12 Industry Groups
Consumer & Retail
Industries
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Featured Transaction
Consumer & Retail
New paradigms have invaded the Consumer & Retail Industry. The millennials, the digital transformation, new consumer assets, new behaviors, and other concerns have brought a new player to this industry: the conscious customer. The focus on healthier eating, sustainable consumption, and ethical practices have generated a considerable number of new players in this industry.
These times require new perspectives for growth and therefore for the M&A professionals.
Our market view
The global economy is currently at a turning point. Being an active player in the industry requires dealing with a large set of variables. People, cultures, demography, economic indicators, tax policy, monetary policy, consumer behavior, media, pricing models, and many others.
The global consumption, influenced by millennials and consumers’ evolving behaviors, has forced this Industry to transform business models in a digital way in order to guarantee the preferences and expectations of these new demands.
Our specialized Industry Group concluded that it had increased M&A activity in multiple fields, and it’s now a must contact group when a growth strategy is being decided upon.
Market Outlook

Increasing on M&A activity still expected

Megadeals are a feature

PE looks for chances underneath the rocks

More companies are selling underperforming assets
Latest Transactions
Team
Reach us at one of our offices:

Lars Søndergaard

Cigdem Bicik

Hemant Agnihotri

Piotr Dalak

Laurent Derbois

Johnny Dillon

Franck-William Fargier

Nicolas Pinzón

Lars Saunes

Gintautas Savarauskas

Bas van Soest

Leah White

Maartje Korten

Dr. Heinz H. Fischer

Charlotte Potts

Miguel Lopes

Partner
Lars Søndergaard
Partner at CIGNO Mergers & Acquisition.
3 years self-employed consultant
2 years as CEO/CSO Energinord
7 years as Commercial Director Cembrit Holding A/S
14 years of Management positions at VELUX in Denmark, Czech Republic & China and, CSO and Marketing positions as Sky-Watch, Migatronic & Danfoss etc.
Expertise: Sell- and buy-side advisor focusing on the Energy sector, electronics, defence industry, machinery industry, construction materials and cross-border transactions. Lars is focusing on the strategic development of clients as well.
Lars is holding several boards and advisory board positions.
Education: Master degree specialized in international management and finance.
Management education.
Board education from Board Governance.
Leader of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.

Managing Partner
Cigdem Bicik
Before founding Crossborder in 2006 Çiğdem worked in the Development and investment banking business for 17 years. She holds an MSc from Loughborough University a BA and MBA in Finance from Istanbul University and is a graduate of the German Gymnasium in Istanbul. She speaks fluent English and German.
Industry experience:
Aerospace & defense; Agriculture; Automotive; Building & construction; Business services; Chemicals; Education and training; Electronics; Energy & renewables; Engineering; Financial services; Food; Government; Hotels & restaurants; Information technology; Luxury goods; Media, printing, and publishing; Plastics; Real estate & facility management; Retail and franchising; Steel, metal, and woodworking; Telecom; Textile & clothing; Trade; Transport & logistics.
Member of Healthcare Biotech & Pharma Industry Group.
Email:bicik@m-a-worldwide.com

Executive Director
Hemant Agnihotri
Hemant is based in Mumbai and has over 14 years of experience in corporate finance and investment banking with exposure across the entire spectrum of a deal cycle, be it partner search, valuation, financial modeling, structuring, or negotiations.
Earlier worked with CSFB and also with the Big 4s with stints in India, UK and Middle East. With a strong focus on providing advisory services to the SME’s, he has worked across sectors on M&A, Private Equity / VC & Debt syndication transactions, where he actively advises clients on financial and strategic investments. His sector focus areas are Chemicals, Consumer, Agri & Food.
Member of Consumer & Retail Industry Group.
Industry experience:
Agriculture; Building & Construction; Chemicals; Financial Services; Food; Retail & Franchising.

Associate Partner
Piotr Dalak
Over 10 years of experience in transaction advisory services teams at EY and KPMG. Supervised over 70 transactions advisory projects for corporate clients and PE funds. Is a qualified Associate Chartered Accountant in the UK and is a holder of UK Audit Qualifications.
Member of Agri, Food & Beverages Industry Group and Consumer & Retail Industry Group.
Industry experience:
Agriculture; Beverages; Energy & renewables; Engineering; Financial services; Food; Information technology; Real estate & facility management.
E-mail:pdalak@m-a-worldwide.com

Partner - Paris
Laurent Derbois
Graduated from Audencia Business School with a master’s degree, Laurent has over 30 years of experience in financial advisory for small to medium-sized companies, with various positions in major European banks like SocGen (London), Barclays, and HSBC France (Paris). Appointed Senior Banker with HSBC MidCap.
Industry experience:
Building & construction; Energy & renewables; Healthcare; Hotels & restaurants; Retail and franchising; Transport & logistics.

