Journal

Succession insights

Practical perspectives on preparing and executing a business succession worldwide, with Swiss expertise.

  1. Selling a Minority Stake First, Keeping Control of the Rest

    Selling 20 to 40% of the capital before the rest lets both sides test the relationship. What this structure really demands in governance and pricing.

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  2. The Management Buyout Isn't the Easy Option It Looks Like

    Selling to the management team looks like the safest route. What an MBO really demands: leveraged financing, personal guarantees, new governance.

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  3. Keeping a Board Seat After You Sell: Good Idea or Trap?

    Buyers often offer the seller a board seat after closing. What that role actually commits you to, beyond the image of a gentle transition.

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  4. Keep every decision, or delegate a written scope: choosing during a sale

    During a sale process, keeping every decision or formally delegating a scope to a small circle of managers: the criteria for choosing.

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  5. The Internal Successor Who Isn't Ready: What to Do When Plan A Fails

    An internal candidate groomed for years who, under real pressure, doesn't hold the role. The timeline to catch it early and reopen your options.

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  6. What Running a Competitive Sale Process With Several Buyers Actually Costs

    Running several buyers in parallel instead of one has a price, in money and in months. What that choice really costs, and what it buys back.

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  7. Seller Warranties: What You Actually Sign at the End of the Negotiation

    Representations and warranties bind the seller long after closing. Nine clauses to understand before signing, and their usual limits.

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  8. The Price That Moves After Closing: What the Net Working Capital Adjustment Really Does

    The negotiated price is rarely the price paid. What the net working capital adjustment recalculates, and where it catches sellers off guard.

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  9. Putting Your Child to Work in the Business Only Tests Something If the Job Is Real

    Employing a child seen as a possible successor without a real job or clear evaluation tests nothing. What makes the trial period actually count.

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  10. The Son-in-Law or Daughter-in-Law Who Takes Over: Three Myths That Slow the Handover

    A son-in-law or daughter-in-law taking over a family SME is not just another outside hire. Three myths that complicate this specific case.

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