Complex Corporate Finance Situation?We Own the Process. You Run the Business.
We take full ownership of the Corporate Finance process – M&A, restructuring, distressed situations – so C-Level can stay focused on what matters most: running the business.
We deploy your organization's existing resources, coordinate every bank, lawyer, and advisor professionally, and drive the process toward the best achievable outcome. Independent. Agenda-free. Invisible.
What We Do
Not just an advisor. An enabler for your organization.
We take full ownership of the Corporate Finance process – so the business keeps running while the situation gets resolved. Professionally. Independently. With your own team at the center.
We Work Through Your Organization – Not Around It.
We don't bypass your internal team. We deploy them effectively – using institutional knowledge that no external advisor can replicate. Your people, structured by us, become the backbone of the process.
Banks and Advisors Have Their Own Agenda. We Don't.
We coordinate every bank, lawyer, and advisor on your behalf – keeping the process aligned to your outcome, not their fee structures. One point of independence. All advisors professionally managed.
CEOs Want It Off Their Plate. CFOs Want to Stay Involved.
Full process ownership for CEOs who need to stay focused on the business. Structured collaboration for CFOs who want to stay in control without being consumed by the process. We adapt to both from day one.
Profit-Maximizing or Loss-Minimizing. Always.
The outcome objective is defined upfront – whether maximizing proceeds in an exit or minimizing losses in a restructuring. Every process decision is evaluated against that objective. No scope creep. No moving targets.
About
Three seats at the deal table.
The background behind this service spans three distinct positions at the corporate finance table.
It started in investment banking — Bulge Bracket IBD — advising on buy-side M&A, sell-side mandates, mergers, and large-scale debt refinancing across European markets.
Then private equity and restructuring advisory: corporate carve-outs, distressed situations, full deal cycles from due diligence through SPA negotiations to exit, and buy-and-build execution across a growing portfolio.
Most recently, as principal behind an active mid-cap PE holding — executing acquisitions directly, building portfolio companies — and as independent Corporate Finance advisor taking full process ownership of complex mandates for PE owners and C-Level.
Three different seats at the table: the bank, the fund, the independent advisor. We bring all three perspectives to every engagement.
Selected Highlights
Investment Banking
~€10bn
Merger · Telecoms
Bulge Bracket IBD: advised on the combination of two major telecommunications businesses. Full transaction support from initial analysis through signing, including fairness opinion on the agreed consideration.
Bulge Bracket IBD · M&ADebt Advisory
€12bn+
Pan-European Refinancing
Coordinated refinancing of all term loan facilities across five European entities for a major international telecoms group. Multi-jurisdiction, multi-creditor process managed at Bulge Bracket level.
Bulge Bracket IBD · Debt AdvisoryPrivate Equity
PE Carve-out
Restructuring + Buy and Build
Post-acquisition restructuring of a corporate carve-out, including operational repositioning, buy-and-build execution, and financing optimization across the full hold period to exit.
PE · Full cycleIndependent Advisory
€1.6bn Refi
PE-held company · F&B
Business plan → €1.6bn refinancing → full exit process. Single point of coordination between PE owner, management, banks, legal, tax, and commercial advisors across all workstreams.
Process owner · End-to-endLiquidity Advisory
Structured Cash Forecast
Cash Crisis · Mobility Sector
Built a proprietary liquidity management tool for a listed company in acute financial distress. Month-level cash forecasting predicted the critical liquidity inflection point with precision.
Independent · Liquidity & FP&APrivate Equity
Full Cycle Exit
Carve-out → Restructuring → Buy and Build → Exit
Full-cycle PE mandate: corporate carve-out of a hotel operator, operational restructuring post-acquisition, two add-on acquisitions across Germany and Austria, and ultimate exit via share deal.
PE · Carve-out to ExitOur Services
Six areas where we take process ownership.
From complex M&A to public sector restructuring – we own the process so management can focus on the outcome.
For Whom
For leadership teams in complex situations.
When a corporate finance situation demands serious attention – and management capacity is the scarcest resource in the room.
CEOs Who Need Full Relief
The CEO's job is to run the business – not to manage a six-month M&A process or navigate a restructuring. We take full process ownership, keeping the CEO informed and in control without consuming their time.
CFOs Who Need Bandwidth – Not Replacement
CFOs understand the numbers and want to stay involved. But a complex Corporate Finance process can absorb months of CFO capacity. We create the structure that keeps the CFO in the loop and in control – without taking them out of daily operations.
