Spotlight on Nishant Machado: Expanding Accordion's LA Presence

Nishant Machado is a man of many titles (and many talents). To some, he’s the co-leader of Mackinac’s Turnaround & Restructuring practice and the leader of Mackinac’s Restaurant & Food industry practice. To others, he’s the leader of Accordion’s growing LA office. The truth? All are accurate.

In this Q&A, we unpack Nishant’s evolving role in the context of a broader story: Accordion’s expansion.

It’s been several months since Accordion announced the acquisition of Mackinac – a move that not only expanded Accordion’s capabilities into the turnaround and restructuring space, but also enabled Accordion to elevate its presence in the LA market. Today, Nishant is driving that LA expansion – and as we head into 2022, his eyes are focused on furthering the client and talent experience.

Q: What excites you most about the Accordion/Mackinac integration?

Nishant: Let me start with the headline: the integration of Accordion and Mackinac means that we are now a partner that sponsors can rely on across every phase of their investment lifecycle. Throughout Mackinac’s history, our clients have trusted us as their go-to partner in distressed situations. But moving forward, with the breadth of Accordion’s services, clients can now turn to us for so much more than turnaround and restructuring support – and I’m excited to introduce them to our expanded suite of capabilities.

Our combined expertise will provide sponsors with a go-to resource as they navigate a complex marketplace and face an ever-evolving set of challenges and opportunities across their portfolio.

Q: You’ve been in the LA market for 15 years; let’s look ahead. What is your vision for the future?

Nishant: The vision is simple: we want to position Accordion as the premier professional services firm for private equity sponsors in LA (and beyond). The greater LA region is the 5th largest private equity market in the U.S., with over 500 funds managing more than $300 billion in assets. This makes for tremendous opportunity for a firm like ours. From diligence to exit—and all of the M&A and value creation activity in between—there is no other provider that has Accordion’s breadth of services, expertise, or track record. Our goal is to continue to build our reputation in the LA market by becoming a single firm solution with an execution-oriented focus, and an emphasis on quality, consistency, and trust.

“From diligence to exit—and all of the M&A and value creation activity in between—there is no other provider that has Accordion’s breadth of services, expertise, or track record.”

Q: You’ve mentioned some ambitious plans. What are those plans as they relate to growing the team in LA?

Nishant: Across the company, we are always focused on hiring and development. This is particularly true in LA, where we’ve set an aggressive but achievable goal to double the size of our LA-based team over the next year. Critically, we welcome candidates who not only have the requisite experience, but who are also a strong culture fit – finance experts with an entrepreneurial attitude, a collaborative instinct, and an authentic spirit.

Q: Can you talk more about that culture? As you engage in recruiting efforts, what is the “draw” for prospective candidates?

Nishant: Accordion was founded on the notion that there’s “a better way to work in finance” – and that means treating one another as humans first, colleagues second. Our people are our greatest asset, and we’re deeply invested in each individual’s success and wellbeing. The way we see it: the more we invest in our talent, the better the experience we can provide for our people, and the better the results we can deliver for our clients.

We’re committed to setting up our people for personal and professional growth by providing them with the training, technical skills, and resources needed to advance their careers and emerge as leaders. Senior staff engage with every member of the team (across all levels and departments) and everyone is encouraged to take a seat at the table, to “make their mark” on Accordion’s future.

To put it simply: we’re a non-hierarchal, entrepreneurial firm that equally values client success and employee engagement. We’re experiencing accelerated growth in LA and building tremendous momentum here – making it the ideal time to join our team.

“We’re only gaining momentum. The diversification of Accordion’s evolved service offering—coupled with the dynamic marketplace and growing PE presence in LA—will make for a very exciting few years to come.”

Q: Where can we find you on weekends? What do you do for fun?

Nishant: I like to keep my weekends local – taking advantage of LA’s beautiful weather to spend time with my wife and friends. But, I use longer periods away from the office to travel; I love exploring new places and new wines.