Brent Kugman

President and CEO

Brent Kugman is an accomplished financial and operational consultant and professional board member with 30 years of experience leading stressed and distressed as well as robust businesses to improved performance and profitability.  His proficiencies range from corporate governance to development of corporate renewal strategies and stability initiatives to providing investment capital and sourcing transactions. Brent’s expertise includes C-Suite management, operations and operations management, transactional matters, and complex informal and formal financial restructurings and proceedings. He is sought out by private equity as an active board member who can gain consensus among parties and expeditiously achieve objectives.

Brent’s leadership and management skills have resulted in the successful completion of numerous turnaround matters and acquisition transactions. His strategic expertise has proven effective in sourcing and placement of investment capital and senior and subordinated debt for his clients and created profitable outcomes in distressed, stressed, and underperforming businesses.

Brent held and sold interests in Northpoint Investments, Holdco of Robertson Worldwide, one of the largest manufacturers of compact fluorescent and specialty ballasts in the United States. He has also sourced and invested as a principal in collaboration with financial partners, successfully purchasing companies and subsequently improving and monetizing interests for stakeholders well above market returns.

Brent’s industry experience spans across numerous industries, including paper and pulp processors, apparel, auto parts distributors, banks and commercial finance companies, law firms, healthcare companies, food retailers, commodity trading firms, as well as manufacturing, professional services, retail, technology, and warehousing and distribution.  His clients range in size from $20 million to over $1 billion in revenues annually.

During his career, Brent has been appointed President, Chief Restructuring Officer and Receiver and served as Board member for many companies including Heritage Golf Group, Chicago Miniature Lighting, and Golden Gate Logistics.  Other examples include:

• Eddie Bauer Holdings – Acted as CRO in the company’s successful Reorganization and sale;
• Group 329 – Appointed CRO during the recapitalization and sale of this nationally recognized advertising agency;
• Cardiac Science Corporation – Served as President and Board member during the restructuring and Reorganization of this medical device manufacturer.

Brent’s extensive advisory experience and strong management ability have provided successful outcomes for numerous clients including:

• R.S. Owens – high end awards/recognition industry manufacturer of the Oscar, Emmy, and MTV awards;
• F&S International, a subsidiary of Frank & Schulte GmbH – a multibillion dollar commodity trading concern, for which Brent acted as exclusive advisor;
• Healthfield – home healthcare service/hospice company which was sold for $550 million in cash and stock within four years of Brent’s representation of the firm as advisor.

Prior to forming Kugman, Brent was Principal-in-Charge of Corporate Finance for Blackman Kallick, n/k/a Plante Moran.  Previous to Blackman Kallick, he held executive positions at First Chicago Corporation, First National Bank of Chicago, and First Chicago Credit Corporation, performing special asset sale functions, including structuring asset package sales and management of specific sensitive credit relationships.

Brent has lectured before the AICPA, ICPA, TMA and bar associations within the U.S. and authored articles for the CFA and TMA.  He has served as an Advisory Board Member for the Secured Finance Network (SFN) f/k/a Commercial Finance Association (CFA) Education Foundation and a member of the Governance Committee. He also served as Chairman of SFN Midwest Education Committee and is currently a Board Member, Director of SFN Midwest. Brent served on the guidance committee to form the formal Education Committee for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.  He is a Director Member of The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).