So what is “Reshuffle” all about? The name implies chaos, disorder, and upsetting the status quo. While all of that is true, my focus in this blog is on shaking up the status quo, particularly as it pertains to fixing or re-organizing businesses experiencing financial distress. I write this from my perspective as a Canadian Chartered Accountant who specializes in Insolvency, Restructuring, Distressed Financial Advisory Services, and Fraud Investigation & Forensic Accounting. I am Partner in an independent, Toronto-based advisory firm specializing in these areas of practice.
My initial thoughts were to use this forum to share some of my ideas, experiences, and knowledge with corporations, their stakeholders, and lenders seeking insight when business and financial problems arise. I will do all of those things and hope that this will develop into a useful forum for those seeking advice or wishing to share their experiences and hopefully, also contribute with their knowledge and ideas. By making this space as interactive as possible, it can become a useful forum to assist with solutions in trying times.
Having worked in this field for 28 years now, I am acutely aware of the pain that accompanies the demise of a business, particularly when it comes to owner-managed businesses. While never wanting to make light of a very serious subject, I will also inject some levity into this site by sharing with you one of my other passions – sleight of hand magic. For even longer than I have been an insolvency and restructuring professional, I have had a love for the art of magic – a childhood fascination that grew into me performing at many high-end corporate functions or social events in Canada. The magic provides a great stress-reliever, particularly because it is the antithesis of what I do during the day. While the two areas might seem incongruous, I believe that there are many areas of cross-over that I will explore in upcoming posts: both employ creative problem-solving strategies; amazing and expected results are achieved; improvisation and continual re-alignment of strategy are crucial skill sets; and both fields not only require well-honed technical skills but also a keen understanding of people. Come back often and I hope to make it worthwhile!
Allan
reshuffle.ca 