After earlier working within the US and Europe, Alvarez & Marsal’s former Center East co-leader Neil Hayward jumped on the alternative to rejoin the consultancy when it arrange store in Australia.
Throughout an eventful profession spanning greater than 25 years, turnaround & restructuring skilled Neil Hayward has frolicked residing and dealing within the enterprise restoration sector out of the US, UK, and Center East, the latter the place he would first be a part of Alvarez & Marsal from PwC in 2017 as regional head of restructuring and function workplace co-leader alongside Saeeda Jaffar.
When Jaffar joined from Bain & Firm one 12 months earlier, A&M’s regional headcount stood at 4. That determine as we speak might be someplace nearer to the 300-mark, however nonetheless the agency’s restructuring arm was engaged on a number of the GCC area’s most vital instances throughout Hayward’s time driving its early development, together with the disastrous Abraaj collapse.
After a quick detour as a associate at KordaMentha upon arriving down underneath in 2020, Hayward has as soon as once more had the possibility to expertise the frenzy of a quickly rising native advisory apply backed by the firepower of a serious international participant, this time with A&M’s burgeoning Australian department since rejoining the agency as a managing director in Sydney in 2023.
Now, as a part of a highlight collection on returning alumni – or so-called ‘boomerangs’ – Hayward has mentioned his profession journey to this point in an in depth in-house interview revealed on A&M’s international web site, together with the teachings he’s gained from repeated border-hopping and their helpful software within the enterprise and consultancy realm.
Australia
“I left A&M within the Center East for Australia in 2020 and would have stayed throughout the firm if there had been an workplace right here,” Hayward says within the Q&A, with A&M solely actually ramping up its native operations two years after his arrival. “So when Alvarez & Marsal opened up in Australia, I used to be extraordinarily excited in regards to the alternative of once more working on the agency.”
He provides; “As in lots of new markets that A&M opens in, Australia is dominated by the Large 4 and international administration consultancies, all of which have suffered reputational and industrial points lately. A&M’s deal with bringing management to conditions, delivering outcomes shortly, and dealing alongside shoppers is an actual differentiator and already producing nice traction with shoppers.”
Neil Hayward has labored in numerous components of the world, together with in Sydney, New York, London, and Dubai
Globe-trotting
It’s common for profession consultants to spend time residing and dealing on initiatives in numerous components of the world, however Hayward’s passport might be a bit of bit extra tattered than most. Along with being based mostly out of New York, London, and Dubai for round a half a decade every, Hayward has been engaged on assignments in dozens of nations as far afield as Saudi Arabia, Norway, Canada, and Pakistan, simply to call a number of.
On this topic, he contends transferring overseas will be tough within the short-term, together with, alongside the usual logistical problems with uprooting and heading abroad, having to adapt your work strategy and show your self over again in a unique market, however then massively useful within the medium-to-long time period, from each a enterprise and private perspective.
“You problem your self in a brand new surroundings,” says Hayward, who in an effort to assimilate into the neighborhood joined the Bronte Surf Life Saving Membership upon his arrival and ended up main coaching and collaborating in its seashore patrol; “You immerse in cultures and experiences you’d by no means have in any other case, and this is the reason it’s additionally an pleasing and massively useful expertise.”
As to how his expat experiences have formed his strategy to consulting, Hayward responds; “I believe the most important lesson for me has been to not assume something, however to ask a number of questions to actually perceive the scenario and perspective of stakeholders. Then I apply the perfect answer, developed from the completely different experiences I’ve had in every of the locations I’ve labored.”
Profession recommendation
Whereas sharing his personal experiences, Hayward additionally acknowledges the mentors he’s had throughout the journey. Earlier than his transfer into consulting, Hayward earned a grasp’s diploma in engineering and French from the College of Nottingham. Since then, he’s obtained recommendation from many senior leaders, together with the large man himself; A&M co-founder and former CEO Bryan Marsal.
“Bryan gave me the boldness to consider I might truly be a chief restructuring officer, and the main focus to make a profitable profession at A&M,” Hayward says. “I’ll always remember his pep discuss after I first joined the agency from PwC on the challenges that may come and the way I might achieve success. It was the motivation I wanted. He additionally gave me the essential perception that work needs to be enjoyable.”
Hayward concludes; “Shifting between Europe, the Center East and now Australia, I believe my household has been compelled to be taught to adapt to new conditions shortly. Our expertise within the Center East was most likely the perfect studying expertise of all. My youngsters had 140 completely different nationalities at their faculty, so noticed Diwali, Ramadan, and Christmas, and realized about many different cultures.”
