Stuart Lawson

Has a track record of helping companies resolve complex problems across a wide range of subjects – both operational and financial. Stuart’s experience working with small, mid-size, and large organizations enables him to bring a broad range of successful growth strategies to all of SLA’s clients.

Background

Stuart Lawson has more than 30 years of financial and operations expertise, including numerous capital raises, M&A transactions and two IPOs.  He has extensive experience resolving complex accounting issues, structuring transactions, and streamlining back-office operations for companies ranging from start-ups to mature organizations. He has worked with numerous organizations to improve back-office operations and identify related cost savings. Prior to co-founding SLA, he served as SVP-CFO of a mid-market government contractor, which involved a complex turn-around of the business and culminated in the sale of the company in June 2015. Mr. Lawson spent the first 10 years of his career with Arthur Andersen, LLP, providing financial services, hospitality, government contracting, transportation, technology, and healthcare clients standard audit and advisory services while also working on numerous M&A, and capital raising transactions. He subsequently served as CFO or VP-Finance for several publicly-traded and privately-held high tech, internet, government contracting, energy and professional services firms, including the world’s largest solar-thermal power provider.

Education and Credentials

• BA, Honors, University of MD
• BS, cum laude, University of MD

Functional and Specialization

• Restructuring and Turnarounds
• Back-office analysis & restructuring
• Transaction advisory
• Pre and Post Merger Integration
• Synergy and Rationalization
• Technical accounting/GovCon issues resolution

Professional Highlights

• Spent the initial 10 years of his career with Arthur Andersen LLP, working across a broad base of public and private companies, including numerous capital raises and M&A transactions.
• Key participant in numerous buy and sell side M&A transactions – responsible for all aspects of financial due diligence, analysis of cost and revenue based synergies, and post merger integration.
• Helped prepare two companies for IPOs – involved restructuring of back office operations, adoption of new technical pronouncements, development of formalized financial reporting and budgeting processes, projection models, preparation of S-1, and interface with SEC, etc.
• As CFO, has led all back office functions including accounting & finance, HR, office administration, IT, security, risk management and treasury.
• Key participant in development and implementation of turn-around strategy for $50+ million defense contractor consisting of various cost reduction efforts which resulted in company migrating from a significant loss to breakeven to positive at the EBITDA line over a 6 month period.
• Lead bake-off process for several SLA clients to obtain or enhance commercial lending capacity to fund walking capital, divided recapitalizations and/or expansion.
• Assisted multiple government contracting clients with various matters including indirect rate and other issues raised by DCAA, forecasting, and development of strategic plans.
• Led team evaluating cost synergies/rationalization for numerous US-based subsidiaries of international construction company.
• Led financial operations of large solar-thermal company post-bankruptcy of developer/operator.