News

 
 

MorrisAnderson Announces Affiliation Agreement with Illumina Partners in Canada
Growing financial advisory firm expands geographic reach to Toronto

CHICAGO, Ill. – November 23, 2010 – MorrisAnderson, a Chicago-based financial and operational advisory firm, announced today that it has signed an affiliation agreement with Illumina Partners, a financial advisory firm based in Toronto. This relationship will expand the firms’ respective geographic reaches and will provide mutually beneficial business and referral opportunities.

Illumina Partners’ leadership team has more than 55 years of combined operational and advisory experience. The company’s managing directors, Upkar Arora and Jim Wilson, have extensive experience leading Canadian corporations during significant transformational events, such as mergers, acquisitions and turnarounds. The principals of Illumina have participated in more than CAD $16 billion in transactions, in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe with multi-national organizations, including MI Developments, Husky Injection Molding, TrizecHahn Corporation and Reichmann International.

According to Dan Dooley, CEO of MorrisAnderson, this agreement with Illumina Partners will enable the firm to tap into a new pool of prospective clients and referral sources in Canada, where it previously did not have a significant presence. “Illumina Partners’ knowledge of the Canadian business landscape and successful track record of navigating clients’ complex business challenges will enable MorrisAnderson to become an even more valuable asset for our international clients and referral sources,” said Dooley. “This strategic venture reaffirms MorrisAnderson’s commitment to providing both our domestic and international clients with the full spectrum of financial advisory services in a highly personalized manner.”

MorrisAnderson chose to enter into an agreement with Illumina Partners because of the firm’s deep experience in key practice areas including management of corporate recoveries, turnarounds and restructurings, interim management and operational performance management.

“Illumina Partners is proud to partner with MorrisAnderson, a company whose commitment to integrity and personalized client attention matches our own high standards,” said Upkar Arora, of Illumina Partners. “This strategic partnership will benefit both companies by providing us with greater resources and bench strength from an industry and experience standpoint to strengthen our client service capabilities.”

About MorrisAnderson
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Chicago-based MorrisAnderson has offices in New York, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Cleveland, St. Louis, Charlotte and Minneapolis. The firm's service offerings include performance improvement, financial advisory, interim management, turnarounds, workouts, litigation support and insolvency services and wind-downs. MorrisAnderson emphasizes hands-on involvement for companies with $25 million to $500 million in annual sales.

About Illumina Partners
Founded in 2002, Toronto-based Illumina Partners is an independent financial advisory firm specializing in providing organizations with practical solutions to complex business challenges by applying its unique combination of financial, operational and strategic expertise. The firm’s services offerings include: corporate recoveries, turnarounds and restructurings; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; financings; joint ventures/strategic partnerships; board/special committee advisory; interim management; operational performance evaluation; and special situations.

Contact:
Lynn Sheka
Reputation Partners (for MorrisAnderson)
(312) 447-2575
lynn@reputationpartners.com 

Amanda Hansen
Senior Marketing Manager
MorrisAnderson
(312) 254-0956
ahansen@morrisanderson.com

Kristy Bertrand
Consulting Manager
Illumina Partners Inc.
(416) 861-1717 ext 3
kbertrand@illuminapartners.com

 
 

McMichael Canadian Art Collection Names New Interim Chair of Board of Trustees: Upkar Arora appointed by the Province of Ontario

April 28, 2010 Kleinburg, ON—The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is pleased to announce the appointment of Upkar Arora as Interim Chair of the public gallery’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Arora officially assumed the duties of Interim Chair on Wednesday, April 7th following a signed Order in Council from the Provincial Government.

Mr. Arora replaces Ms. Noreen Taylor, who had been McMichael Board Chair since 2004. Patrick Gossage has been reappointed to the Board of Trustees and remains the Vice-Chair.

Upkar Arora is a Chartered Accountant who has been a Trustee of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection since 2008. He was educated at University of Waterloo and earned both a Bachelor of Arts (Honours Economics) Degree and a Masters of Accounting (M.Acc) Degree from the Professional School of Accounting. He is Managing Director of Illumina Partners Inc., an independent financial advisory firm he founded in 2002. During his illustrious business career, Mr. Arora has been the CFO of Electrovaya Inc.; Managing Director of Onex Corporation’s Oncap Investment Partners; Executive Vice President and CFO of TrizecHahn Europe; and has held various executive positions with Reichmann International and Olympia & York Developments Limited.

Mr. Arora, a resident of Mississauga, Ontario, takes over the reins of the gallery’s Board of Trustees at an exciting time. The new Interim Chair said, “The McMichael Canadian Art Collection has assembled a vitally important collection of Canadian art since its creation by Robert and Signe McMichael nearly fifty years ago. As we move forward, we need to ensure that the gallery continues to honour their dream, while showcasing renowned Canadian art to the world. My predecessor, Noreen Taylor, has done an outstanding job over the past six years. It is both an honour and a distinct pleasure to follow in her footsteps as Chair of the gallery’s Board of Trustees at this time.”

“Upkar is absolutely the right person to take over the important role of Interim Chair,” said Thomas Smart, CEO of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. “Like Ms. Taylor, he is a strong supporter of the gallery and Canadian art. He is committed to the betterment of the McMichael. I know he will provide strong leadership and stewardship into the next phase of the gallery’s history.”

In addition to appointing Mr. Arora as Interim Chair, and Mr. Gossage as Vice-Chair, the Province also signed Orders in Council appointing Tina Tehranchian and Linda Rodeck to the Board of Trustees for three-year terms. The Province has reappointed Jamie Cameron (two years) and Richard Self (three years) as Trustees at the McMichael.

Completing their terms are long-time Trustees Joyce Frustaglio, Paul Ladouceur, Don McCutchan, and Betty Steinhauer. “All four Trustees have served the gallery with distinction. They have been very involved with the gallery, providing support and leadership from a governance perspective and assisting us whenever asked,” said CEO Thomas Smart. “We thank Joyce, Paul, Don, and Betty for their outstanding service to the Board and people of Ontario. I wish them well in the future.”

Mr. Arora added, “I wish to thank these Board members as well for their dedication and commitment in the past, and I’m extremely excited to work with the continuing and new Trustees to carry on the important initiatives ahead.”

About the Gallery

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 artworks including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations and Inuit artists. The gallery is located at 10365 Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For directions and information, visit www.mcmichael.com. For a photograph of Upkar Arora and further information: Stephen Weir, Publicist Gallery: 905.893.1121 ext. 2529 Toronto Office: 416.489.5868 Cell: 416.801.3101 Email: sweir@mcmichael.com