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Tomas Almgren

As part of the team that founded the Swedish operations more than eight years ago, I have, together with the other team members of Clearwater International, built the most successful M&A business in Sweden. Our success is built on the ability to think outside the box combined with hard work and always putting the client’s needs first.

Today I am Managing Partner at Clearwater International and advise Swedish and international clients on a variety of M&A transactions, primarily focused on sell-side mandates for both industrial and private equity clients.

My core strength has always been finding the best innovation solutions for complex transactions and meeting specific client needs.

Some key deals include advising the founder on the divestment of IsaDora to Axcel; advising Latour on its sale of Specma Group to Schouw; advising on the sale of Diamorph to Epiris; advising Transdev Group on its sale of Flygbussarna (Airport coaches); and advising Accent Equity on its sale of Stål & Hyr Group.

Oscar Coster

I joined Clearwater International for the first time in 2013 and started full-time following my graduation with a Master’s degree in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2014. I am currently a Partner and Head of Industrials and Chemicals in Sweden.

Since joining Clearwater, I have advised clients on a wide array of transactions, primarily in industrials, but also in consumer and business services sectors. Some highlights include advising the owners of Systeminstallation on the sale to Alder, the sale of Diamorph to Epiris, and the sale of Sweden’s fastest-growing restaurant chain Brödernas to Litorina.

I particularly enjoy guiding clients through the complex process of finding new partnerships and owners for their businesses. With the backing of my excellent colleagues at Clearwater, I am confident in our offering and in our ability to create value for clients.

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.

Onno de Groot

I joined Clearwater International in 2023 as Partner, bringing over 16 years of corporate finance and M&A experience, as well as a wide network and strong sector knowledge in the fields of consumer, retail, food, and agriculture, to further enhance Clearwater’s advisory proposition. During my career, I have advised clients on a broad range of transactions, including buy and sell-side assignments, corporate carve-outs and leveraged buy-outs, both domestic and cross-border, along with equity and debt capital raises. To date, I have completed over 50 M&A transactions with a combined deal value exceeding €5bn. Prior to Clearwater, I was Director at PwC Corporate Finance, where I led the Consumer & Retail corporate finance team in the Netherlands. I also gained broader financial and M&A experience during secondments at PwC UK’s Consumer M&A team and FrieslandCampina’s in-house corporate development and M&A team. My core focus is to spearhead Clearwater’s coverage in the Netherlands within the consumer and food & beverage sectors, while being actively involved in the firm’s private equity coverage. As Partner, I am closely involved in both the origination and execution of transactions within the highly active Benelux M&A mid-market, known for its significant private equity activity and high degree of cross-border transactions. I am able to add value to my clients by combining industry knowledge and global buyer access. With a communicative and collaborative approach, I enjoy working closely with entrepreneurs, management teams, private equity investors, and international corporates. Every situation is unique, and I strive to provide advice that results in the optimal mix for each specific client in terms of valuation, transaction structure, confidentiality, deal certainty, speed of execution, and employee job security. When advising clients, I have a genuine interest in identifying and optimally articulating the unique features of their businesses, using a hands-on, pragmatic, and high-energy approach, to complete the transaction and achieve exceptional outcomes for them. Some of my deal highlights so far include the sale of Lyceo, the sale of Vitaminstore to Nobel Capital, the sale of B&C International to Springs Window Fashions (backed by AEA Investors and BCI), the sale of Zeelandia’s Scandinavian business/assets to Orkla, growth capital investments by NPM Capital in Agro Care and KUBO, the acquisition of European Bakery Group by 3i Investments (from Egeria), the sale of Partou (by Navitas Capital) to KidsFoundation (backed by Onex and Waterland), the sale of NMi and Triskelion (by FDI) to Levine Leichtman, the acquisition of KIWA by SHV Holdings, the acquisition of Yarrah Organic Petfood by AAC Capital (from Vendis Capital), the distressed sale of MS Mode Group, the distressed sale of Bernard Matthews UK, the sale of FTNON to JBT Corporation, and the sale of Vurense Snack Industrie (VSI) to Hearthside Foods. I also hold a master’s degree in finance from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and graduated with honours.

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.

Søren Nørbjerg

Jeg har arbejdet med M&A siden 1990’erne, hvor disciplinen stadig var i sin spæde start og har været med hele vejen på Clearwaters rejse  fra en lille start-up til den position, vi har i dag. De mange års rådgivning har lært mig, at ikke to transaktioner er ens, og at det derfor er helt afgørende at sætte sig ind i vores kunders virkelighed for at forstå deres virksomhed og deres visioner for fremtiden. Ved siden af min rolle i Clearwater dyrker jeg min store passion for vin som medejer og daglig leder af en vingård i Bourgogne.