John M. Collard Named Chairman of the Association of Interim Executives. New Association Launched to Promote Expertise.

Online, November 26, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Interim executives wage a covert war against corporate inefficiency and underperformance. Today's launch of the Association of Interim Executives www.interimexecs.org marks a new day for interim executives and the companies that need them.

Go ahead and think of an interim exec as the James Bond of the executive suite: a nimble operator who brings the precise tools to get the job done. Now, an association has his back.

The association's select membership includes champion business leaders who've already been doing the behind-the-scenes engagements, empowering them with new alliances to help increase their businesses, while promoting their specialty to companies that could benefit, from start-ups to distressed turnarounds.

These executives, who generally enter a business for 6 to 12 month engagements are the perfect choice in an economy that demands efficiency and results like never before.

"Rapidly changing realities in today's economy bring the need for decisive leadership, particularly during crisis," said John M. Collard, Chairman of the Association, and Chairman of Strategic Management Partners, Inc. "Interim executives gain control of a dire situation, establish a viable plan, rebuild an enduring management team to implement that plan, and hire their replacements. The Association of Interim Executives provides a forum to bring together owners, private equity investors, and directors who have pressing need for leadership, with those hired guns," he said. www.StrategicMgtPartners.com

While the Harvard Business Review and The Economist have recognized the importance of the specialty in recent articles, the Association aims to aggressively promote the specialty of these executives to a global economy that needs them. "There are companies that are stuck and don't know where to turn. The Association exclusive membership brings the best interim execs together in one place and makes them instantly accessible to companies in need of help through a free search engine at www.interimexecs.org" according to Olivia Wolak, Association President and Co-Founder.

"Having spent 15 years as an interim exec myself--and knowing the challenges that interims face in marketing their specialty--I'm thrilled to see our five-year-old network expand into a formal, global association. We're ready to shout from the mountaintops how interim executives benefit companies everywhere. The time has come for top-notch interims to soar," according to Robert Jordan, Association CEO and Co-Founder.

Jordan and Wolak are convinced that the focus on a selective membership with strong credentials will make the association a powerhouse, starting from the top with Chairman John Collard.

"We asked John to serve as chairman because he was the perfect person for the job. He had tons of experience as an interim exec, with almost a billion dollars in client wins. He was instrumental in founding the Turnaround Management Association and is a past chairman, so he understood the mechanics of membership and growth. And frankly, he was a brilliant addition to the management team, coming up with great ideas and helping the Association team execute in a timely way. He did with us what he also does so well with his clients." Said Jordan.

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Principal:
John M. Collard is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP), and a Certified International Turnaround Manager (CITM), who brings 35 years senior operating leadership, $85M asset and investment recovery, 43+ transactions worth $780M+, and $80M fund management expertise to run troubled companies, serve on boards, advise company boards, litigators, institutional and private equity investors, and raise capital. John is Chairman of Strategic Management Partners, Inc. (410-263-9100) in Annapolis, Maryland. John is inducted into the Turnaround Management, Restructuring, and Distressed Investing Industry Hall Of Fame, Past Chairman of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), and Chairman of the Association of Interim Executives (AIE).

Firm:
Strategic Management Partners, Inc. (www.StrategicMgtPartners.com 410-263-9100) is a turnaround management firm specializing in interim management and executive CEO leadership, asset and investment recovery, board and private equity advisory, raising capital, and investing in troubled companies. The firm has been advisor to Presidents Bush (41 & 43), Clinton, Reagan, and Yeltsin, World Bank, EBRD, Company Boards, and Equity Capital Investors on turnaround management and equity investing. SMP named Maryland's Small Business of the Year, and received the Governor's Citation, Governor Martin O'Malley, State of Maryland as a special tribute to honor work turning around troubled companies and saving jobs in Maryland. Turnarounds & Workouts Magazine twice named SMP among the 'Top Outstanding Turnaround Management Firms'. Global M&A Network Turnaround Atlas Awards named SMP as Boutique Turnaround Consulting Firm of the Year.

Association:
InterimExecs.org is the home base for C-level executives who dive into companies to create superior results, and a resource for interims and companies seeking instant improvement. The Association is the voice of interim executives globally, a professional association with the mandate to educate the business world about the expanding specialty being practiced by many thousands of executives. We provide a forum for increasing knowledge within the profession and bring together interim executives and the companies that need them.

Contact [email protected] (847) 849-2800

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