John Creech is a Managing Director at GlassRatner. He is a senior banking, credit risk, restructuring, and financial services executive with more than 30 years of experience advising executive management teams, lenders, investors, regulators, and stakeholders on complex credit, workout, restructuring, risk management, and financial operations matters. John specializes in enterprise credit strategy, distressed asset resolution, portfolio governance, risk management, and operational transformation across financial institutions and real estate organizations.
John has extensive expertise in commercial and consumer credit, special assets management, loan policy development, regulatory compliance, workout and restructuring strategies, mergers and acquisitions due diligence, portfolio analytics, and capital planning. He has successfully led organizations through challenging economic cycles, financial crises, large-scale problem asset remediation efforts, and strategic growth initiatives while maintaining strong risk controls and regulatory alignment.
Throughout his career, John has directed multidisciplinary teams of credit professionals, lenders, analysts, workout specialists, risk managers, finance professionals, and operational leaders. He has overseen enterprise credit functions supporting multi-billion-dollar commercial and consumer portfolios and has provided strategic leadership for underwriting, portfolio monitoring, risk rating systems, and credit governance programs.
John is widely recognized for his leadership in distressed asset resolution and special situations management. During his tenure at Synovus, he led the remediation and restructuring of more than $6 billion in troubled assets, helping position the organization for successful TARP repayment and long-term independence. He has also directed credit due diligence efforts for significant bank acquisitions and portfolio transactions, providing valuation, risk assessment, and integration guidance for boards and executive leadership teams.
In addition to his banking leadership experience, John has served in executive operating and financial roles within the real estate investment sector, overseeing the underwriting, acquisition, development, financing, and management of multifamily, condominium, office, and mixed-use assets. His real estate experience includes management and development activities involving more than $550 million in assets and the execution of high-performing investment strategies across multiple markets.
Prior to joining GlassRatner, John served as Executive Director of Wholesale Credit Risk Management at Synovus Bank, where he led wholesale credit risk activities for a diversified commercial portfolio exceeding $30 billion. He previously served as Chief Credit Officer for Equity Bank and held multiple leadership roles within Synovus, including Chief Credit Policy and Administrative Officer, Group Executive of Credit Risk, President of Broadway Asset Management, and Senior Director of Managed Assets.
- CRO Services
- Crisis Management
- Financial Restructuring
- Turnaround & Interim Management
- Real Estate Restructuring
- Real Estate Receivership
- Construction Management (RE)
- Capital Markets & Investment Advisory (RE)
- Expert Witness Services
- Litigation & Arbitration (Construction)
- Project Advisory (Construction)
- Debt Financing
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Asset Disposition
- Interim Management
- Fractional Leadership
- Managed and disposed of over $100 million of loans associated with multiple residential real estate communities and golf courses covering two states.
- Responsible for due diligence and valuation of a $5 billion credit card portfolio.
- Responsible for due diligence and valuation of a $9 billion commercial bank.
- Managed disposition and workout for an airline through bankruptcy including $110 million of debt.
- Managed disposition and workout of a major resort through bankruptcy resolving more than $450 million of debt.
- Resolved claims via mediation of Aerospace MRO.
- Responsible for due diligence and valuation of a life insurance premium finance company.
- Managed an asset sale process including over $750 million of troubled loans and OREO.
- President of a fund that managed in excess of $1 billion of troubled assets.
- Managed a team of workout professionals that oversaw the workout and restructuring of over $6 billion of troubled assets.
- Provided expert testimony in case where debtor fraudulent completed borrowing base certificates.