Consensus Advisors Names New President

By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 9/12/2008 10:04:00 AM

Christopher G. Ellis, a managing director of Consensus Advisors, has been appointed president and managing member of the Boston-based investment banking and financial advisory services firm. Ellis served Consensus as a managing director since April 2006.

Ellis—who has over 20 years of experience in investment banking, financial advisory services and operational consulting in the U.S. and the United Kingdom—has refinanced and restructured balance sheets for high-profile clients in the retail, hospitality, real estate and food service industries including Brueggers Corporation, CNL Financial Group, and Cornell Trading/April Cornell Ltd.

A native of the U.K., Ellis was a partner in a London-based financial advisory business where he designed successful strategies for debt structures to improve sale/leaseback characteristics, hedging products for risk rate and currency exposures, and back-to-back collateral structures Since joining Consensus, Ellis has spearheaded a number of the firm’s most important initiatives.

“Chris’ role in the development of our firm over the past two years cannot be overstated,” said Michael O’Hara, Consensus Advisors chief executive officer and managing member. “He led the advisory work on behalf of the Creditor’s Committee in the M. Fabrikant & Sons Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Michael Hill International’s acquisition of Whitehall Jewelers’ assets, and is currently managing the strategic activities of a telecommunications infrastructure company and serving as the Chief Restructuring Officer of L.I.D., Ltd.”

Consensus Advisors LLC is a boutique investment banking firm providing financial advisory services to the retail industry. The firm focuses on complex transactions for companies undergoing significant transformations of their business models.