Ryan Mersch

Ryan Mersch joined Portage Point in 2017 and currently serves as a Senior Director where he provides financial, operational and strategic advice to underperforming and distressed companies. His professional experience includes expertise in liquidity management, contingency planning, financial modeling, developing and implementing performance improvement initiatives and in-court and out-of-court restructurings.

At Portage Point, Ryan was engagement lead for the Alex and Ani chapter 11 in which Portage Point served as the financial advisor and investment banker culminating in a successful reorganization. Ryan was also execution lead for the Melinta Therapeutics chapter 11 in which he was responsible for contingency planning, liquidity management, business plan development and overall profitability enhancement initiatives culminating in a successful plan of reorganization. As junior lead for one of the largest safety net hospital systems, he managed initiatives including cash management, DIP financing, service line profitability and development of post-emergence restructuring plans. He also served as the junior execution leader for the Car Outlet / Total Finance chapter 11 in which he was responsible for developing a 52-week location-based cash forecasting tool, contingency planning initiatives and development of a complex loan portfolio wind down plan. He also led various performance improvement initiatives for Complete Nutrition including a 22 franchisor four-wall analysis, divisional budgeting processes and liquidity forecasting resulting in an out-of-court restructuring. He was the junior lead for the Loot Crate chapter 11 process managing contingency planning, supply chain renegotiation and liquidity management processes resulting in the successful chapter 11§363 sale. He also led Dura Automotive System’s European liquidity forecasting efforts during the chapter 11 process which included over 20 facilities and cross-functional service offerings. He also developed and managed over ten performance improvement initiatives for Maurice Sporting Goods contributing to a 140% EBITDA increase allowing the business to successfully sell its assets in a chapter 11 363 sale process.

Prior to joining Portage Point, Ryan was an Investment Banking Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Lazard where he focused on valuation services and strategic alternative assessments for companies over $1 billion in enterprise value. He was the lead Analyst on Baxter International engaging in a strategic alternatives assessment resulting in the acquisition of a $600 million injectables business. He was also lead Analyst for an international consumer business and its prospective Reverse Morris Trust acquisition.

Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and was a member of the Investment Banking Workshop and is actively involved in the Turnaround Management Association.