The 2023 Rising Stars of the Profession: Adam Searles

Adam has over 12 years of restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, financial advisory and accounting experience across numerous industries, including business services, technology, energy and retail. His advisory experience includes assisting both debtors and creditors through workout situations and has covered all areas of the restructuring process including bankruptcy preparation and reporting, plan negotiations, business plan development, due diligence, financial planning and sale of assets. Adam began his career at KPMG as an auditor, where he specialized in providing services to investment management clients. He has a B.S. in business administration from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona and an M.S. in Accounting from Hunter College of The City University of New York. Adam is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York. Adam is active on the board for the Community Initiative for Holocaust Survivors (CIHS) and sits on the UJA NextGen Restructuring Committee.

What would you say has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

Throughout my career, serving others has helped me build successful relationships. By personally investing to build strong relationships with clients, colleagues and peer advisors, I can better advise executives in successfully navigating difficult situations. Whether it's a partner, CEO, manager or first year analyst, we are all people, and all deserve to be treated with the same level of kindness and respect.

I remember one distinct case that ended with a positive result and then turned into a new project because of a strong referral from an advisor who worked opposite me on our previous deal. I've learned the value of doing good work, but also the benefits of taking time to build strong bonds in this niche of an industry. Going out of your way to serve others and help others is always my focus. And since you never know where someone is going to end up, maintaining respectful relationships is one of the biggest factors in my success in the consulting industry.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

It's all about the people. From my clients, to internal teammates, to peer advisors, there is nothing better than being in the trenches with talented professionals. We're all in it together – solving deep seeded issues and collaboratively working to achieve a desired solution. I'm grateful for the unique opportunities to learn, develop and serve alongside others in this community.

A close second to the personnel is the innovative spirit consulting work encourages, especially in a distressed restructuring situation. For me, seeing around corners and anticipating what's coming next is intriguing and challenging but rewarding at the same time.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

The proudest moment in my career has been the opportunity to be a mentor. When I started my career, I remember the many senior leaders who invested in my development and I hoped to one day be like them. I was the one soliciting advice (and still am) and looking for the proper guidance and mentorship. Those leaders paved the way for me to step into the role of developing our next generation of restructuring professionals. Being able to provide mentorship to others and see them grow and develop is very rewarding – both personally and professionally. I am a big believer in "pay it forward" and I am confident that the more I can do to help others today, the more those people will one day step up to mentor their junior colleagues and peers.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Be confident in your abilities. One mentor's constructive feedback included advice for me to be more confident in my abilities. That small piece of wisdom changed the trajectory of my career. It allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and "get more comfortable being unconformable." I no longer feel anxious taking risks, being bold and thinking outside the box. Its gotten me to speak up in meetings, ask more questions, build new relationships and strategically develop my leadership capabilities. Having confidence in oneself can change the game.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This recognition means everything to me. My focus is and has always been about building relationships, working successfully with others and looking for ways to positively impact the lives of people in the community. A recognition like this reinforces that I am living by my core value to serve others and is added confidence I can use in building and enhancing my consulting career. I wouldn't be where I am today without the help and guidance of others and this award is just as much theirs as it is mine.