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Mr. Cleary founded Fort Dearborn Partners in 1990. Mr. Cleary has extensive experience in delivering strategic planning services to growth and financially troubled companies. Kevin has worked extensively on several profit improvement engagements for under performing and growth companies. Mr. Cleary has served as lead partner in over a hundred successful turnarounds of financially troubled companies in a variety of industries. When requested, Kevin has assumed the role of chief operating officer for underperforming companies. Kevin has worked on several strategic planning assignments and strategic options analyses for growth oriented clients and underperforming companies.
In his career, Mr. Cleary has served as lead financial advisor in over fifty successful divestiture or acquisition transactions. Kevin has worked on over thirty-five sell side transactions. In connection with representing buyers including management buyouts, Kevin has assisted clients in raising debt and equity capital. Mr. Cleary has assisted several clients in refinancing senior debt facilities.
In his thirty years of experience, Kevin worked extensively in distribution, manufacturing, consumer goods and food industries. He has also worked n the following industries: printing, automotive, retail, transportation, construction, healthcare, banking and service.
Prior to establishing the firm, he was the partner-in-charge of the business and financial consulting practice in the Chicago office of Grant Thornton, a prominent public accounting and management consulting firm focused on middle market companies. Under his leadership, the consulting practice grew fourfold over a period of six years.
Mr. Cleary received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northern Illinois University and his Master in Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. Kevin is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the AICPA and Illinois CPA Society. Mr. Cleary is a member of the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Finance Committee. Mr. Cleary also serves on the Audit Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. He also serves on the Financial Advisory Board for Eby Brown Company, Fabry Industries, and St. Joseph High School. | 