Programme
Use the dropdown arrows for more information and speaker details about each session.
All times are shown in European CET. Please note the programme is subject to change.
Main sessions will be recorded and available to watch on-demand afterwards.
Thursday 30 September, 2021
Your choice of two chat room conversations:
1: Taking Gaming and The Cloud to New Levels with Arnaud Pédron
Arnaud will be joined by Jean-Baptiste Kempf, former CTO of Blade, the major contributor to the VideoLAN project as well as to the VLC software, and a well-known figure in Open Source.
Recent Blade Shadow case study: a cloud-based gaming and computing business in distress. From a legal perspective:
- Quick description of the process and the interest of taking over a French business in distress at the court bar
- The main steps of the sale process for Blade Shadow
From a business perspective: Blade Shadow’s business model and the main axes of its turnaround
- Wide discussion on cloud-based gaming and computing business and distressed M&A
2: The Future of the European Hotel Industry with Ben Godon
The European hotel industry has taken a huge hit in recent times. What is the trajectory for recovery with pressure on loans, customer confidence and operations?
Supported by:
Speakers
Your choice of two chat room conversations:
1: Agile transformation and value creation during M&A integration with Pranav Nadkarni
In specific scenarios, businesses can undergo iterative transformation as part of the integration process. This leverages agile/sprint methodologies that can potentially lead to quicker value creation.
2: The Compass to Navigate post-COVID Europe: where to go to look for opportunities? with Federica Pietrogrande
We will connect the dots to record the transformation which has occurred, to monitor the ongoing transformation, and to spot the future one.
We can connect pandemic, politic, legal reforms, local policies, irrational money, zombie companies, ESG, EU Recovery Fund, prices of raw material to draw our MAP.
Supported by:
Speakers
- Opportunities for borrowers and lenders in connection with new financing
- Risks when granting new financing to a stressed borrower (claw-back, lender liability, equitable subordination)
- Potential incentives for lenders (priority, collateral, roll-ups)
- Recent changes in the legal environment
Sponsored by:
Moderators
Speakers
With continued development of the EU Directive across Europe, what is the implementation status in various jurisdictions.
Considering some of the first cases to use the new scheme, what problems have been encountered, what will work better going forward and how will the Directive evolve?
Our experts will discuss how the rollout has been received in The Netherlands, Germany, Romania and the UK and the variations in options available.
They will compare and contrast the mechanisms and tools employed, and debate how to decide between different schemes, including parallel cases in different countries. Are there advantages of using one option over another?
Supported by:
Moderators
Speakers
The automotive industry is undergoing radical transformation on many levels. Covid exposed the weaknesses in the Just in Time model and extended supply chains. Chip shortages and electrification are just some of the other pressing issues. Whilst the OEM’s and large Tier-1 suppliers have the financial muscle to ride out the storm, smaller businesses in the supply chain are under severe pressure which may well intensify.
The Arlington Automotive case is an excellent example of a successful cross-border restructuring of a mid-size Tier-1 automotive supplier, combining a UK-Administration and a German debtor-in-possession proceeding under pandemic conditions. The joint efforts of the UK-Administrators and German advisers led to a focus within the Group on its sustainable core competencies and the retention of all production sites with operational improvement plans.
Dr Christian Schmitt of GL Law and Mr Christian Stoffler of GL Management will give a presentation of the case after which they will be joined by Reiner Bonsmann and David Bryan. The panel will discuss issues that arose post the restructuring and some of the broader issues for the supply chain going forward.
*Join the panel for a Live Q&A with the panel at 1545 BST/1645 CET*
Sponsored by:
Moderators
Speakers
As the pandemic, hopefully, draws to an end, Business models are experiencing huge disruptions.
New demands from the “Digital Customer”, the growing importance of Corporate Purpose and Responsibility, New Work, agility in organizational models, the increased role of Emerging Technologies as drivers of the transformation agenda are all dramatically reshaping the business landscape as we know it.
Join this panel to hear insights from seasoned experts and case studies drawn from the Financial Services and Health Services sectors to illustrate how Business Models are submitted to seismic shifts across all industries.
Moderators
Speakers
Take a breather, pick up some lunch and connect with colleagues, new and old.
In this fireside-chat conversation, Nimit Shah and Matt Mawhinney will reflect on their experiences with Laura Ashley and Virgin Active, two high profile cases that have undergone significant transformation in the past 12 months.
Through the lens of the investor, what changes have they seen during the pandemic and are those shifts now set for future investments? How does it compare to exits and insolvencies experienced in 2020?
In the case of Laura Ashley, traditional bricks and mortar retail businesses have been under extreme duress. With changes in restructuring rules, what might the future hold, and where do opportunities lie?
The panel will discuss what tools were utilised in the Virgin Active case and why it was necessary to adopt a new style of restructuring plan. By embracing new tools and overcoming challenges to secure a successful delivery, what is the landscape for future market development?
Sponsored by:
Speakers
- Possibility and willingness to restructure government-backed loans
- Influence of state banks on financial restructurings
- State-aid specific challenges in financial restructurings
- Early experiences & outlook
Sponsored by:
Moderators
Speakers
Without doubt, air travel has been one of the industries hardest hit during the pandemic, bringing unprecedented uncertainty to airlines and their stakeholders.
In this continued hostile environment, how has the airline industry responded – and how does it plan to navigate its way to restoring value, cashflow and customer confidence?
The air travel ecosystem has pulled together, whilst trying to mitigate risk to their own businesses. Is this sustainable should a fourth Covid wave hit?
With a complex and unpredictable market, we’ll take a look at the success story of Blue Air, Romania’s largest airline, on the challenges they have faced since the 2019 peak.
The panel will discuss:
- Planning cashflow restrictions and sustaining financial support
- Market expectations looking forward
- Harnessing AI technology in the face of restricted data
- Shifting business mindset from asset-based financing to new models
- How the impact of a possible 4th wave of the pandemic would add further strain
- Passenger hesitancy to travel with ever-changing safety restrictions
Sponsored by:
Speakers
Your choice of two chat room conversations:
1: How Romania is leading the way in transforming state-owned companies with Cătălin Nichifor
2: The Future of Work. Where are we heading? with Sophie Wade
- Future of Work – its accelerated arrival and impact for businesses, leaders, and employees.
- Digital Transformation – the challenges, opportunities, and progress.
- New Work Models – why and how to design and implement long-term hybrid/remote options.
- Talent Management – employee engagement focus to respond to current business conditions.
- The Future Firm – what that looks like and how that affects current strategies and tactics.
Supported by:
Speakers
Your choice of two chat room conversations:
1: Embracing Personal Transformation in Challenging Times with Rashmi Dubé
- Are all times challenging?
- What is meant by personal transformation?
- Are challenges and obstructions actually opportunities for transformation, growth and development?
2: Automotive Panel Live Q&A with David Bryan, Christian Stoffler and Christian Schmitt
Supported by:
Speakers
No TMA event would be complete without raising a celebratory glass with friends and colleagues! Move around the virtual room to mix and mingle with fellow guests.
Sponsored by:
Speakers
