Alantra strengthens its German practice with the appointment of Sven Harmsen and Mathias Heymann as Managing Directors
Date 6 October 2021
- Dr Sven Harmsen, who will lead the Industrials practice in Germany, is a highly regarded investment banker in the space, having advised on more than 50 deals over his investment banking career.
- Alantra has also appointed Mathias Heymann as Managing Director to lead the Technology team in Germany. In his eleven-year career, Heymann has advised in more than 50 transactions in the e-commerce and software sectors.
- This move represents a new step in Alantra’s growth plan in Germany, where it already has 32 professionals dedicated to providing M&A and debt advisory services to mid-market companies, family offices, and investors.
- The announcement also represents another step in Alantra’s global growth trajectory. In 2021, the Firm has hired more than 25 senior professionals to strengthen its sector expertise in Technology, Healthcare and FIG; and added a debt advisory team in Italy.
- As of Q3 2021, Alantra advised in the record figure of more than 170 deals, of which 109 are in M&A, and ranked as the #3 independent advisor in Europe.
Frankfurt, 6 October 2021 – Alantra, the global investment banking and asset management firm, announced that it is strengthening its German investment banking team with two high-level additions: Dr Sven Harmsen and Mathias Heymann. They join Alantra as Managing Directors.
Sven Harmsen is a seasoned industrials expert with more than two decades of M&A experience. He joins from Raymond James, where he was most recently Managing Director for European Industrials in Germany. Before this, he worked for 10 years at Robert W. Baird. Harmsen holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Banking, Stock Exchange and Insurance at Humboldt University in Berlin and a Master of Industrial Engineering and Management from the Technical University of Berlin.
With Mathias Heymann, Alantra further strengthens its global tech team, composed of more than 30 bankers. Heymann will bring more than 11 years of experience in the e-commerce and software sectors. He has advised in more than 50 transactions. Heymann joins Alantra from GCA Altium, where he has worked since 2012. Heymann holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.
With the appointments, Alantra further strengthens its specialized and diverse Investment Banking practice in Germany, reaching 32 professionals. It also represents another step in Alantra’s continued growth in high-growth investment banking sectors and products. In 2021, Alantra has hired more than 25 senior professionals in segments such as Healthcare, Technology, and FIG and added a debt advisory team in Italy.
These diverse and specialized capabilities have resulted in a record deal activity. As of 30 September 2021, the Firm advised on more than 170 transactions globally, of which 109 in M&A for a total volume of €10 billion (+50% YoY). This performance merited the Firm to rank as the #3 independent advisor in Europe and #1 to Private Equity Firms in Europe.
In Germany, Alantra has advised this year on 13 M&A transactions with a volume of more than €3 billion and eight debt advisory assignments. Transactions advised by Alantra in Germany included the sale of Oikos, a leading European provider of prefabricated houses, to Goldman Sachs; the acquisition of Telio, the European market leader in communication technology and services for prisons, by the investment company Charterhouse; and the sale of the world market leader in saunas, Klafs, to the investment company Egeria.
“We are proud that with Sven Harmsen and Mathias Heymann, we could attract renowned and experienced M&A experts Alantra and welcome them to the German management team”, Wolfram Schmerl, Managing Partner of Alantra Germany, said on the occasion of the recent appointments. “With the combination of M&A advisory and debt advisory, Alantra provides an attractive platform for their talents. Our clients will benefit from Sven Harmsen’s extensive experience in our core sectors Industrials and Industrial Automation. With Mathias Heymann’s expertise, we will continue our growth in the areas of Technology and Software.”
Commenting on his start at Alantra, Sven Harmsen said: “I am impressed by the strength of the Alantra platform in Europe and the strong global growth momentum. I look forward to developing the Industrials team into a leading partner for our customers.”
On the occasion of his appointment, Mathias Heymann said: “I am delighted to join Alantra and help to develop the technology sector coverage in German-speaking Europe. Alantra has a very reputable brand in the private equity community and a growing global footprint. I am looking forward to supporting our clients on various software and digital-related transactions.”