Oscar Balhuizen joins binq Corporate Finance as a partner

Netherlands-based binq Corporate Finance has added a second partner to its team: Oscar Balhuizen.

Just like binq founder Joop de Hoogh, Balhuizen learned the tricks of the trade at a Big Four firm. He spent eight years at Deloitte in its Financial Advisory Services unit between 2002 and 2010, latterly serving as a Director focused on risk management in the Energy & Commodity sectors. Balhuizen also gained significant experience in finance and treasury management.

After leaving Deloitte, Balhuizen worked in the oil & gas industry with oil trader Argos, heading up its Risk Management unit. In more recent years he was an associate partner at Berkeley Corporate Finance, a boutique corporate finance advisory & investment firm focused on transactions across Europe and the Middle East.It is here where he re-met Joop de Hoogh, whom he first worked with during their joint spell at Deloitte. De Hoogh served Deloitte for five years between 2000 and 2005, and then went on to work for KPMG in its Transaction Services wing, serving the unit for five years. Following a four year stint at Alvarez & Marsal, as Head of its Transaction Advisory Group in Europe, De Hoogh launched Berkeley Corporate Finance.

“I met Joop during my career at Deloitte and we have been in close contact since then,” said Balhuizen, adding, “I’m looking forward to the renewed collaboration.”

At binq, Balhuizen will leverage his experience to help clients with risk management and the risk-elements during mergers & acquisitions and restructuring, with a focus on the energy space. “Over the years I’ve developed detailed knowledge of the European energy industry and have worked for a number of leading energy and commodity companies for which I lead projects across trading strategy, portfolio optimisation, transaction valuations, risk systems selections and risk implementations.”

Commenting on the appointment of Balhuizen, founder De Hoogh said, “Oscar is a specialist in operational and financial risks and how risk mitigation can be embedded into business models. His expertise enables companies to grow while remaining protected against unexpected setbacks. This is an important addition to the M&A services we provide.”

Alongside serving clients in the Netherlands and Europe, both De Hoogh and Balhuizen have a track record in the Middle East. At KPMG, De Hoogh led the firm’s Middle East Group and even resided two years in Dubai to work for the firm’s local division. The Middle East offering of binq is supported by a small team of Jumeirah Financial Advisory.