We have long-standing relationships with large corporations who entrust us with the disposal of activities that become non-core as the group's strategy evolves.
Our discretion and our effectiveness are the primary reasons for the loyalty of those clients. We pay specific attention to the human impacts of transactions: we take every possible step to avoid bad publicity and we structure the project so that the group is able to communicate positively on the sale. We ensure that the project's calendar meets stock exchange requirements. Lastly, we give priority to trade buyers so that the sale does not damage the position of the seller in the future, when an institutional investor might sell the entity on to a competitor.
The sale of a family business includes many dimensions. A founder may be eager to ensure that his "baby" continues to develop successfully. Second or third generation shareholders of an inherited company may wish to focus on keeping the legacy alive. Wealth management and Tax optimisation are a key element of the project. Employees and management are often a priority and the sale should not only safeguard employment, but also be an opportunity to offer them enhanced career prospects.
We identify and prioritise those objectives with our clients. We then shape the process in a manner that will ensure that those goals are met. During the course of the project, we regularly re-assess with our clients whether fine-tuning is necessary.
Company acquisitions can generate tremendous opportunities or destroy value, depending on how well they are structured and executed. At the planning stage, we spend considerable time discussing objectives and specifications with our clients. We may also perform test searches to validate certain assumptions.
During the scouting phase, when we identify prospects, we ensure that our search is comprehensive by reviewing hundreds of prospects that have been pre-selected based on quantitative criteria (segment, size, location, etc.). As the strategic fit with our client is often difficult to ascertain, we invest significant time in “detective-work” based on database records, web sites, news coverage, social media, etc.
Once a short-list has been agreed with our client, we only make contact with a prospect when we feel comfortable that we can present its various stakeholders (shareholders, managers, clients, suppliers) with compelling arguments for considering a deal. The attention that we give to the prospect's own interests enable us to establish a dialogue and a relationship at an empathy level that is rare in M&A activities. We have thus been able to "create" deals when none was initially on the table. Our clients also engage in this creative process, sometimes with solutions that had not been initially envisaged (e.g. the sellers retaining a minority stake in the enlarged group, new business partnerships, etc.).
Our clients’ satisfaction with our performance often translates into repeat business. Some former sellers have later become clients, evidence of their satisfaction with the respect and the professionalism of our approach.