AlixPartners appoints David Ellis as Partner in Australia

AlixPartners has appointed David Ellis as a Partner & Managing Director in its Performance practice in Australia, adding a senior executive to its Sydney-based expansion.

Ellis joins from IBM Consulting, where he was Managing Partner for Australia and led a turnaround of the business, overseeing a team of more than 1,000 staff. Earlier in his career, he held partner roles at Bain & Company and was a Managing Director at Accenture.

The appointment comes as AlixPartners builds out its Australian office after launching in the market earlier this year. The role is intended to support the firm's growth plans in the country and help meet a rising pipeline of client mandates.

Ellis has more than 25 years of experience in transformation and turnaround work. His background includes business leadership, C-suite and board advisory work, and interim executive roles during periods of disruption, growth and operational change.

The move follows other recent additions to the Australian team, including Directors Felicity Edwards, Max Albrecht and Maximilian Fischer-Muriyadan. Together, the hires point to a broader effort by the consultancy to build a deeper senior bench locally.

Australia build-out

AlixPartners is seeking to grow its presence in a market where advisory firms are competing for restructuring, performance improvement and technology-related mandates. Ellis is expected to play a central role in the Performance practice as the firm expands its work with Australian clients.

Peter Saville outlined the firm's approach to its local build-out.

“Since launching in Australia earlier this year, we have made significant progress in building a highly experienced, specialist team focused on helping clients address their most critical challenges. Our proposition is deliberately different: small, senior teams working alongside clients to deliver practical, measurable outcomes at pace. David brings a strong combination of transformation, turnaround and hands-on leadership experience, making him an important addition to our team as we continue to expand our presence and support clients across Australia,” said Peter Saville, Australia Country Leader, Partner & Managing Director, AlixPartners.

Ellis has worked across consulting and operational leadership roles, with a focus on financial improvement and organisational change. His experience also includes the use of AI and other emerging technologies in transformation programmes.

That background reflects a wider shift in the consulting market, as clients seek advisers who can combine cost, operational and technology expertise. Australian businesses are facing pressure from slower growth, tighter capital conditions and the need to modernise core systems while preserving margins.

Leadership experience

At IBM Consulting, Ellis led the Australian business during a period of restructuring. His earlier roles at Bain and Accenture gave him experience across local, regional and global assignments, combining strategy, operations and implementation work.

AlixPartners, founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York, advises companies, boards, law firms, investment banks and private equity firms on complex business issues. It has offices in more than 20 cities globally.

In Australia, the latest appointment points to a model centred on senior hires rather than broad-based expansion at junior levels. That approach may appeal to clients seeking experienced advisers for short, intensive assignments such as turnarounds, restructurings and major transformation programmes.

Ellis described the factors behind his move.

“As someone who has worked across transformations and turnarounds, I've known and admired AlixPartners and its work for many years. The firm's model is genuinely unique, serving clients in moments of truth with senior, operational specialists who are hands-on with sleeves rolled up. It is particularly well-suited to the AI age, where lean, experienced teams like ours can be disproportionately impactful. I'm especially delighted to join at this time,” said Ellis.