Transaction Advisory Services

Our team

Not only has our team been involved in many of the most notable Canadian and cross-border corporate restructurings — including those involving public companies, multinationals, insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions — but we also have extensive experience serving mid-market lenders and debtors.

Ernst & Young Inc. maintains a team of more than 100 full-time restructuring professionals in key financial centres across Canada. We work together as one seamless team to quickly respond to your needs and challenges — wherever they may arise.

Our most senior professionals are profiled below.

To find a professional, please select the office nearest you:

Vancouver | Calgary | Winnipeg | London | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal | Quebec City | Halifax | St. John’s

British Columbia

Kevin Brennan | Senior Vice President Email | 604 899 3551 (Vancouver) More information... Kevin’s 20-year career as an Ernst & Young restructuring professional has included a wide variety of debtor and creditor advisory, restructuring and enforcement engagements across Canada. His engagements include Royal Crest, Philip Services and Cineplex Odeon. Kevin has practiced in Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta and, currently, British Columbia, He has engagement experience in a broad range of industries, including health care, energy, real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, telecommunications, financial services, retail, fisheries, and environmental and waste management services. Kevin is the chair of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals, a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Craig Munro | Senior Vice President Email | 604 891 8264 (Vancouver) More information... Craig has been a restructuring practitioner for over 18 years. He provides restructuring advice to financial institutions, debtor companies and shareholders in a variety of industries, including real estate, technology, manufacturing, forestry and transportation. Craig has international insolvency experience, having worked in Hong Kong for four years, primarily on the wind-up of a large investment bank. His engagements include Air Canada, Hollinger, Pine Valley Mining, Jameson House Properties and Tirecraft Group. Craig is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA.

Bob Taylor | Senior Vice President Email | 403 233 7112 (Calgary) More information... Bio still to come. Neil Narfason | Senior Vice President Email | 403 206 5067 (Calgary) More information... Neil leads our restructuring activities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. For over 18 years, he has provided restructuring, insolvency and distress corporate finance services to businesses in financial difficulty across a wide range of industries. Neil has significant experience in the energy sector and in cross-border and international engagements. His engagements include Calpine Canada, SemGroup Canada, Fairmont Resort Properties, EarthFirst Canada, JED Oil, BA Energy, Rock Well Petroleum, Octane Energy Services and Bre-X Resources. He is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional, a chartered business valuator and a CA.

Joe Healey | Senior Vice President Email | 204 954 5568 (Winnipeg) More information... Joe has over 13 years of experience managing, operating and selling insolvent companies through formal receivership and bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of various secured lenders. He also has extensive experience working with debtor organizations, assisting them to restructure their financial affairs through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. His engagements include Polar Foods, DeFehr Furniture and Stomp Pork Farm. In his current position, Joe also provides merger, acquisition and divestiture advisory services to clients in a wide range of industries, with a focus on the oil sector. Joe is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA.

