TITLE: Director, Huron Consulting Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HURN)
DETAILS: Based in Chicago, Huron is a seven-year-old management consulting group. In 2008 it had more than 2,000 employees and revenue exceeding $600 million.
WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW HIM: Because Loughren specializes in staunching corporate bleeding, especially the bloodlettings that have been soaking North Texas since the fourth quarter of 2008.
If a CEO’s in the doghouse with the board, Loughren may act temporarily as a replacement, until the right person comes along to do the job permanently. More often, though, he serves in roles below the CEO level, helping companies turn around their operations by increasing efficiency, improving marketing and sales, and other measures.
Loughren resides in Frisco, but his business turf spans the southern U.S. from Florida to California. So, what does he bring to the table that your own people can’t?
For one thing, Loughren ain’t livin’ in Denial.
In-house CEOs and others often toil under the misperception that a turnaround is as close as the next fiscal quarter, if everyone can just hold on. Loughren recommends a harder-headed approach: looking at both the company’s strengths and its creditors’ weaknesses.
Loughren knows when to stare down threats from creditors, who are increasingly calling in their loans. They don’t really want to own a printing press or a construction-equipment rental company, do they?
“When your lender has you boxed into a corner, you need someone who can help you work through it,” Loughren says. “We can help restore creditor confidence in your business.”
