In September 2007, Morgan Stanley bought The Investa Property Group, one of Australia's premier property companies, for around $6.5 billion, including about $4.5 billion in debt. It was one of the largest "take-private" leveraged buyout transactions in Australian history. Within a year, however, Investa was in serious financial trouble and in danger of collapse. Failure of this investment during the emerging GFC would have threatened several Australian and other global banks. Scott MacDonald, a seasoned American real estate executive with a history of successful corporate turnarounds, agreed to go to Sydney in June of 2008 for a week and review the Investa situation. Five years later, he returned to the US. Saving Investa is the extraordinary true story of how a company, taken over by private equity funds relying on excessive levels of debt, survived against all reasonable odds, and a remarkable tale of an ex-factory worker who triumphed at the big end of town. Saving Investa was a Finalist in the Business category of the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Author Biography

Scott MacDonald grew up near Chicago and currently resides in Del Mar, California. In between, he lived in many places including Sydney, London, New York, Houston, Philadelphia, Annapolis, Evanston, and San Diego. Prior to graduating from college Scott held a variety of jobs including washing dishes, sweeping streets, telling fortunes, and factory work. He learned management from the bottom of the ladder looking up and then on his journey up the ladder to the CEO corner office. He graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Scott has two wonderful sons of whom he is very proud and one perfect granddaughter. He has forty years of experience working and managing commercial real estate companies including serving as CEO, President, or Managing Director of five companies. He has worked on major projects around the globe and has managed several corporate turnarounds. Since stepping down as CEO of Investa Property Group in Sydney, Scott has devoted his time to promoting a student scholarship program, writing, and urban vineyards.