Murray A. McDonald | President Email | 416 943 3016 (Toronto) More information... Murray is the president of Ernst & Young Inc. and Canadian managing partner of our Transaction Advisory Services practice. He has extensive experience acting in many of the largest Canadian and cross-border corporate restructurings, both in court-appointed and advisory roles for various stakeholders, including lenders and bondholders. He has also been involved in bankruptcies, receiverships and divestitures of distressed businesses during various reorganization proceedings. Murray’s engagements include Nortel, Quebecor World, Air Canada, JTI-Macdonald, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, AT&T Canada, AT Plastics, Eaton’s, Laidlaw, Philip Services and Algoma Steel. He is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Greg Adams | Senior Vice President Email | 613 598 4350 (Ottawa) More information... Greg has more than 10 years of experience providing restructuring and insolvency advice to debtors, creditors and other stakeholders in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, real estate and technology. He has acted in a wide range of formal appointments for both private and court-supervised proceedings. Greg’s engagements include AbitibiBowater, MAHLE Engine Components Canada, Grenville Castings, Palladium, Millenium Biologix, Outboard Marine Corporation of Canada and Cyrand Investments. Greg is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Tom Ayres | Senior Vice President Email | 519 646 5537 (London) More information... Tom has more than 20 years of experience advising creditor and debtor clients on receivership, bankruptcy and restructuring matters in a broad spectrum of industries. He has also acted in a wide range of formal appointments for both private and court-supervised proceedings. Tom’s engagements include Nortel, Stelco, Algoma Steel, Calpine Canada, Ontario Store Fixtures, Universal Engineering Group, Cannect Communications and a $20-million Ponzi scheme in southwestern Ontario. Tom is a CA. John Barrett | Senior Vice President Email | 416 943 2638 (Toronto) More information... John has more than 14 years experience acting for lenders and debtors in both formal and informal insolvency proceedings in a variety of Canadian and cross-border restructuring situations. John has experience in a wide variety of industries, including forestry, automotive, retail, manufacturing, long-term care, energy and distribution industries. John’s engagements include Abitibi-Bowater, Masonite, Livent, Chrysler, AG Simpson, Kaufman, Athletes World, Hip Interactive, Coldmatic and Royal Crest. John is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional, and a CA. Mike Dean | Senior Vice President Email | 416 943 2134 (Toronto) More information... Mike has more than 15 years of experience advising debtors, creditors and other stakeholders on Canadian and cross-border restructuring and corporate finance matters. His experience spans a variety of industries including manufacturing, transportation, death care and technology. Mike’s engagements include asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP), JTI-Macdonald, Bell Canada International, Slater Steel, Oxford Automotive and Laidlaw. He is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Brian Denega | Senior Vice President Email | 416 943 3058 (Toronto) More information... Over the past 20 years, Brian has directed Canadian and cross-border restructuring, insolvency and liquidation engagements on behalf of creditors, debtors, shareholders and various government agencies. He has overseen numerous engagements, including asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP), Hollinger, Ivaco, Teleglobe, YBM Magnex International, Thompson Kernaghan and Rampart Securities. The national people leader for our Restructuring practice, Brian is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Sharon Hamilton | Senior Vice President Email | 416 943 2153 (Toronto) More information... Sharon has been a restructuring practitioner for more than 12 years. She provides restructuring and insolvency advice to debtors, creditors and other stakeholders in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, transportation and technology. Her engagements include Nortel, asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP), Hollinger, Collins & Aikman, Air Canada and Disney Stores. Sharon is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Jeffrey Kerbel | Senior Vice President Email | 416 943 3545 (Toronto) More information... Jeffrey leads our mid-market Restructuring practice in the Greater Toronto Area. He has over 17 years of experience providing a wide range of restructuring and insolvency services to debtors, creditors and other stakeholders in both mid-market and large corporate restructurings. Jeffrey’s engagements include Ivaco, Maksteel, Hollinger, Hathaway Shirts, Thomson Kernaghan, Durham Furniture and Disney Stores. Jeffrey is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Alex Morrison | Senior Vice President Email | 416 941 7743 (Toronto) More information... Alex has more than 20 years of experience advising corporations on restructurings and corporate finance matters in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, steel, forestry, retail and technology. His engagements include AbitibiBowater, Stelco, Tirecraft, Progressive Moulded Products, NexInnovations, the Canadian Red Cross, GT Group Telecom and Eaton’s. Alex is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada. a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Joe Pernica | Senior Vice President Email | 416 943 2269 (Toronto) More information... Joe has more than 25 years of insolvency and restructuring experience. He has advised lenders and debtors in developing and implementing strategic alternatives, and has acted in formal and informal proceedings in Canada and internationally. He focuses on the automotive, manufacturing, retail and distribution sectors. His engagements include Coldmatic Refrigeration, Durham Furniture, Associated Brands, KremeKo, Slater Steel and Irwin Toy. Joe is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Gus Tertigas | Senior Vice President Email | 416 932 6247 (Toronto) More information... Bio still to come.