Private Equity Owners & Portfolio Companies
PE owners need an independent voice inside portfolio companies who speaks their language – returns, timelines, value creation – while keeping management's trust. We bridge ownership objectives and operational reality, aligned to value creation rather than to either side.
Public Entities & Institutional Organizations
Municipalities, government agencies, ministries, and political organizations facing financial challenges – budget crises, structural inefficiencies, or liquidity problems – where independent expertise and process discipline are critically needed.
Why ExS
Six reasons we deliver more than advice.
The Business Keeps Running. The Process Doesn't Stop.
The most expensive resource in any Corporate Finance process is management attention. We take process ownership precisely to protect it. CEOs stay focused on the business. CFOs stay in control without being consumed. The process moves forward – without them carrying it.
We Deploy Your Organization – Not Replace It.
Your internal team has institutional knowledge no external advisor can replicate. We deploy that capacity effectively, combine it with neutral coordination of all external advisors, and create a process that is both grounded and agenda-free.
No Commission. No Conflicts. No Compromise.
Every bank, every advisor, every lawyer has their own interest in your situation. We don't. No referral fees, no mandates, no outcome-tied compensation. The only thing driving our advice is your result.
15+ Years: IB · Restructuring · PE
Not generalist consulting. Specialized expertise built across 15+ years in investment banking, restructuring advisory, and private equity – on both sides of complex transactions and distressed situations.
Profit-Maximizing or Loss-Minimizing. Always.
The outcome objective is defined before we start. Every process decision is evaluated against it. Whether maximizing proceeds in an exit or minimizing losses in a restructuring – we never lose sight of the number that matters.
Confidentiality Is Non-Negotiable.
In Corporate Finance situations, information is power and discretion is structural. We operate with zero external footprint. No paper trail unless you create it. Your situation, your options, your process – completely confidential.
How It Works
Simple.Confidential. From day one.
No lengthy onboarding. No mandatory disclosure. A clear, discreet process that respects your time and your confidentiality from the first moment.
Initial Conversation – No Obligation
Reach out via our contact form or direct email. Describe your situation briefly – and we'll respond within 24 hours with an initial assessment of how we can help.
Situation & Scope Assessment
We map the full situation: stakeholders, timeline, management bandwidth, and outcome objectives. This gives us both clarity on scope and fit – and you a first independent read on how the process should be structured.
Process Design & Engagement
We design the process structure: how your organization is deployed, how external advisors are coordinated, and how leadership stays informed without being consumed. Tailored to your situation – no standard packages.
Process Ownership Until Resolution
We run the process. You run the business. We keep the right people informed at the right cadence – strategic updates, not operational noise. We adapt as the situation evolves, until the objective is achieved.
A brief description of your situation is enough to start. We respond within 24 hours.
The Case For Process Ownership
Why process ownership protects the outcome.
In a complex corporate finance situation, the instinct is to get leadership more involved. More meetings. More decisions. More time. In reality, that's exactly the wrong approach – and it's why most Corporate Finance processes underperform.
This is not advisory for every situation. It's for the situations where C-Level time is too valuable to be spent managing the process – and where the outcome is too important to leave to advisors with their own interests at the table.
Management time is the scarcest resource in any Corporate Finance process.
Every hour a CEO spends on deal mechanics is an hour not spent running the business. Every month a CFO is absorbed by a restructuring is a month of financial management running on autopilot. We take process ownership to protect the resource that matters most.
CEOs need it handled. CFOs need structure, not displacement.
The distinction matters. CEOs typically want the situation handled – off their plate, with clear updates. CFOs want to stay in the loop and retain control over the numbers. We adapt to both: full ownership for CEOs, structured collaboration for CFOs. Always protecting the capacity that matters most.
Your organization knows more than any external advisor.
We deploy your internal team's institutional knowledge – something no bank or consulting firm can replicate. Combined with professional coordination of all external advisors, this creates a process that is grounded, efficient, and fully aligned to your outcome.
The outcome is always defined. And always non-negotiable.
Profit-maximizing or loss-minimizing – the objective is set before the process starts. Every decision is evaluated against it. No scope creep, no process for process's sake. The result is what we are measured by.
Contact
Let's talk about your situation.
Reach out to discuss your situation. We'll respond within 24 hours. All client interactions are handled with complete professional discretion.
Direct
info@exs-sparring.com