Succession

Succession is one of the most common reasons an owner-led DACH company goes through an M&A process. Three routes dominate: a handover inside the family, a management buyout by the sitting team, and a sale to a trade buyer or a private-equity fund. Each route has its own tax and process consequences. An indicative valuation is a sensible first step on all three: inside the family, to set fair settlements among heirs; on an MBO, to shape the financing; on an external sale, to set the negotiating position. Two to five years is a realistic run-up to the actual handover.