Corporate M&A Manager

The organisation

Aareon a leading pan-European provider of innovative software solutions for the real estate sector. The company is digitalising property management by offering user-oriented software solutions that automate processes and interconnect all stakeholders in the process. Aareon takes a collaborative approach to R&D, combining its knowledge and expertise with the operational specifics of each client.

In 2020, private equity fund Advent International acquired a 30% stake in Aareon from Germany’s Aareal Bank Group, which is Aareon’s holding company. Aareon has more than 7,000 clients across Europe, who manage approximately 14 million real estate units. The company has over 2000 employees and offices in the DACH region, France, the United Kingdom, the Benelux, and the Nordics. It has a revenue around EUR 310 million and EBITDA around EUR 75 million.

““It’s really fun. We are profitable, we are also growing 15-20%, and at the same time it feels like a start-up, working closely together and making quick decisions.” – Bas Joosten, Head of M&A

The position

Aareon is a leading provider of innovative software solutions for the real estate sector in Europe, partly owned by Advent International, and pursuing an intensive buy & build strategy. The Corporate M&A Manager is responsible for new deals and overall M&A strategy activities. This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on financial or accounting professional with a strong sense of autonomy to work in a private equity M&A pressure cooker.

The Corporate M&A Manager is part of the strategy team and works with the Head of M&A. The role is responsible for taking deals from a-to-z while collaborating with teammates on sector knowledge. The Corporate M&A Manager is not expected to have deep experience in closing deals from day one, as the position offers the space to build this expertise and Aareon has the deal flow to facilitate this. In the past 18 months, the company closed 13 deals for around EUR 400 million.

For the next three quarters, up to three more deals of EUR 300-400 million total are expected. Besides deal exposure, the role of Corporate M&A Manager also offers the chance to build private equity portfolio experience, thinking about the value creation strategy of the portfolio.

The Corporate M&A Manager, as also reflected in the Aareon leadership, is a doer. This means building the model, making the slides, pitching the deal, and doing the work. Decisions are quick, as deals do not pass through lengthy sequential stages and an IC. Instead, the M&A team iterates with the CEO several times per week, and drive deal decisions together with the Aareon Management Board and with the Supervisory Board. Since Aareon’s M&A has a strong sector-focus, as per the buy & build strategy for its property management SaaS platform, knowledge of the market and the players are strong within the team. The Corporate M&A Manager leverages this and puts the pre-deal emphasis on the financial and legal due diligence.

“We like to keep going forward, quickly doing the right thing and moving on to the next! – Bas Joosten, Head of M&A

In addition, Aareon is three years into the investment by Advent International, and an exit will be on the horizon in the next years. This offers the Corporate M&A Manager the opportunity to take a central role in the exit process, from preparing materials to managing advisors (lawyers, accountants, consultants), and to be a part of one of Europe’s top software deals. The exit will also provide a new opportunity for growth, either by jumping into the management team or by continuing to build deal experience with the new private equity investor.

Candidate profile

• Master’s degree
• 5+ years of experience in finance or accounting
• Strong financial modelling skills
• Fluent in English

This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on financial or accounting professional with a strong sense of autonomy to work in a private equity M&A pressure cooker, engaging in portfolio strategy, various new bold-on acquisitions, and a large pan-European PE exit, all within the next two years. The Corporate M&A Manager can be based anywhere in Europe, working with a hybrid set-up and some travel.

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by following the link below.