James Leda, 1998 award recipientJames Leda '95

Managing Director, Debt Restructuring Group

PPM America, Inc.

James Leda is a managing director in the Debt Restructuring Group at PPM America, where he manages the firm's distressed investments. He represented clients in a number of high-profile restructurings, including Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, GM, and Pilgrim's Pride, and served as a member of the Washington Mutual Inc. Liquidating Trust Advisory Board. Mr. Leda joined PPM in 2009 from Merrill Lynch where he was VP and senior high yield automotive analyst. Prior to joining Merrill in 2000, he was a senior associate in the Corporate Recovery practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Mr. Leda took his MBA at the University of Chicago, with a concentration in analytic finance, and also studied at the Stockholm School of Economics.