Ben Hsiao joins Alvarez & Marsal's Restructuring arm in China

Ben Hsiao has joined management consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal as a Senior Director based in Shanghai.

Hsiao joins the firm’s Restructuring & Turnaround practice, which is enjoying heightened demand across Asia and China for its corporate restructuring advisory services amid a challenging economic landscape. 

Bringing more than two decades of experience in commercial banking, Hsiao will focus on helping Alvarez & Marsal’s clients in the financial services sector. “Ben’s joining enhances our ability to support the accelerating need for advisory services around the management of non-performing loans and debt restructuring driven by the Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Ron Thompson, Managing Director of the consultancy in Asia.

Prior to joining Alvarez & Marsal, Hsiao worked at Standard Chartered Bank for more than a decade and where he was Head of Group Special Assets Management in mainland China and Taiwan. While in that role, he was responsible for major debt restructuring projects including credit reviews, debt recovery and repayment settlements, litigation, bankruptcy, as well as amendments and construction of current and new facilities. 

Before that, Hsiao has worked with many Chinese companies and has in-depth knowledge of the steel, automobile, coking coal and petrochemical sectors. 

Commenting on his decision to join the firm, Hsiao said: “As industry leaders look for clear debt restructuring solutions and guidance, Alvarez & Marsal’s current restructuring offering in China and throughout the region is unparalleled. I look forward to helping our clients navigate a clear pathway to maximizing value during these tumultuous times.”

The appointment comes shortly after Alvarez & Marsal hired Joshua Taylor and Steffi Thio to head its Restructuring & Turnaround practice in Singapore. Earlier, the firm also added restructuring experts Eddie Middleton, Tiffany Wong and Kitty Yeung to its Asian footprint.

Meanwhile, in Europe, the firm this year expanded its Restructuring & Turnaround practice into Norway and Switzerland, bolstering its regional presence to over 20 countries on the continent.