Murdoch McKillop, the no-nonsense Scot hired by Quinn Group to lead its restructuring, is no stranger to struggling family companies. Listed on his CV is the administration of the Maxwell Group, the UK newspaper group that collapsed following the suicide of Robert Maxwell who was found to have raided the company's pension fund to prop up his ailing empire.

As head of Arthur Andersen's corporate recovery business, McKillop (now a partner at London-based Talbot Hughes McKillop) is considered among the best winding up/restructuring experts in the UK. Aside from Robert Maxwell, his other insolvency work involved the British van maker Leyland Daf.

Quinn Group will be hoping that his expertise in restructuring and not liquidation will be necessary. McKillop boasts an impressive list of companies that he and his firm have restructured including Le Meridien Hotels, the telecommunications giant Marconi and nursing home chain Four Seasons. He was also an adviser to the government of Brunei.

Quinn Group chief executive Liam McCaffrey said McKillop's role will be to "assist the board and the executive management team to successfully work through the group's current issues and to ensure that executive management are not excessively diverted from the vitally important job of running our manufacturing business".