McGrathNicol expands partnership with three new appointments

Australian restructuring and advisory firm McGrathNicol has announced the admission of Melissa Smith, Alex Morkos, and Mark Wroniak to its partnership, increasing the total number of partners to 55.

Melissa Smith is a restructuring and turnaround specialist with extensive experience in leading complex formal engagements, including trading businesses. She has been with McGrathNicol for 18 years and is based in Brisbane. Her expertise includes conducting independent business reviews and monitoring projects for both private and public sector clients.

Alex Morkos joins the partnership as a technology and cybersecurity specialist, bringing over 25 years of experience in designing enterprise technology solutions, security engineering, and operations and risk management frameworks. Based in Sydney, Morkos' experience spans industries such as banking, retail, and defence, covering both the business and technical aspects of cybersecurity.

Mark Wroniak, also based in Sydney, is a technology and cyber professional specialising in the development, management, and execution of IT security strategies, advice, architecture, and assessment activities. Wroniak has implemented various innovative security solutions and strategies for clients across banking and finance, retail, critical infrastructure, and government, positioning them as leaders in cybersecurity maturity.

Wroniak and Morkos co-founded Aleron, a cybersecurity multidisciplinary professional services firm that was acquired in 2019. Their experience with Aleron has been instrumental in their careers, combining technical prowess with strategic business insight.

Jason Preston, Executive Chair of McGrathNicol, commented on the new appointments: “Melissa brings a wealth of restructuring experience and expertise to this role, and we are proud to promote her to the partnership. We are also excited to welcome Alex and Mark to the Advisory business, particularly at a time when our clients are looking for expert advice and support in navigating security infrastructure projects, ongoing cyber threats, and complex data and privacy challenges.”

Additionally, McGrathNicol announced the internal promotion of 11 directors, further expanding its leadership team. This announcement marks a significant step for the firm as it continues to enhance its capabilities in restructuring, technology, and cybersecurity.