Search Results

Andreas Lauth Lauridsen

As Partner and Head of our Copenhagen office, I have had the pleasure advising both international and Danish clients on over 50 transactions with an accumulated deal value of more than EUR 1.5 bn. Some highlights of the completed transactions on which I have advised include the sale of Nutramino to Glanbia, the sale of Exerp to Technogym and the sale of European Camping Group to French Carlyle backed Homair Group. Previously, I worked my way up from analyst to manager at KPMG Corporate Finance and then spend three years at Straumur investment bank, before joining Clearwater in 2009. I hold a MSc in Finance and Accounting from Copenhagen Business School, including strategy specialization in Boston and marketing in Singapore.

Carsten Rydahl

I am motivated by and thrive with advising company owners on how we together create the best basis for a sale. My noblest task is to understand and incorporate the owners' motivations and success criteria and carry them into the sales process so we can deliver the result they dream of. I have worked with owner-founders and PE's since I started my career in 2008 - and since 2018 as a Partner at our office in Aarhus.

Béatrice Blanquet

I joined the Marseille team in 2014 after having worked first in strategy consulting at Booz Allen & Hamilton, then in operational functions in various environments including the automotive industry at PSA Peugeot Citroën, cell phone distribution at Avenir Telecom, and finally the banking sector at Société Marseillaise de Crédit. I have participated in several sale and external growth processes across a variety of sectors. In the healthcare sector, I advised on the sale of Hôpital Privé La Casamance to the Almaviva Group, in the food & beverage sector I advised on the sale of Confit de Provence to French Gourmet Food, and in the industrials sector, I advised on the sale of PB Environnement to the Faun Environnement Group, and the acquisition of several transport companies by the Cogepart Group. The diverse range of transactions I have been able to work on over the last few years, the specificities inherent to each sector of activity, to each company and to each manager or shareholder, makes this job exciting. Understanding our clients' expectations, building, and implementing effective solutions adapted to each specific situation is particularly important to me and makes my daily work very stimulating. I am a graduate of ESCP Business School and have a Master's degree in Strategy and Marketing from the University of Paris Dauphine.

Thomas Gaucher

I am one of the founders of Clearwater France and lead our financial services sector, ranging from insurance or credit brokerage (acquisition of Filiassur by Tikehau Capital), to regulated activities (sale of Luxembourg based Life Insurance company One Life to Aviva). I also lead our leisure sub-sector team which has been particularly active working on a number of transactions in sub-sectors such as: hospitality (sale of Morgan Stanley’s Parisian 4 starred Hotel Group to Swisslife); restaurant groups (sale of French Parisian brasseries Frères Blanc to Bertrand); holiday resorts, advising Pierre & Vacances in several deals; and in the camping/caravaning industry, advising leading French companies European Camping Group (ex Homair Vacances) and Vacalians. I started my career with CIC Bank investment, and then joined Lazard M&A and Close Brothers/DC Advisory. In total I have led more than 50 transactions, ranging from raising equity for start-ups, to negotiating deals for institutional groups, and in every case I am proud to help clients reach crucial milestones.

Alexandre Forget

I co-manage Clearwater's activity in the Mediterranean region, alongside Emmanuel Xerri. Following a career in large cap companies in London working for CIBC Capital Markets, I quickly moved into the small and mid-cap segment working for Degroof Petercam, CIC Conseil and then Clairfield International to advise families and shareholders on their strategic considerations. Our goal is to accompany our clients over the long term, by reconciling our technical expertise of the large cap market with tailor-made solutions which meet the specificities and challenges of SMEs. I have advised on more than 30 transactions, including the sale of Markal, a major player in organic food, to FrenchFood Capital, the sale of Laboratoire BioCasamance, a medical analysis laboratory, to Eurofins, the sale of Bio&Co, an organic distribution network, to InVivo, the acquisition of Maxicoffee, a coffee roaster and e-commerce business, by the Daltys group, BPI France and the Qatar sovereign wealth fund’s (QIA) investment in Alstef Group, an Industry 4.0 logistics solutions company, and the refinancing of laser cutting business GL Groupe and PSD, a pharmaceutical group. I am convinced that Clearwater's three-dimensional approach of sector expertise, regional proximity and international footprint is a differentiator for our clients.

Norbert-Markus Roth

I support the German-speaking countries of Clearwater as a Senior Adviser and together with our debt advisory team, I advise medium-sized companies and groups on a variety of financing issues and accompany them throughout the transaction process. Before joining Clearwater, I was Head of Origination Corporate Finance / Equity Capital Markets at Commerzbank AG having joined in 1999. At Commerzbank AG I advised on transactions with a focus on mid and large-cap companies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. I started my career as a Security Trader at FSE and continued as Head of Syndicate at DZ Bank AG responsible for mid-cap transactions. As a corporate finance expert, I specialise in advising IPOs, capital raising, secondary offerings, spin-offs, private equity buy-outs and debt advisory.

Søren Nørbjerg

I have worked in M&A since the 1990s when the discipline was still in its very beginning and have been a part of Clearwater's journey from a small start-up to the position we hold today. The many years of advising have taught me that no two transactions are the same and that it is essential to be able to immerse in our clients' reality to understand their business and their visions for the future. Besides my role in Clearwater, I practice my great passion for wine as co-owner and manager of a vineyard in Bourgogne.

Richard Ellis

I am a Director within the Clearwater Growth team. I joined Clearwater in 2014 having previously worked at BDO where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant. I’m a deal leader with a focus on TMT and have advised on a number of deals in the sector including Palatine Impact’s investment in e-days Absence Management and the sale of Union Square to Deltek Inc. I’ve also advised on a number of high-profile transactions outside of TMT including the sale of Westleigh to listed Countryside Properties plc and Sidhil to US corporate, Drive DeVilbiss.

At Clearwater, I've had the opportunity to advise on a wide variety of transactions and a range of clients, including owner-managers, institutional investors and large corporates, ensuring no two days are the same. A significant amount of effort and work goes into every transaction, often with numerous ups and downs along the way. It is often a life-changing event for our client so the feeling you get from completing a deal is a real highlight. 

I had the privilege of being awarded Young Dealmaker of the Year at the East Midlands Dealmakers Awards in 2018. 

Richard O'Donnell

I have been a specialist in the M&A consumer and leisure sector for 20 years and I am a Partner at Clearwater. I cut my teeth at UBS Investment Bank, as part of the team advising on large and often £1bn or above transactions across Europe. I then moved to the mid-market and have spent the last 15 years working with some of the most exciting brands in the sector, including Fever-Tree, LEON Restaurants, Fox International, LeMieux, and Goals Soccer Centres. I’ve advised on sales, acquisitions, and take-private transactions in the sector.