ABI mourns the passing of long-time ABI member Sheila T. Smith after a nearly 10-year battle with pancreatic cancer. A leading authority in the restructuring community for nearly three decades, Smith was an advisor at Gordon Brothers and co-leader of Deloitte’s Corporate Restructuring Group, and she led Deloitte’s New England Financial Advisory Services practice. Smith began her professional career as a special education teacher and moved to Boston to get her MBA in public management. Thereafter, she was a senior finance officer of a building materials company that failed, which introduced her to the practice of insolvency.
Smith was an active member of ABI, having served on numerous program advisory boards, participated on membership committees, and spoken and wrote on key restructuring developments. She also was a member of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), New York Institute of Credit (NYIC) and Turnaround Management Association (TMA). In 2015, she was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy.
Smith is survived by her beloved husband, Bruce; their daughters, Ashley and Abigail; her son-in-law, Steven; her cherished grandchildren, Hannah, Paige and Sam; her mother, Grace; her brother, David; and her half-sister, Lori.
ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss and members of ABI’s Executive Committee offered their condolences on the passing of their colleague and friend:
“Sheila’s strength, energy and dedication were present in all facets of her life, whether it was in the boardroom, family room or in the community. She brought a distinct sense of grace and fortitude in the face of extraordinary challenges throughout her career and in her later battle with cancer. ABI is saddened by the news of Sheila’s passing, as we are forever indebted to all the ways that she benefited the restructuring community and moved the practice forward, especially in her efforts to promote and mentor women in the industry. I extend my deepest condolences to her family and colleagues during this difficult time.”
- Amy Quackenboss, ABI Executive Director
“Sheila was a force in the insolvency space and made the mark very early on raising the profile of women in the leadership of the insolvency and reorganization landscape. She will be sorely missed, and hopefully her legacy will continue.”
- ABI President Soneet Kapila of KapilaMukamal, LLP (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
“Sheila was a trend setter in the restructuring industry. She paved the way for many woman to succeed in an industry that was historically male dominated. She had a presence to her that you always knew when she was around, whether on a deal or at a conference. Her legacy will live on in the ABI and beyond for years to come.”
- ABI President-Elect Christopher A. Ward of Polsinelli (Wilmington, Del.)
“Sheila was one of the brightest lights in our insolvency community. From her early childhood in a dirt-floored log cabin in Alaska, through her prior careers as a special education teacher and in small business finance, she ultimately rose to some of the highest heights in our insolvency and restructuring community. She lit up every room that she was in. She was smart, practical, energetic and unflappable. None of those qualities waned in the slightest after her pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2014. We shared that awful connection, as Sheila and my oldest son were each diagnosed with it within weeks of each other, and we traveled together along many parts of that long and difficult road, ever focused on hope, positivity, family and community. With her special grace, strength and spirit, Sheila set an example for all of us.”
- Chief Bankruptcy Judge Bruce Harwood (D. N.H.; Concord)