Simon Freakley (born 1961) is a British businessman. Simon Freakley graduated from Birmingham University in 1983 with a BCom degree in Industrial Economics and Business Studies. Freakley specialises in company restructuring. Freakley was Chief Executive Officer of Zolfo Cooper LLP between 2008 and 2015. He was Global Chief Executive Officer of Kroll Inc. from 2004 to 2008. Freakley has been described as 'the "retail doctor" that companies turn to in times of trouble' by business journalist Andrew Cave of The Telegraph. Freakley handled the restructuring of Clintons Cards in 2012. 350 branches were closed, including all the Birthdays branches, and the remaining 397 stores were purchased in June 2012 by US based American Greetings' subsidiary Lakeshore Lending Limited. Simon Freakley is a trustee of the Susan Chilcott Scholarship, which was set up to help aspiring opera singers with their careers. He is chairman of Grange Park Opera. Freakley is chairman of London Music Masters. He is also chairman of Dulwich Picture Gallery. For his contribution to business and industry Freakley was awarded the honour of Alumnus of the Year for 2007 by Birmingham University. He was one of the doners to the construction of the Bramall Music Building at Birmingham University. In 2015, Freakley joined AlixPartners after its acquisition of Zolfo Cooper and was named as AlixPartners’ next CEO.
|