Alvarez & Marsal Expands Commercial Due Diligence Practice with Three Senior Appointments to Meet Growing Client Demand

Greg Pope, Gonzalo Arana Santos and Ola Bennerholm join A&M's fast-growing CDD practice, deepening its integrated, execution-led approach to diligence

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a leading global professional services firm, has appointed Greg Pope as a Managing Director and Gonzalo Arana Santos as a Senior Director within its Commercial Due Diligence (CDD) practice, part of A&M's Private Equity Performance Improvement (PEPI) group. In addition, Ola Bennerholm, an A&M Managing Director based in Australia, will transfer to New York effective November 1, 2026 to grow the practice's diligence capabilities in the U.S. market. The appointments expand the practice Jennifer ("Jen") Holland and Elizabeth ("Liz") Pearsons launched in May 2026.

Pope joins as CDD's first dedicated software and technology diligence expert, Arana Santos deepens the practice's business services coverage, and Bennerholm brings two decades of transaction and integration experience from A&M's Asia-Pacific business. Together, they deepen the practice's senior-led bench and extend its sector coverage at a moment when private equity sponsors are demanding more from their diligence partners.

Sponsors are underwriting deals in an increasingly dynamic landscape, where market conditions can shift during a standard 2-4 month diligence cycle. This need for agility is pushing investors to engage advisors earlier and to expect more than a market-sizing exercise. A&M's CDD practice was built for that shift, pairing senior-led diligence teams with the firm's performance improvement capabilities so the same teams who assess a business can help execute the plan after close.

"Sponsors are moving earlier and asking bigger questions. They don't want a point-in-time view of a market; they want conviction about how value gets created, and a partner who can go beyond the TAM to pressure-test the full opportunity," said Jen Holland, Managing Director and Co-Lead of A&M's CDD practice. "That is the need this practice was built to serve, and it's why the same senior team that does the diligence stays on to help execute the plan."

Since launching in May 2026, A&M's CDD practice has grown to more than 40 professionals, with client demand keeping the team at capacity, and has proven its deep sector expertise across consumer and retail, health care, and health care IT.

"Greg is an amazing fit to lead our software and technology practice – he brings robust industry experience, thought leadership and an entrepreneurial mindset. Gonzalo deepens our business services and industrials coverage, and Ola brings diligence and integration experience spanning financial services, professional services, and infrastructure," said Liz Pearsons, Managing Director and Co-Lead of A&M's CDD practice. "These three hires represent the senior judgment our clients want at the table, bringing more than traditional diligence from day one."

Senior Appointments

Greg Pope, Managing Director, will lead commercial due diligence for the software and technology sector, adding diligence-specific depth to A&M's established Software & Technology practice. He joins from EY-Parthenon with over 20 years of consulting experience. At EY, he was a Partner/Principal in the firm's Technology, Media & Telecom and Private Equity practices and helped lead its Software Strategy Group, advising financial sponsors on commercial due diligence and growth strategy across a wide variety of software and technology sub-verticals.

"A&M has a long history of rigorous product and technology diligence and deep technical strength," said Greg Pope. "I've spent my career advising software and technology investors, and am excited to join a firm that is thinking about commercial due diligence differently--giving sponsors sector expertise and execution rigor from one team."

Gonzalo Arana Santos, Senior Director, brings 12 years of commercial strategy and diligence expertise spanning buy-side and sell-side engagements. His sector experience spans B2B services, industrials and software and technology. He joins from Boston Consulting Group, where he was a Partner across its Spain and New York offices.

Gonzalo said, "Business services companies sit at the center of how sponsors are deploying capital right now, and diligence in the space demands advisors who understand what actually drives durable performance. A&M's integrated platform is built to answer those questions and stay through execution, and I'm excited to help build that with this team."

Ola Bennerholm, Managing Director, will transfer to New York effective November 1, 2026 from A&M's Sydney office to expand the practice's coverage of financial services, professional services, and infrastructure in the U.S. He has more than 20 years of experience advising private equity and institutional investors on commercial and operational due diligence, carve-outs and post-merger integration across more than 50 transactions in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Prior to A&M, he was with Boston Consulting Group in Hong Kong, where he led the M&A/Transactions and Integration practice in Greater China.

Ola added, "I've spent my career helping investors move from diligence to an integration plan that works. A&M's model connects commercial insight directly to post-close execution, and I'm looking forward to bringing that end-to-end approach to our clients in the U.S. market."

A&M's Private Equity Performance Improvement (PEPI) practice helps private equity firms unlock value across the investment lifecycle through hands-on operational improvements, growth acceleration, and measurable EBITDA impact.

About Alvarez & Marsal
Founded in 1983, Alvarez & Marsal is a leading global professional services firm renowned for its leadership, action, and results. A&M provides advisory, business performance improvement, and turnaround management services, delivering practical solutions to address clients' unique challenges. With a worldwide network of experienced operators, world-class consultants, former regulators, and industry authorities, A&M helps corporates, boards, private equity firms, law firms, and government agencies drive transformation, mitigate risk, and unlock value at every stage of growth.

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SOURCE Alvarez & Marsal