Ralf Ehret

Impending double dip, pressing transformation, slowing banks: “Outdated financing concepts are of little help now,” says Ralf Ehret, partner and head of debt advisory at enomyc. They are often suboptimal, unstable, and not designed for the current risks or future needs of German SMEs. It is no surprise that alternative sources of financing are now booming. But what do companies need to anticipate now in order to act early, honestly, and smartly? A look at worst-case scenarios and dream scenarios from a debt advisor.

The StaRUG x Leoni AG case is making history in corporate restructuring. Specifically, it represents a paradigm shift. According to the summary of the restructuring plan, the expected return for the shareholders affected by the plan in the next best alternative scenario was 0%. This has never happened before. How has this case affected restructuring practices since then? Who are the winners and losers? And what opportunities or risks does StaRUG hold for LLCs? Ralf Ehret, Partner and Head of Debt Advisory, provides insights.

One in four insolvencies is due to late payments. Especially in business trans-actions between large debtors and small creditors, long payment terms re-peatedly lead to problems. As a result, particularly SMEs, which rely on pre-dictable cash flows, are forced to delay payments to their own suppliers, incur higher financing costs, and have less room for investments. With a directive aimed at combating late payments in commercial transactions, the European Commission intends to ensure more fairness. Moreover, it aims to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises. While this sounds promising, it also has its drawbacks, according to experts Marc Fahrig and Ralf Ehret, who outline what businesses should now prepare for.

Rarely does anyone experience people and companies in such a state of emergency as those individuals involved as reorganisers and restructurers. Corporate crises often reveal the abysses, fates and characters of all parties involved. The financial expert Ralf Ehret could write books about it. Over the past 30 years, he has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs get back on track. His career began in banking in the early 1980s. Later, he spent fourteen years as the head of major client restructuring at Hypovereinsbank in Munich and London. Since July, Ehret has been both a partner and the Head of Debt Advisory at enomyc. For someone as passionate as Ehret, numbers are more than just mere figures: they are entire areas of tension. Sure, those between acute corporate crises and stakeholder conflicts, financial law and operational restructuring. However, he is much more interested in the areas of tension between chaos, despair and new beginnings. Why? What makes good debt advisors? And how is it possible - when your back is against the wall - to develop the "growth mindset" that he speaks of so fondly? A conversation about problems as logical life tasks and opportunities for personal growth.

During a corporate crisis, many things change, including the relationship between the company and its financiers. Internal regulatory requirements lead to changes vis-à-vis lenders' engagement strategies and new contacts. Communication requirements also increase in many respects. Those who fail to recognise this risk a communicative downward spiral and thus potential existential consequences. Why is correct crisis communication so crucial for a successful restructuring? And how does it work exactly? Ralf Ehret, enomyc Partner and Head of Debt Advisory, looks at five typical pitfalls of communication with financing partners - and how you can avoid them.