Bryan M. Gaston

Before joining Ankura, Bryan was most recently a managing director at Opportune, LLP, an advisory firm specializing in the global energy business, responsible for practice leadership and client service delivery. Bryan previously held senior roles at other national and boutique restructuring firms, where he focused on clients in the manufacturing, oilfield services, and upstream exploration and production (E&P) industries. Early in his career, he worked in commercial lending and business valuation at Merrill Lynch and in auditing and litigation consulting at KPMG.

Bryan’s professional experience includes:

• Interim Director of Real Estate, Winn-Dixie Stores: Held dual management and restructuring responsibilities for the $8 billion, publicly-traded retail grocer. Bryan had a lead role in a footprint re-alignment resulting in the exit of more than 500 stores, multiple warehouses, and several private label manufacturing facilities saving $200 million in annual costs and generating more than $250 million in sale proceeds. He also negotiated the exit of 35 unprofitable subleases, resulting in an increase of $8 million to EBITDA. In this role, he also served as the liaison with the tax, finance, IT, purchasing, and merchandising departments.
• Restructuring Advisory Services, General Motors: Supported structuring and execution of key elements of the automaker’s historic bankruptcy filing and its US Treasury-financed recapitalization. Bryan also managed the transition and orderly wind down of a portfolio of 50 million square feet of complex industrial properties as well as the sale of machinery, equipment, and related assets, generating total proceeds of more than $75 million.
• Restructuring Advisory Services, The Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO): Developed a cash forecast used to secure $75 million in DIP financing in support of restructuring approximately $1 billion in secured debt. Bryan re-negotiated contracts and led other initiatives resulting in a $2.5 million increase in annual EBITDA. He also led the divestiture of $5.0 million in non-core real estate assets sold to a local school district and financed by the State of California.
• Interim Management, Town of Scotia Company: Served as interim COO, CFO, and a board member of the successor company to PALCO. Bryan managed assets valued in excess of $100 million, led approximately 60 employees, and was responsible for 500,000 square feet of residential and commercial property across a 600-acre privately owned town. He also oversaw operation of a 32.5 MW co-generation power plant and re-developed and sold idle sawmill facilities. In addition, he implemented accounting and budgeting systems for the carve-out of select PALCO assets.
• Interim Management, Multiple Clients: Served as the chief restructuring officer of Texas Pellets, Rotary Drilling Tools, Rooster Energy Ltd., and Emerge Energy Services. Bryan also served as COO of Buccaneer Energy.
• Financial Advisory Services, LyondellBasell Industries: Served as interim assistant treasurer and financial advisor to the one of the world’s largest chemical companies whose operations included multiple plants and facilities across the globe including a 700-acre refinery along the Houston ship channel that processed 270,000 barrels per day. Bryan supported the restructuring of $25 billion in debt that arose through a levered transaction combining two US and European chemical companies.