Areté Capital Partners announces the launch of its Independent Governance practice

Advisory firm combines experience with human elements to achieve more successful outcomes

March 29, 2021 — Areté Capital Partners, a boutique, special-situation advisory firm that provides independent fiduciary and stewardship services, announces the launch of its Independent Governance Practice.

“Today’s growing scrutiny of board composition, competence and oversight intensifies the need to have the right team engaged when navigating the treacherous waters of corporate restructuring,” Shawn Hassel, cofounder of Areté Capital Partners said. “As stewards of a company’s long-term strategy, operational priorities and overall risk management, it is critical that a board of directors maintains an independent perspective, steering clear of internal conflicts or confirmation bias which may cloud decision making or, worse, invite detrimental liabilities or claims. Times of distress only reinforce this need.”

Hassel and cofounder Grant Lyon have decades of experience in restructuring matters and have collectively sat on more than 40 boards of directors. Having worked on both the transactional and operational sides of restructuring, an unvarnished understanding of the human dynamics impacting the situation is critical to successful outcomes. “People are complicated and their influence on the change management process can be profound,” Hassel said. “Truly appreciating these dynamics can be the difference between success and failure.”

Empathy guides Areté’s daily interactions as they piece the narrative together with the goal of reducing the risk of catastrophic situations from arising. “This fosters trust when you’re in the trenches working shoulder to shoulder, empowering management to make tough decisions in the most challenging of situations,” Lyon said. “Empathy doesn’t mean avoiding hard decisions; it actually facilitates their implementation in a manner that doesn’t further disrupt the company.”

With more than six decades of combined experience in highly volatile circumstances, it was clear to the Areté cofounders that the “standard model” for governance needed to change. Leading with experience, character, trust and gratitude, Hassel and Lyon think more like entrepreneurs than pure capitalists to turn things around and enable businesses to reach their highest potential.

“Grant and I, along with our team, are comfortable making difficult decisions on accelerated timeframes,” Hassel said. “We built Areté on the fundamental belief that the greatest personal, professional and organizational growth can often be forged out of the most difficult of situations. We have lived in the trenches and every member of our independent director team has been hand selected to provide a steadfast orientation to leadership, execution and value creation. We have your back when the world is taking aim.”

About Areté Capital Partners

Areté Capital Partners is a boutique, special-situation advisory firm that provides independent fiduciary and stewardship services to companies experiencing significant growth pains, complex organizational change or existential crisis. Areté’s team combines decades of professional experience along with empathy to reduce risk when working on the frontlines with partners in a variety of industries. This approach helps companies achieve their highest potential for more successful outcomes. Visit aretecapitalpartners.com to learn more.