Managing Director
Johnny Dillon
Johnny has 15 years of experience in corporate finance and advisory roles. Since joining FOCUS Capital Partners in 2013, Johnny has managed several of the Company’s key transactions. Johnny has managed €400M of fundraising transactions across numerous sectors including property, energy, healthcare, hospitality and food service. He has worked with many of the main banks, alternative lenders, and corporate and family office investors in Ireland & UK in the process.
Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners, Johnny trained as an accountant in the Advisory Department of Grant Thornton in Dublin. Johnny is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree from the University of Limerick.
Industry experience:
Beverages; Food; Leisure; Real estate & facility management.
Members Consumer & Retail Industry Group.
E-mail:jdillon@m-a-worldwide.com

Partner - Lyon
Franck-William Fargier
Franck-William Fargier has advised private shareholders, industrial groups, and investment funds in more than 40 transactions. In particular, he has a strong experience in Wholesale and Retail activities, Industry, and business services. Franck-William is a graduate of the ISG and a member of the SFAF – French.
Industry experience:
Building & construction; Business services; Chemicals; Food; Healthcare; Information technology; Media, printing, and publishing; Plastics; Retail and franchising; Steel, metal, and woodworking; Textile & clothing; Trade; Wholesale.

Vice President
Nicolas Pinzón
Vicepresident at Proventus Advisors since 2018. Joined Proventus Advisors in 2009 as an analyst. Over 10 years of experience in M&A and Investment Banking. Has worked in transactions in financial services, hospitality, insurance, agribusiness, and consumer products.
Masters in International Management in Spain.
Industry expertise:
Agriculture; Automotive; Beverages.
Member of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.

Partner
Lars Saunes
MSc in Economics and Business. MBA from Univ. British Columbia. Investment banking experience from Deutsche Bank, CIBC, Simmons & Co, and Nordea.
Consultant at BCG. Several years in the UK, Germany, Russia, and Central Asia. Joined DHT in 2016. Expertise areas: M&A, funding, valuation, corporate development.
Member of Energy, Environment & Cleantech Industry Group and also a member of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.
Industry experience:
Engineering; Retail and franchising.

Associate Partner
Gintautas Savarauskas
Experience in corporate and project finance for more than 20 years. Extensive knowledge of credit risk and corporate strategy evaluation.
Member of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.
Industry experience:
Manufacturing, Wholesale, Real Estate & facility management, B2B.

Partner / Advisor Corporate Finance
Bas van Soest
Experience in M&A for more than 10 years. Involved in mid-corporate national and international deals. Industry expertise in Transport & Logistics and Consumer market. Extensive valuation expertise (Registered Valuator in The Netherlands).
Industry experience
Luxury goods; Retail and franchising; Textile & clothing; Trade; Transport & logistics; Wholesale.
Member of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.

Principal
Leah White
Leah leads the e-commerce group at FOCUS Investment Bankings. A former research associate, she also participates in financial and valuation modeling for clients. Prior to joining the firm, Leah worked for many years at a large institutional investor, where she was responsible for research and analysis in its nearly $2 billion private equity and hedge fund investment strategies portfolio.
Industry expertise in eCommerce.
Member of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.
E-mail:lwhite@m-a-worldwide.com

Legal Analyst Corporate Finance
Maartje Korten
LL.M in Business Law. Universities in Netherlands and South-Africa. Master Thesis on remuneration laws in combination with moral hazard. Legal intern at Boels Zanders Advocaten in 2015. Travelling around the world for 2 years after graduation. Joined Aeternus in 2018.
Industry experience:
Business services; Education and training; Government; Healthcare; Life sciences; Luxury goods; Media, printing, and publishing; Real estate & facility management; Recycling; Retail and franchising; Security; Textile & clothing; Trade; Transport & logistics; Wholesale.
Member of Consumer & Retail Industry Group.

Partner
Dr. Heinz H. Fischer
Ph.D. in Economics, University Cologne. MBA University Cologne and Penn state/USA
Leading, MD- and C-level roles in mid-sized companies and multinationals: Sony, Dyson, Arcelik, LG-Electronics, Deutsche Telekom, Loewe, TTI-Group/Techtronic-Industries
Sales; omnichannel-management; brand-management.
Industry experience:
Agriculture; Beverages; Electronics; Food; Luxury goods; Retail and franchising; Telecom; Textile & clothing; Trade; Wholesale.
Member of Agri, Food & Beverages and Consumer & Retail Industry Group.

Corporate Finance Manager
Charlotte Potts
BA Honours in Accounting and Finance. The University of Newcastle. Some placements with PWC.
Joined Rickitt Mitchell as a Corporate Finance Executive in 2019.
Industry experience:
Business services; Engineering; Financial services; Food; Life sciences.
Member of the Consumer & Retail Industry Group.

Partner
Miguel Lopes
- Partner at FINGESTE
- Special deal focus and know-how on sectors: Agrifood & Beverages + Consumer Retail
- Former Executive Director at several leading national and multinational companies for more than 25 years
- MBA in Finance, BA
Member of the Agri, Food & Beverages and the Consumer & Retail Industry Groups.
E-mail:mlopes@m-a-worldwide.com
