AI Magazine Issue 12 2018

54 Acquisition International - Issue 12 2018 Eric Wijs is Managing Director of Lincoln International, a trusted investment banking advisor to business owners and senior executives of companies around the world. He tells us more about the firm and its key to success. incoln International is a globally integrated investment bank with focus on the mid- market. The firm is active in M&A, debt advisory, valuations and provide advice on joint ventures, with clients being predominantly private equity, publicly listed and privately held corporations. The firm employs 500 professionals across 20 offices in 15 major global economies – one being Founder and Managing Director of the Amsterdam office, Eric Wijs. Eric has more than 25 years of experience advising clients on M&A, public take-overs, divestitures, capital raisings, public offerings, leveraged buyouts, privatizations and restructurings. His clients sit across numerous geographies and include large public companies, privately held companies, private equity investors and government entities from a range of industry sectors. Eric currently spearheads business development and M&A activity in the Benelux, a region where the private equity industry continues to develop and is increasingly considered one of the most attractive asset classes. “Our goal is to be the best mid-market investment bank in the world,” states Eric, explaining a little more about the business and its ongoing strategy. “We continue to invest in our sector teams around the world and employ highly talented and motivated bankers. We are growing fast in both deal volume and head count and are taking market share in the mid- market.” Prior to founding Lincoln’s Amsterdam office, Eric was a Managing Director within the financial advisory practice at Lazard, helping to establish its Amsterdam office, and also worked in the firm’s London and Paris offices. He started his career with ING, prior to its acquisition of Baring Brothers & Co following his graduation from the Erasmus University Rotterdam with a degree in Business Administration and a CEMS Master’s degree. There are certain techniques that Eric and the company employ to ensure that it is a consistent Contact: Eric Wijs Company: Lincoln International Address: WTC Amsterdam Tower H, 24th Floor, Zuidplein 196, Amsterdam, 1077 XV, Netherlands Telephone: 0031 20 7670 310 Web Address: www. lincolninternational.com Mid-Market Stability L 1810AI34 achiever, and to ensure right from the very start of undertaking a new client that the outcome will meet the needs of all involved. “In M&A we focus on sell-side assignments which are more difficult to win than buy-sides,” he explains. “We like to be aligned with our clients and approach sell-side projects as partnerships. Our clients value Lincoln’s global reach and sector expertise. “Global reach and sector expertise are essential to offer clients alternatives when it comes to selling a business unit or portfolio company. We excel in bringing cross border strategic buyers into a competitive sale process. This is the best way to achieve an optimal outcome for our clients.” It’s not all about the number crunching however, and Eric is quick to sing the praises of his colleagues and employees when it comes to client satisfaction. “We benefit from working with very talented and motivated staff,” he enthuses. “Formal training and on the job training are pillars of our HR strategy and development. We work in small teams with direct communication lines and all members of a project team down to the junior analyst have interaction with the client and, of course, the senior MD.” Despite political issues, the global economy is healthy and stable which provides a solid environment for M&A and the future looks bright for Eric and the team at Lincoln. “Strategic buyers are seeking to increase growth with M&A whereas the private equity industry continues to attract more capital and benefits from the availability of attractive debt at low margins,” Eric continues. “Our platform is attractive for talented bankers and we are more and more becoming the employer of choice.” “We excel in bringing cross border strategic buyers into a competitive sale process. This is the best way to achieve an optimal outcome for our clients.”