Anton de Leeuw, CTP
BM&T European Restructuring Solutions—Chief Executive Officer
TMA Member: 6 Years
What year did you join TMA? What led to your decision to become a member?
When I joined TMA in 2019, I was seeking an organization for professional development and connection. After 13 years of working across crises and borders, I had grown used to standing alone. In our field, we often enter at the 11th hour—bringing control to chaos—but rarely do we have spaces of our own where we are understood. TMA offered something different: a community of peers who not only spoke my language but also shared the weight of our work.
Born in Africa, your first career was a balance between elite sport and working in wildlife research. You moved to the UK, where you served as an advisor to the government during the Krebs Trial (andthe foot-and-mouth crisis). You then transitioned into turnaround and restructuring in 2008. How has TMA helped in the latest portion of your career?
Ha! I’ve come to accept the mystified looks when people hear my story. From balancing careers in conservation science and elite sport, to advising the UK government on bovine TB, and then into corporate turnarounds—it’s not your typical path. But two threads run through it all: leadership and a deep desire to understand people. Yes, I hold qualifications in law, accounting, and more, but no textbook prepares you for your own turnaround—mine came when my business was hit hard in 2008. That’s when my journey into turnaround management truly began.
TMA has been transformative. The systems thinking shaped in conservation, the resilience built through sport, and the judgment forged in public policy—TMA gave all of it a professional home. It provided a community where I could grow, contribute, and feel a sense of belonging—a place where experience is valued more than status.
TMA has sharpened my leadership skills, expanded my thinking, and connected me with people who genuinely care about making an impact. The relationships, late-night calls, and honest conversations on the fringes of conferences have shaped my career far more than any formal qualification. Quite simply, TMA has accelerated my path by surrounding me with peers who share a commitment to unlocking and preserving value in distressed businesses, preserving jobs, and professional excellence.
As a member involved in leadership of TMA UK, if you wanted to brag about one aspect of the chapter, what would it be?
In the UK, the NOW and NextGen are not just seen—they are amplified. Relationships in TMA UK aren’ta transactional network; it’s a space where people show up, speak honestly, and support each other. The conversations I’ve had with fellow members have been some of the most meaningful and impactful of my career. Sitting on the board is such a privilege. It’s a board that is deeply committed to stewardship, not self-interest. That’s rare. My values are to give more than I take. I hope to leave my board position in a better place. That’s my gift, right?
You are a strong advocate for the NextGen community within TMA. Why is such a group important for younger professionals?
Because potential deserves a pathway, NextGen is a core part of our future. It gives younger professionals visibility, a voice, and permission to lead in their own right. Through NextGen, early-career members find mentors, sponsors, and opportunities to grow. Importantly, it also allows those of us further along in our careers to learn. Reverse mentoring is real. The energy and insight of NextGen keepus relevant and rooted. In many ways, they are our best signal of what the future of turnaround and restructuring needs to be: diverse, dynamic, and purpose-led and values-led.
For these younger or less experienced TMA members, what is one piece of advice you’d provide?
Be visible and be brave. Show up. Follow up. Offer to help. The credibility in our industry is built by contributing long before you need anything in return. When I first joined, I followed up with six people I met at an event. That small act opened relationships that still support me today. Also, find your voice. You don’t have to be the loudest in the room, but be honest, be present, and above all else, be curious. This is a profession built on judgment, not jargon.
You are also supportive of TMA’s continued dedication to DEI efforts within the restructuring industry. What makes these initiatives so important? What would you say to someone who may be sceptical of an emphasis on DEI?
DEI is not a symbolic gesture. In turnaround and restructuring, diversity—in thought, background, profession, ethnicity, gender, and lived experience—is a strategic asset. The most effective teams challenge assumptions, anticipate risks, and reflect the complexity of the communities they serve. Intersectionality matters, because no one leads or experiences crisis through a single lens. It’s the interplay of identities that helps reveal blind spots—and unlock more robust, resilient outcomes.
Diversity leads to stronger decisions, deeper risk awareness, and more sustainable recoveries. Inclusion isn’t a distraction from excellence—it’s a precondition for it.
TMA’s commitment to DEI is both visible and real. I think it can be stronger. But, whether through the speakers we platform or the stories we invite into the room, we are building a culture where people can show up as they are—and be valued for it.
Are there any individuals within TMA who have been especially impactful and/or supportive in your career? How have they helped you? And how important are mentors and leaders within this industry?
So many. Joanne Rumley, our TMA UK President, is an extraordinary leader. She combines professional expertise, emotional intelligence, and courage with a vision that is shaping not just our chapter but our profession. Her leadership has amplified voices that needed to be heard and helped many of us grow in the process.
Tyrone Courtman, Tony Groom, Neil Chesterton, Garry Mumford, fellow board members, and Alan Tilley have each supported me at different stages—personally as much as professionally. They’ve mentored me, challenged me, and believed in me when it mattered most. It’s through this journey that I’m deeply honoured to have acquired BM&T and lead it into the future. That invitation carries weight. It’s not just an opportunity—it’s a responsibility—a legacy to uphold, and hopefully, to build on.
And then there’s Scott Stuart, who recently stepped down as CEO of TMA Global. He is a leader of rare depth, combining clarity, conviction, and the courage to listen truly. His amplification of my voice on a global stage has changed what I believe is possible. Mentorship in this industry isn’t optional. It’s the lifeblood of integrity and continuity. We work in a field where judgment, trust, and timing are everything. Having mentors to navigate those moments makes all the difference.
For someone considering joining TMA, what would you tell them to convince them it’s well worth it?
This is not just a membership—it’s a sense of belonging. It’s a place to find your voice, your community, and your next chapter. TMA invites contributions, not just attendance. And in doing so, it shapes those who step forward.
The friendships you’ll make here will be real. The conversations will be honest. And the learning will be deep. In a profession often marked by pressure and performance, TMA offers something rarer: belonging. And that belonging, I believe, is the catalyst for leadership.
If you show up, contribute, and care, this community gives back tenfold. I believe that to lead is to serve. And to lead here is to be shaped by the people, for the members, and in service of a purpose rooted in the shared weight we carry as a community.
That philosophy underpins my current role. As CEO, I now lead BM&T European Restructuring Solutions, a 28-year-old firm with deep roots in complex cross-border turnarounds and strategic transitions. We work shoulder to shoulder with owners, boards, legal professionals, and lenders to deliver operational,financial and strategic turnaround management. In an era of political and financial uncertainty, the need for trusted, human-led restructuring has never been greater.
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