When failure is too costly, I step in
Frontline negotiation leadership to close complex infrastructure deals
Tom Teerlynck
25+ years in global infrastructure
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
Infrastructure deals rarely fail on substance.
They derail over complex stakeholder dynamics, misaligned interests, and broken trust
– leading to value destruction and reputational damage.
I am brought in when complex negotiations stall or disputes escalate, and resolution requires authority beyond technical, legal, and financial expertise.
My role is to reset the dynamic and lead the project or dispute to a definitive close.
When to engage
The deal has stalled
discussions have stopped moving and failure looms
Disputes are escalating
the project is trending toward formal claims or litigation
The stakes are high
capital, value, and reputation are on the line
Alignment has broken down
friction exists across shareholders, boards, ministries, lenders, and contractors
Principals feel exposed
decision-makers require external authority to reset the dynamic and drive resolution
The intervention
I take the lead to restore direction and drive the project or dispute to a clear outcome by:
Identifying the blockers
pinpointing the human and political friction points beyond financial, technical or legal issues
Taking control of the dynamic
establishing structure, sequencing discussions, and defining decisive action points
Leading to a clear close
driving the process through to a final deal or settlement
Engagement models
Depending on the situation, I act as:
lead negotiator
representing the client to bring a deal or settlement to close
neutral mediator
when an impartial third party is the most effective path to resolution
My involvement is high-intensity and time-bound
I work directly with decision-makers, lead the process, and step back once a definitive resolution is achieved
Experience and Authority
I have negotiated and closed infrastructure transactions exceeding $50 billion across more than 30 countries.
Having held senior leadership roles at ACWA Power, TAQA, ENGIE, and DataVolt, I understand the internal pressures, governance constraints, and external risks that shape decisions in complex projects and negotiations.
I am trained at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and am a IMI-Qualified and IMC-Certified Mediator. I work fluently across multiple languages.
The authority I bring is grounded in frontline experience, including:
Negotiation leadership: command of complex, high-pressure, multi-party environments
Cross-disciplinary fluency: navigating the commercial, legal, financial, and political dimensions of a deal simultaneously
Institutional credibility: a proven track record with ministries, multilateral development banks, investors, lenders and contractors
Cultural dexterity: operating with discretion and authority across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia
Selected organizations from my professional track record:
Selection of high-impact projects I steered through complexity to completion:
Uzbekistan | $10B+ Power Platform
The Challenge: Establishing market entry within a complex, evolving sovereign landscape requiring long-term alignment between state and private interests.
The Action: Led sovereign-level negotiations to develop first-of-its-kind projects, structure a multi-project framework, and secure long-term investment guarantees.
The Result: A transformational platform for both the country and the sponsor, moving from initial entry to a definitive, multi-billion dollar close.
Türkiye | Strategic Debt & Equity Restructuring
The Challenge: A large-scale power asset faced a severe revenue-to-debt mismatch, creating a debt default and significant consolidated losses, threatening a critical corporate strategy.
The Action: Operating under a firm 90-day deadline, I led frontline negotiations with a consortium of lenders to secure a standstill while simultaneously restructuring the shareholding to enable deconsolidation.
The Result: Successfully neutralized the valuation drag and stabilized the debt profile, allowing the parent company to proceed with its strategic objectives.
Central Asia | $200M
AI-Ready Data Center
The Challenge: A high-spec, first-of-its-kind digital infrastructure project requiring a new regulatory and commercial framework. As the sponsor’s entry into the sector, there was no existing template for success.
The Action: Led the frontline negotiations with government counterparts to define the legal and operational parameters for, and the development of, AI-scale data infrastructure.
The Result: Successfully closed the transaction, establishing a repeatable model for the sponsor and setting the benchmark for the region’s digital economy.
Morocco | $170M wind project
The Challenge: Establishing the country’s first privately owned wind project under a non-recourse financing structure. The deal required aligning multiple industrial off-takers with divergent commercial needs and a challenging regulatory environment.
The Action: Led the negotiations for the power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the financing framework, bridging the gap between industrial requirements and lender risk mandates
The Result: Successfully reached non-recourse financial close on the sponsor’s inaugural wind asset, proving the viability of private-to-private infrastructure in the region.
For a comprehensive list of projects and detailed case studies:
I am engaged in complex infrastructure negotiations and disputes involving:
Project developers, sponsors, and investors
Boards, shareholders, and joint-venture partners
Ministries and public authorities
Contractors, suppliers, and operators
International financial institutions and commercial lenders
If a negotiation or dispute has reached an impasse
and authority is required to close it,
contact me directly.
Engagements are handled with discretion and in strict confidence.