Martin Rosenthal | Managing Partner, Quebec Email | 514 879 6549 (Montreal) More information... Martin leads our Quebec Restructuring practice. During the past 17 years, he has provided corporate restructuring, turnaround and distress corporate finance services to businesses in financial difficulty across a wide range of industries. His focuses include developing plans to support restructuring and financing initiatives, reviewing and assessing business plans and conducting viability assessments. He has acted as an advisor for many financial institutions as well as for major venture capital firms in the technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, distribution and real estate industries. His engagements include Railpower Technologies Corp., Main Knitting and ROL Manufacturing. Martin is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Jean-Daniel Breton | Senior Vice President Email | 514 874 4455 (Montreal) More information... Jean-Daniel has more than 25 years of insolvency and restructuring experience. He has provided strategic planning, restructuring and insolvency services to debtors and creditors from a variety of industries, including retail trade, technology, textiles and manufacturing. Jean-Daniel has helped develop and deliver accreditation courses for insolvency and restructuring professionals. He has participated on the committees that advise Industry Canada on the insolvency law reform process, and he has authored several articles in professional insolvency publications. He is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Ken Brooks | Senior Vice President Email | 514 874 4412 (Montreal) More information... Prior to joining our Montreal Restructuring practice in February 2009, Ken was the global leader of our M&A plastics and packaging group. He has an extensive network of contacts with large investment funds, and an impressive track record in local and international transactions, which include providing advisory services relating to M&A, divestitures, alliances and financing. Ken holds a bachelor of commerce from McGill University and an MBA from the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University). Martin Daigneault | Senior Vice President Email | 514 874 4333 (Montreal) More information... Martin has been a restructuring practitioner for more than 15 years. He has experience advising debtors and creditors, and acting in both restructuring and security enforcement mandates. Martin’s recent engagements include Air Canada, Jazz Air, Teleglobe, Microcell, Norbourg, Rampart Securities and Maxima Capital. He is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Mario Denis | Senior Vice President Email | 514 874 4338 (Montreal) More information... Mario has been with our Restructuring practice since 1992. He provides restructuring and insolvency services to lenders and creditors, debtors and other stakeholders in a variety of industries, including media and entertainment, services, retail and manufacturing. Mario’s engagements include CineGroupe; Telescene; the Norbourg and Evolution mutual fund families; and Canadian Steel Foundries. He is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Michel Marleau | Senior Vice President Email | 514 879 4457 (Montreal) More information... Michel has been a restructuring practitioner for more than 14 years. He provides Canadian and cross-border financial advisory and corporate restructuring services to debtors and creditors in many sectors, including printing, telecommunications, technology, pharmaceutical, steel and automotive. Michel has led and been involved in numerous major engagements, including Quebecor World, Ivaco and PanGeo Pharma. He is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. Luc Poulin | Senior Vice President Email | 418 640 5103 (Quebec City) More information... Luc leads our restructuring activities in Quebec City, and has more than 25 years of professional experience. He advises lenders, debtors and other stakeholders on restructuring and insolvency matters for companies in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, service and forestry. He has acted as receiver, bankruptcy and proposal trustee in Quebec-based and cross-border situations, and has experience in court-appointed roles under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. He is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA.

Paul Hickey | Senior Vice President Email | 709 570 5404 (St. John’s) More information... Paul leads our restructuring activities in Newfoundland and Labrador and has 29 years of experience with Ernst & Young Inc. He has directed major debtor and creditor restructuring and advisory engagements throughout Atlantic Canada, and since 2000 he has directed many M&A and valuation transactions across the region. Paul’s engagements include Perfection Foods, Polar Foods, Integrated Poultry, Newfoundland Enviroponics, and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. George’s. Paul is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA. George Kinsman | Senior Vice President Email | 902 421 6282 (Halifax) More information... George has over 11 years of experience managing, operating and selling insolvent companies through formal receivership and bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of various secured lenders. He also has extensive experience working with debtor organizations, assisting them to restructure their financial affairs through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. George’s engagements include Air Canada, North Atlantic Sea Farms, Seagull Pewter & Silversmiths and TrentonWorks Ltd. He is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, a chartered insolvency and restructuring professional and a CA.