The advantage of opposites: those who have the knowledge, experience and skill to deal with them undeniably have a competitive advantage.
Corporate Finance 4.0 on the one hand focuses on all six specialisms of corporate finance (SME sales support, mid-market M&A, funding, transaction services, valuations and shareholder advisory), with specialised experts for each field.
On the other hand, each piece of specialist knowledge is only a part of a total solution and therefore only acquires real added value if it is integrated with internal and external environmental factors (risk management, compliance, long term sustainability and shareholder value creation).
The art of corporate finance at the highest level - a necessity for a successful business acquisition - is not only about showing mastery in every aspect, but also the masterly guidance of the process itself. Hence the importance of a mediator who brings together specialised experts and moulds them into a team. This mediator has both an internal team of experts focusing on the core tasks of corporate finance and a trusted network that is tailored to the client's needs in order to close the deal.
Armed with knowledge, understanding and empathy, the mediator builds trust with his own team, his client and the other party, so that he becomes the indisputable manager of the process itself and can ensure that it runs smoothly.
Combination of talents
Anyone looking for the ideal adviser for a business acquisition starts by searching for a rare combination of talents. Checklist for the mediator, the director of the acquisition process:
- The obvious starting point: a solid financial background. He (or she) masters every layer from Corporate Finance 1.0 to Corporate Finance 4.0: he knows what the cost of capital is, how the process works with non-disclosure agreements, letters of intent, due diligence, etc., how to do business across national borders in an increasingly globalised world, how to read financial statements and how to understand the cash flows from them…
- A strong legalbackground. Not only must he be able to 'read' the legal and tax structures correctly, but above all he must be able to understand the jargon of all the specialists involved in the case. Above all, he must use that basic knowledge to keep the focus on what it is all about: an ideal long-term solution.
- He must be able to thoroughly understand the market and the business of all parties involved: who are the customers, what technologies are out there and emerging, what are the value drivers? Ultimately, the end goal of any acquisition is: value creation.
- The mediator must have plenty of empathy. The sale or acquisition of a company is by definition a major decision, a key moment in a person’s professional and private life. Emotional intelligence is essential, because without real connection, trust will never grow.
- The director of the acquisition process must be able to direct a group. There are the specialists from the director’s own ranks, but the other party has advisers too. Together they must find a solution that adds value for every stakeholder.
- A leader must lead. This sounds more obvious than it is. The ideal corporate finance adviser is more than a project manager, but sets clear priorities and ensures that the process does not go off the rails or go astray. A mediator embodies the process.
Moore Corporate Finance fully embraces the combination of a 'corporate finance boutique' and an 'integrated consultant’. This means that Moore Corporate Finance masters the specialisms (the theory) and can present an impressive track record (the practice) to successfully initiate, supervise and conclude business acquisitions and to follow them up post-merger. In that process, the corporate finance team combines the agility of the individual adviser with the combined knowledge of experts from all the disciplines involved.
No matter how complex the process and its components may be, Moore Corporate Finance endorses the importance and understands the art of translating this into the jargon and the world of the client.
Want to read more?
In these three articles you will find more info about Corporate Finance 4.0:
