Business Rescue & Turnaround Lead
Chad Thompson
Chad Thompson is a licensed business rescue practitioner and leads Tax Relief SA's business rescue, company tax-distress assessment and turnaround support. He brings more than 20 years of international business-improvement experience to assignments where a company needs to understand the causes of distress, stabilise delivery and cash flow, assess whether a recovery plan is viable, and regain management control.
Licensed practitioner, not an attorney
Chad is a licensed business rescue practitioner. Holding a licence is distinct from being appointed as the practitioner to a particular company's proceedings, and he is not an admitted attorney. His background is multidisciplinary: Advanced Business Rescue Practice through UNISA / the Law Society of South Africa, an aerospace systems engineering degree, the Business Accountant (SA) designation through CIBA/SAIBA, and membership of the Institute of Directors in South Africa.
From diagnosis to a route that can actually be implemented
Chad's approach is to establish a defensible view of the financial and operational position before recommending a route, and then ensure that any agreed response can actually be implemented.
Commercial and financial diagnosis
Chad interrogates management information, billing and collections, cash needs, assumptions, cost drivers and operational dependencies to establish where financial pressures arise and which corrective actions are practicable.
Business-continuity and operational stabilisation
His work covers contract performance, supplier and subcontractor delivery, bottlenecks, reporting, governance and programme control — particularly where delay, uncertainty or poor execution compounds financial distress.
Turnaround planning and implementation
Chad translates recommendations into prioritised workstreams, accountable owners, measurable milestones, risk controls and decision forums. His contribution may support a formally appointed business rescue practitioner, management team, creditors and other advisers within the agreed mandate.
SARS and broader creditor exposure
When tax debt forms part of a distressed company's position, he helps distinguish tax compliance, disputed liabilities, collections and potential repayment or compromise discussions from the company's wider restructuring needs. He works alongside the firm's accounting and tax-compliance specialists, and coordinates with the engaged practising legal consultant on any court or other reserved legal work, under the appropriate mandate.
Tax-led financial recovery
When SARS liabilities coincide with cash-flow pressure, Chad can lead a structured review of what is actually owed, whether returns and statements reconcile, what payment or compromise options may be realistic, how tax exposure interacts with directors and creditors, and the role of tax claims in a formal rescue proposal. SARS decisions, objection requirements and creditor rights remain governed by applicable law and the relevant authorities.
Stakeholder and governance support
His programme leadership emphasises transparent information, realistic options, management accountability and clear communication across directors, creditors, employees, advisers and delivery partners.
Evidence-based career highlights
These are programme and recovery roles on the named engagements. They are framed as historical assignment scale, not client recoveries, and do not imply that these former clients endorse Tax Relief SA.
| Organisation | Scope | Nature of work |
|---|---|---|
| PRASA — Park Station, Johannesburg | R750 million redevelopment | Helped recover a distressed redevelopment programme by rebuilding governance, contract administration, commercial reporting, risk management and stakeholder coordination. This was programme recovery, not a statutory business rescue practitioner appointment. |
| Standard Bank — Corporate & Investment Banking | Financial controls | Served as interim head of Pricing & Billing and held senior programme roles focused on financial controls, reconciliation, audit remediation, data quality and operating-model change. |
| Aon South Africa | ≈R50 million remediation | Led governance and technical audits and helped develop recovery recommendations accepted by executive leadership. |
| WesBank / FNB | R200 million transformation | Led remediation and delivery across digital and SaaS platforms, migration and operating-model change; the programme received the 2023 FNB Commercial Platform Award. |
| Southern Water (UK) | £1.8 billion capital programme | Restabilised contract administration and supplier-performance processes. |
| Thames Water (UK) | Smart-metering programme | Developed data-led operating-efficiency and delivery-improvement measures, including a programme associated with an £80 million savings opportunity. That amount is not described as realised savings without further evidence. |
| Discovery Group | US$15 million technology enhancement | Directed technology-change governance and delivery focused on resilience, recoverability and executive priorities. |
Qualifications and professional standing
Chad's professional background spans business rescue practice, engineering, accounting and governance.
Advanced Business Rescue Practice
University of South Africa / Law Society of South Africa.
Business Accountant (SA) — CIBA member
Business Accountant (SA) designation through SAIBA/CIBA, with current CIBA membership.
Member, Institute of Directors in South Africa
Current member of the Institute of Directors in South Africa.
BEng (Hons), Aerospace Systems Engineering
University of Hertfordshire.
Postgraduate study, Strategic Management of Projects
University College London.
A defensible position before any step is taken
Chad leads business rescue and turnaround work, including SARS-debt issues affecting distressed companies. Any statutory appointment is separate from a licence and must satisfy company-specific Companies Act and CIPC requirements.
What this role is
- Advisory and implementation support for boards, management and stakeholders of distressed companies.
- Financial and commercial diagnosis, cash-flow recovery and governance support.
- Coordination with a lawfully appointed business rescue practitioner where statutory rescue is indicated.
- Coordinated engagement with SARS on tax debt within the appropriate professional framework.
What this role is not
- An automatic appointment as business rescue practitioner; appointment to a particular company is a separate statutory step.
- A claim that business rescue automatically stops SARS collections, improves tax compliance or protects directors.
- A guarantee of rescue, continued trading, or a particular return for creditors.
- Legal representation; court process is handled by a duly admitted legal practitioner under a separate mandate.
Professional boundary: Under Chapter 6 and section 138 of the Companies Act, appointment as a business rescue practitioner requires appropriate professional standing and a CIPC licence. Holding a licence does not by itself appoint Chad as the practitioner to a particular company; that is a separate statutory step. Where legal pleadings or court process are required, they are handled by a duly admitted practising legal practitioner under a separate confirmed mandate.
Questions about Chad and this service
Is Chad a registered business rescue practitioner?
Yes. Chad holds a current CIPC business rescue practitioner licence. A licence is distinct from being appointed as the practitioner to a particular company; an appointment is a separate statutory step under the Companies Act.
Is Chad an attorney?
No. Chad is not an admitted attorney. Where legal pleadings, court filings or representation are required, they are handled by a duly admitted practising legal practitioner engaged by the firm under a separate confirmed mandate.
Does business rescue automatically stop SARS collections?
No. Any moratorium on claims is fact-dependent and governed by the Companies Act; it is not automatic and is not guaranteed by an enquiry. SARS collection, payment arrangements and compromise are assessed alongside any rescue route.
How do I engage Chad?
Begin with a confidential assessment — a high-level overview of the entity, the SARS position and the creditor picture. Depending on the matter, our team may request further information or supporting records during the assessment or subsequent work, and will explain what is needed and how to provide it. A written scope and fee quotation are agreed before any detailed work begins.
Where this connects
Discuss business rescue or financial distress
A confidential assessment is the first step. Our team will advise what is needed to begin. A written scope and fee quotation are agreed before any detailed work starts.