Leaders of goetzpartners complete management buyout from owners

German management consulting firm goetzpartners has completed a management buyout, seeing the firm transition from a founder-led to a partner-led business.

As part of a management buyout, the firm’s leadership team consisting of Axel Meythaler , Gerrit Schütte, Christian Wältermann, Christian Muthler and Gerwin Weidl has bought the full stake of the business from the two founders, Stephan Goetz and Stefan Sanktjohanser.

The move caps a number of uncertain months for goetzpartners, which is an award-winning consultancy in the area of strategy, mergers & acquisitions (commercial due diligence), transformation, and restructuring. In March this year, the two founders were taken into custody for the alleged role they had played in a multi-million euro fraud at textile company Sympatex, which they also own. Further details are yet to emerge.

While the case had little to do with goetzpartners, and the firm was operating in healthy fashion, it did trigger the leadership team to cut loose from the allegations and transfer the ownership to the next generation of leaders.

Meythaler, managing director at goetzpartners, said that the transaction underscores the company’s competitiveness and the management team’s dedication to its future. “Our goal is clear: We will continue to offer both management consulting and corporate finance advisory services from a single source. For our clients, especially in challenging situations, this combination has proven extremely valuable.”

Founded in 1991, goetzpartners today has around 150 consultants working from offices in Germany (Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich) and several other countries in Europe (London, Madrid, Milan Paris, Prague, Zurich) and beyond (New York, Shanghai). In its latest financial year, the firm reported sales of €140 million.

The management buyout was supported by Kartesia, a private group with several stakes in the professional services landscape. “With Kartesia as a financially strong partner, we will have the flexibility and opportunity to continue and systematically develop goetzpartners’ entrepreneurial advisory model,” said managing director Muthler.

Tomás Neuhaus, Partner & Head of Value Enhancement at Kartesia, stated: “We are delighted to support the management team of goetzpartners in their buyout as the business builds its position in the European advisory market. The aim is to grow the company into a European powerhouse in its core services. We look forward to working closely with the team on this next phase of its development.”