range of clients, globally.
Concluded Jain, “Accordion is committed to helping sponsors and equity holders navigate this period of unprecedented uncertainty. The addition of Allen and Sanjay to our PIRS team makes Accordion even more uniquely positioned to help sponsors and management teams respond to the novel disruptions and financial implications of a post-COVID19 marketplace.”
About Accordion
Accordion is a financial consulting firm uniquely focused on private equity. Rooted in data and technology, Accordion’s expertise lives at the intersection of sponsors and PE-backed CFOs. Our team helps drive value creation for clients, with services supporting the Office of the CFO across all stages of the investment lifecycle—including foundational accounting, strategic financial planning and analysis enhancement, CFO-led performance, transaction support, and turnaround and restructuring solutions. All of Accordion’s services are powered by deep expertise in data and analytics, CFO-specific technology, and finance-led transformations. Accordion is headquartered in New York with ten offices around the globe.