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Steve Cooper is chairman of Kroll Zolfo Cooper and Kroll's Corporate Advisory and Restructuring Group. He assumed both positions in September 2002, when Kroll acquired Zolfo Cooper the corporate recovery and crisis management firm that he co-founded in 1985.
With more than 30 years of experience as a financial advisor, Steve is a sought-after interim executive for companies facing significant operational and performance issues. He is currently the CEO of Hawaiian Telcom. In addition, he is providing management services to American Home Mortgage. Most recently, he was appointed executive chairman of Blue Bird and chairman of the board of Collins & Aikman. Steve was also named CEO of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in 2005, and he served as CEO and CRO of Enron from 2002 to 2005.
A turnaround industry pioneer, Steve has worked on both the creditor and company sides of distressed situations. Through managing more than 300 engagements, Steve has earned an international reputation as a creative problem-solver who can craft constructive business solutions out of complex, contentious situations. His track record includes prominent engagements such as Laidlaw, Washington Group, Morrison Knudsen, Federated Department Stores and numerous others.
Previously, Steve was a financial consulting partner of Touche Ross (now Deloitte & Touche), where he was also a founding partner of that firm's reorganization advisory services group.
He holds a B.A. from Occidental College and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Steve is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants, the Turnaround Management Association and the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors. He has also been named a fellow of the American Bankruptcy Institute and is a founding member of the International Insolvency Institute. In addition, Steve is a frequent speaker and author on the subjects of leadership and financially troubled companies. | 