NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- PricewaterhouseCoopers has named Michael J. Burwell U.S. leader of its Transaction Services Group. In that role, Burwell will work closely with the teams providing transaction services to many of the world's largest strategic and financial buyers. Burwell had previously headed the group's Automotive Industry practice and its central region.
Burwell, 42, replaces Jim Flanagan, who has been named Cross Line of Services leader for the firm's Financial Services practice.
Colin McKay, global head of PwC's Transactions Services group, said, "Mike has been instrumental in the development of one of our most important regions while simultaneously meeting client needs in a major industry undergoing rapid consolidation through mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and restructurings. Mike's involvement in more than 100 transactions, both large and small, during the last 12 months underscores the extent of his work."
"Looking ahead, we expect the global M&A environment to become even more challenging," McKay added. "As clients deploy and raise capital through transactions in both developed and emerging economies, they will have to deal with a variety of regulatory, human resources, cultural and market issues. With 3,000 deal professionals worldwide, we are prepared to help them meet these challenges and capitalize upon opportunities wherever they exist."
A partner since 1997, Burwell has led a wide range of buy- and sell-side projects for large multinationals and smaller, private companies. He has also evaluated the business models and projections of various private equity funds, and led teams analyzing individual product profitability and product/process enhancements in a variety of industries.
"In today's volatile environment, our clients look to us as their business advisor and seek our guidance through all phases of a transaction, from strategic identification of targets, through execution, integration and the harvesting of their investment through a divestiture, spin-off or IPO," Burwell said. "We can help them identify issues and manage risk so they can realize value faster, whether they are buying, selling, doing an alliance, or raising money in public or private markets. I welcome the opportunity to build on the group's success and take it to the next level."
A frequent speaker and writer on automotive industry M&A and related topics, Burwell has been chairman of the Automotive Suppliers M&A Institute Conference for the past six years. He also heads the PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Automotive Shareholder Value Awards team, which recognizes vehicle manufacturers, global parts suppliers and U.S. retailers for total shareholder returns relative to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Automotive Shareholder Value Index. Developed specifically for the automotive sector, the index provides precise information on relative returns.
The Transaction Services group of PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com/ustransactionservices) offers a deal process that helps clients bid smarter, close faster, and realize profits sooner on mergers, acquisitions, sales and financing transactions. Dedicated deal teams operate from 16 U.S. cities and some 90 locations in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
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