Philip J. Isom

managing director, Chicago

Phil is a Corporate Finance senior executive with a distinct combination of investment banking,
advisory, finance, investing, valuation, bankruptcy, turnaround, and operational experience. Based on approximately 20 years of professional experience, he has extensive knowledge in dealing with companies, lenders, and sponsors, including buy-side and sell-side capital markets experience on hundreds of transactions.

Prior to joining KPMG, Phil worked in corporate finance and restructuring at another Big Four accounting firm and cofounded two boutique capital management firms as well as holding senior-level positions in investment banks. Phil has restructuring experience as both a lender to, and an operator of businesses. He is experienced in working closely with management teams and lenders both on the front-end structuring as well as the back-end workout process. Phil built a recognized national finance business from zero assets to over US$1 billion. He conducted negotiations with GM and Ford as the sole sponsor representative of a tier one automotive supplier and successfully negotiated three union contracts. Phil is equally skilled in asset-based and cash flow lending techniques as well as first lien, second lien, mezzanine, and equity investments with M&A, leveraged and management buyouts, debtor in possession, and exit strategy transaction experience.

During Phil’s prior Big Four engagements, he acted as lead financial adviser for a US$1.5 billion staffing company advising on the financial restructuring, capital raise, and sale to a strategic buyer. He completed capital options analysis and a subsequent capital raise for a trucking and real estate management company. He assisted a gaming business in analyzing opportunities for entering a new market and helped generate financing and operational go-to-market strategies. Phil developed an internal audit review of the capital-raising process for a large U.S.-based refiner. He led strategy review and valuation of a portfolio of corporate loans for a large regional bank and assessed and valued REIT holdings for a foreign investor.

Phil holds an M.B.A. degree in finance from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois and a B.B.A. degree in finance from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.