Il Giornale - Dear Obama, That's How the Companies Are Saved

March 02, 2010

Seeing her like this, suddenly, long blond hair and make up, you could exchange her for a diva of a show. But when you hear then talking about industry, finance, economy and of her vain efforts "in order to educate Washington", you then realize because Lynn Tilton - yesterday in Milan for a speech, host of the Res Publica Foundation - is one of the most respected, esteemed and feared women of Wall Street. Also because her result as CEO of the Patriarch Partners (specialized in re-launching of companies), she founded nine years ago, are self explanatory.

The financial company, that has the two main sites in New York and in the rearing financial square of Charlotte, in North Carolina, is today a truth of 7 billions dollars with over 70 controlled companies. Her funds have the minimal rate return of 25% annual with peaks arrived to 60%. "But the most important victory - she insists - is that for every saved company, up to now are 150, for total of 250thousands workplaces, I have changed the perspective of life to the people who work with us". The age is never asked do a lady. But Ms.Tilton biographies are saying that after have studied in Yale, maintaining herself playing tennis at the athenaeum (dad died soon and little money at home), she's been now working for 28 years, mainly in the finance field, from Goldman Sachs to Morgan Stanley. With a completely various interval, very much "American", like restaurateur. "I have done also that because in certain moments of my life - she explains - noblest of my causes it has been to survive". Today, she makes survive the others. Patriarch is actually specialized in finding companies in crisis, "those which others would want to throw away". Enterprises in which she instead glimpses a potential. "That is - she explains - the combination between large brand (a brand, ndr), a great product and the talent of people working there. With these three qualities, any figures you put into you will always start to recommence to reconstruct".

Ms.Tilton and her team identify these companies that would be a crime to scrap away and they bet on it. Introducing capitals, dedicating time and tracing for them new and more opportune strategies so that they can return to produce profits for themselves and for the shareholders. Among these companies there is also a glorious Italian brand, Ansaldo Sistemi Industriali, of which Patriarch has buy out in 2005 the 100% of the quotas. With an Ebitda passed from the sign minus to a plus 8.6%, "the maximum in its history", specifies the CEO Claudio Andrea Gemme. "My business - Ms. Tilton explains - is to demonstrate that to make money and to make of the world a better place to live in, are not concepts that can proceed separate". Indeed, they would have to cohabit. Faithful to this approach, Ms. Tilton observes embittered the stagnant swamp in which from 2007 the economy of her Country struggles. Disappointed then "from the great errors" of Barack Obama - "I had been a convinced supporter" - she announces the intention to come out shortly with her book. "The American De-evolution" "will be called", a title that does not certainly need translations. To write articles, thus as to speak in public and television is now her great mission. "I want to explain to the Country that if we go ahead this way, we're going to lose what we have always be given for discounted, we put to risk also our democracy".

But is the work, the job and still the job it's her obsession. She says it with the heart and eye of mother turned to families with no income (at 23 years old she was a single mom, a single parent, and she doesn't forget). "We must learn to be better people, to walk side by side along this journey to reconstruct the Country", says. The America that, she loves to remember, it has always been "the land of freedom and the house of the brave ones".

To read Lynn Tilton's bio click here About Lynn Tilton

Follow Lynn Tilton on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lynntilton

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