Corporate FinanceAdvisory

M&A for family owned businesses/Succession-Coa­ching

What does “succession coaching” mean?
We see family-owned succession advisory as a longterm process. Dirk Liedtke coaches as supervisory board member or on a daily rate basis according to your specifications. Topics mostly address leadership and economic conflicts or the general future strategy of the firm. It is a mediation process rather than a pure solution driven short term job.

What is LEAD’s focus on M&A?
Predominantly, LEAD focuses on family-owned businesses with financial advisory. We serve in the strategic preparation phase and support throughout the process alongside your key employees and other advisors.

What exactly does LEAD do on an M&A process?
Dirk Liedtke is responsible for design, structuring and leading the mandate in person.  This includes valuation topics, investor universe, approach strategy and the negotiations with potential investors. Once the deal goes to market, we team up. With your expressed consent only, LEAD adds external partners from our network to support on documentation, due diligence and day-to-day execution.  Our global partnership with M&A and financial advisors has grown in Europe, Asia und North America over decades.

Why don’t I just take a big M&A firm?
Pure M&A firms live on success fees from transactions – they will provoke a transaction. Our business model generates transactions only in the context of a longterm process and we don’t just live on success fees. Sometimes no deal is the best deal you can get.

Angel Investments

What can a tech firm expect from LEAD?
A neutral, outspoken and experienced view on business plan, HR and product/market strategy. We are independent. Permanent advisory as board or mentor. Support on any exit-related questions and strategies and active role in a designated exit process when required.

What’s special about LEAD’s network?
For the investor side, we have created a global network from more than 100 successfully closed M&A projects. We can deliver quick and substantial candidate approach strategies and make financing more professional.

Coaching

What exactly does coaching for consulting firms mean?
So-called “asset light” partnerships predominantly live on their employees’ competencies and the stability of the key team. Which are the best valuation and incentive models? How do you thoroughly expand the shareholder base?  We have strong experience in building partnerships, extending the key team, introducing respective incentive measures and successfully exiting. We share this knowledge in sporadic mandates or longer term board member roles.

What exactly is the content of LEAD’s Coaching?
Growth and stabilization tools with the focus on a successful generation change or exit. We advise on top management issues, leadership crises, support partner interviews and extension of the management team. Dirk Liedtke is a member of the Hephaistos (www.hephaistos.org) network, Germany’s leading coaching graduation and servicing platform.

Which tools are we using?
Incentive and valuation measures and tools need to be adopted and optimized over time. According to the respective phase and seniority miscellaneous forms of shareholdings can be introduced (Class A, B, Phantom, Exitkicker).  Any valuation metrics and effectiveness of tools chosen should be constantly monitored and adapted.

What do you offer as a classic single coach for leaders?
Dirk Liedtke is a member of the coaching graduation program of Hephaistos.  Deep changes in the organizational and entrepreneurial setup, leadership conflicts, challenging restructuring projects and general career topics are at the center of his expertise. Usually, 5-10 sessions will help finding the correct reflection of the deeper lying causes for disruption and help tackling the related problems.