News
Elliot Fuhr, Joe D’Ascoli and Dave Owen Join Ankura
October 20, 2020
Seasoned Professionals To Establish New Ankura Office of the CFO Practice
NEW YORK – October 20, 2020 – Ankura, a global business advisory and expert services company, is pleased to announce that Elliot Fuhr, Joe D’Ascoli and Dave Owen have joined the company as Senior Managing Directors. Collectively, they will lead the newly formed Ankura Office of the CFO practice.
“Ankura is revolutionizing the consulting model and approach to help companies manage the unprecedented change, disruption and transformation we are seeing today. Our rapid growth from inception in 2015 to over 1,500 employees on five continents today is proof that our differentiated professionals, services and product offerings are resonating with clients and the market. Key to this success is our proven ability to attract and integrate exceptional talent like Elliot, Joe and Dave, who were drawn to Ankura based on our culture and how we are adapting and innovating to the new paradigm. The addition of a CFO advisory practice will add to our emphasis on problem-solving with respect to complex, existential issues that require end-to-end strategies, solutions and execution unique to Ankura’s capabilities,” said Kevin Lavin, Chief Executive Officer of Ankura.
Messrs. Fuhr, D’Ascoli and Owen bring a combined 60 years of experience to their leadership of the new Ankura Office of the CFO practice. Mr. Fuhr is a leader in driving finance-led business transformations to deliver sustainable change and to preserve and create value. He has partnered with CFOs as a trusted advisor and led finance departments to increase efficiency and effectiveness, minimize risk and execute transactions. His deep experience working with CFOs, Boards of Directors and private equity sponsors lends a unique perspective in advising both public and private companies across a variety of industries including manufacturing, industrials, chemicals, travel and hospitality, retail and consumer goods, energy and healthcare. Mr. Fuhr has also served in interim management positions and as both a director and an advisor to Boards of Directors.
“The ability to combine multidisciplinary skillsets and expertise is necessary to address the far-ranging issues that impact companies. We see the ability to integrate and collaborate with complementary advisory and professional services at Ankura as differentiating ourselves in the market,” said Mr. Fuhr. “On a personal level, joining Ankura reunites me with long-term relationships forged throughout my career, bringing an immediate sense of belonging and a shared vision for how consulting must adapt to assist companies in dealing with an ever-changing environment.”
Along with Mr. Fuhr, Mr. D’Ascoli focuses on partnering with CFOs and executive teams to lead business and finance transformation efforts. He specializes in financial strategy, forecasting and analytics and frequently leads cross-functional projects to drive liquidity and EBITDA improvements. During the last 15 years, Mr. D’Ascoli has assisted clients facing a variety of challenges, from managing liquidity and turning around declining businesses, to developing growth plans and executing initial public offerings and M&A transactions. He has led process improvement and organizational change projects to unlock working capital savings, deliver better financial analytics and reduce the cost of finance. He has also served in multiple interim management positions including Chief Transformation Officer, Interim CFO, Deputy CRO and Cash Czar.
Mr. Owen has nearly two decades of experience, including 15 years as a strategic advisor. He specializes in working with Boards and C-Suites to build strategy and execute transformational change with a hands-on, data-driven and people-centric approach that drives measurable results and sustainable change by linking organizations by way of financial impact. Mr. Owen’s broad experience across public and private equity portfolio companies, multiple industries and international geographies allows him to leverage insights and bring new ideas to persistent issues while focusing on coalition building, urgency and value creation. He has served in several interim management positions including Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Operating Officer.
