Craig Dean, Principal

With more than 25 years experience as a turnaround manager, financial advisor, and corporate executive, Craig brings extensive financial and operational experience to working with businesses under stress. He is particularly adept at assessing the critical challenges facing a business, developing a customized approach to address the issues, and is a skilled negotiator in driving consensus in complex situations.

Professional Experience

Joining AEG shortly after the founding of the firm in 2000, Craig’s experience spans a broad range of industries including building products, consumer products, chemical manufacturing, direct marketing, direct sales, food, manufacturing, packaging and printing. He has managed numerous corporate restructurings that include cost rationalization, operational repositioning, recapitalizations and divestitures. Representative engagements include:

• Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) for a $300 million revenue heating/lawn & garden consumer products company operating in North America and Europe. Craig managed the company through Chapter 11, re-started businesses with viable sales prospects, and directed the sale of businesses and intellectual property through a series of complex Section 363 auctions.

• CRO for a $500 million revenue commercial and residential building products distributor, where he led the operational and financial restructuring of the company.

• Financial Advisor to a $200 million manufacturer of chemicals and compounds. Craig led the resolution of severe liquidity issues, developed a comprehensive business plan and managed the full refinancing of the company’s debt.

• Advisor to Senior Lenders in a $250 million revenue direct sales marketing company, where he led the operational and leadership assessment of the business. In the transfer to lender ownership through Chapter 11, Craig designed the capital structure for emergence and installed new management and board leadership.

Prior to joining AEG, Craig served as President and founding partner of BankAmerica International Investment Corporation, focused on making investments in Latin America. At a predecessor, Continental Bank, Craig implemented turnarounds of multiple corporate lending and corporate finance units.

Education and Certifications

• MBA, Northwestern Kellogg School of Management

• Bachelor of Science, St. Olaf College

Affiliations and Memberships

• Young Presidents’ Organization

• Turnaround Management Association

• Association of Insolvency Advisors

• The Association for Corporate Growth

• The Economics Club of Chicago

Civic Involvement

• Board of Directors Chair, Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids

• Governing Board Chair Emeritus, Holy Trinity High School

• Board of Directors, Big Shoulders Fund