As Chairman and CEO of the wealth management firm Mansartis, Guillaume Jalenques de Labeau has long been considered an expert in personal portfolio management and corporate strategy advising for companies and their shareholders. After graduating from Essec Business School in Paris, Guillaume started his career in finance selling U.S. equities for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York City. After a decade of climbing the ladder at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. to a position as head of the company’s asset management subsidiary in London, Guillaume would join the team at Mansartis in 1992. When he took over the helm he expanded the company’s focus in the area of mergers and acquisitions and has now built a name for himself as an expert in M&A. With a track record of 20 years, global companies can learn a thing or two about how to structure a merger or acquisition by looking at the way his company manages these critical transactions.
Different Transactions, Different Needs
When structuring a merger or acquisition, it’s important to know what your needs and goals are for the impending transaction before you seek advisory services. This way you can choose a firm that specializes in the services you need, which may include the following:
- Buy Side Advice. This may include assistance with coordinating due diligence, drafting the sale and purchase agreement, identifying and contacting potential targets, negotiations, and performing industry, financial, and strategic analyses.
- Sell Side Advice. This may include help with coordinating due diligence, drafting information memorandums and legal documents, identifying potential buyers, negotiations, and valuations.
- Structuring. This may include equity structuring, financial valuation, fund raising, OBO, LBO, and more.
It’s All A Matter of Getting the Right Advice
Tens of millions of euros, pounds, dollars, or other currencies may exchange hands in an international merger or acquisition. With such a complicated equation, CEOs and their management teams need sound advice from experienced specialists before they acquire, dispose of, finance, or merge with another company. This is where a firm like Mansartis – which specializes in advising international entrepreneurs, groups, and private equity firms in all industries and sectors with transactions at the €5 – €50 million level – becomes an invaluable player in the process. With the right advice, entrepreneurs and financial entities have a much higher likelihood of arranging a mutually beneficial merger or acquisition.
What to Look for in a Financial Adviser
Aside from finding a financial services and investment advisory firm that specializes in the type of transaction you’re planning, it’s also important to look for a team of M&A experts who operate around a core of values such as commitment, dedication, discretion, and rigor. A merger or acquisition is a critical transaction that requires a foundation of professional assistance until the mission is complete. Above all else, this requires a dedicated team of professionals that includes a diverse range of specialists running the gambit of financial knowledge from corporate taxation to investment portfolio management to international business law.
