Collard named finalist for M&A awards

Finance Alumnus John Collard

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE

Annapolis, Maryland, February 14, 2008

Strategic Management Partners, Inc. and John M. Collard, finance alumnus, Dean's External Advisory Board member and Hall of Fame inductee, have been named as Finalists in two categories for the M&A Advisor 2008 Turnaround Awards:

John M. Collard is a finalist for the "Turnaround Consultant of the Year."

Strategic Management Partners, Inc. is a finalist for the "Turnaround Consulting Firm of the Year."

The M&A Advisor, a progressive information services provider, announced the finalists for its Annual Turnaround Awards Gala. The recognition program will honor top professionals and the deals they completed in the past twelve months in 17 categories including the Turnaround Consultant of the Year and Turnaround Deal of the Year awards.

"I want to congratulate the finalists who represent accomplishments in the distressed investing, restructuring and turnaround marketplace," said Roger Aguinaldo, founder and chief executive of The M&A Advisor. "We value their efforts in submitting nominations on wide varieties of transactions."

New award categories for 2008 include: Restructuring Consulting Firm of the Year, Out of Court Restructuring Deal of the Year, Refinancing Deal of the Year and Distressed M&A Deal of the Year.

Winners will be revealed during the awards gala, held at the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach on February 25, 2008. The gala culminates the Distressed Investing Conference, Are You Capturing Value? organized by The M&A Advisor (www.MAAdvisor.com (718) 997-7900).  See M&A Finalists at http://members.aol.com/stratlib/mafinalists.pdf

The conference will keynote Mr. Wilbur Ross, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of WL Ross & Co., a visionary in investing in and turning around distressed assets.

Mr. Collard said "we are very proud to be named as finalists by the M&A Advisory judging panel, this is truly an honor.  There are many deserving firms and turnaround professionals in this industry doing excellent work; we are delighted to be singled out for these awards. Thank you for this elite recognition."

Strategic Management Partners, Inc. is a nationally recognized turnaround management firm specializing in interim executive leadership, turnaround and crisis management, asset recovery, corporate renewal governance, and investing in underperforming distressed troubled companies.  Based in Annapolis, Maryland, the company remains small and focused by design, and measures its success in terms of client company growth, assets recovered,return on invested capital, and jobs saved and created.

SMP helps its clients recover assets, restore value to troubled portfolio companies, prepare entities for 'cash out' at maximum value, support litigation, and invest private equity into underperforming distressed troubled opportunities.

"Our industry is changing; more private equity and hedge fund investors are seeking the help of turnaround experts, and many are adding this talent to their senior management teams.  Regardless of who employs the turnaround manager, their unique expertise is required to be successful in this market.

Private equity investors recognize genuine value-add when they bring in turnaround professionals either to run a troubled asset or advise them on investing in underperforming distressed troubled companies in which they want to invest."

MAJOR  AWARDS

Turnaround Consultant of the Year

John M. Collard, Chairman, Strategic Management Partners, Inc.

James Harney, President, Harney Management Partners, LLC Patrick M. O'Keefe, Founder, Managing Partner, O'Keefe & Associates Kenneth Naglewski, Managing Director, Focus Management Group

FIRM  OF  THE  YEAR  AWARDS

Turnaround Consulting Firm of the Year

AlixPartners

Focus Management Group LLC

O'Keefe & Associates

Strategic Management Partners, Inc.

About the Principal:

John M. Collard, is Chairman of Annapolis, Maryland-based Strategic Management Partners, Inc. (410-263-9100, www.StrategicMgtPartners.com ), a nationally recognized turnaround management firm specializing in interim executive leadership, asset recovery, corporate renewal governance, and investing in underperforming distressed troubled companies.  He is Past Chairman of the Turnaround Management Association, a Certified Turnaround Professional, and brings 35 years senior operating C-Level leadership, $85M asset recovery, 40+ transactions worth $780M+, and $80M fund management expertise to run troubled companies, and advise company boards, litigators, institutional and private equity investors.