Wealth & Finance International - Business Awards 2015

Business Awards 2015 26 Best Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year – Switzerland and Recognised Leader in Global M&A Transactions MilleniumAssociates AG is an independent international M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory firm based in Switzerland and the UK. Founder Ray Soudah discusses with us how the firm has come to win two highly prestigious awards. Company: MilleniumAssociates AG Name: Ray Soudah Web Address: www.milleniumassociates.com Address: Kreuzstrasse 54, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland Telephone: +41 58 710 47 00 MilleniumAssociates AG Founded in 2000 and owned by its partners and management, Mille- niumAssociates are uniquely positioned within the Corporate Finance market to offer independent and non-conflicting advice to our clients. Our Entrepreneurs and Corporates Practice specialises in supporting corporates and entrepreneurial business owners all over the world for their M&A needs, while our Financial Services Practice focuses on trans- actions for the global financial services industry, in particular the global wealth, asset management, private banking and private equity sectors. The company’s fully dedicated team of M&A and Corporate Finance specialists are currently involved in variety of advisory assignments, supporting a number of international, regional and domestic clients with their global expansion or divestment strategies, as well as consulting for organisations seeking to determine their ideal strategic options including partnerships, alliances and IPO or debt raising plans and arrangements. We are proud to have one of the broadest professional networks world- wide, including institutional and private investors. Over recent years we have augmented this with a number of similarly independent and un-conflicted global strategic partnerships in the key growth regions of the world that strengthens our coverage locally and regionally and complements our service offering. As our clients trust us with a vital aspect of their business we take client service very seriously. Our clients value our independence and lack of conflict as well as our ability to create tailor-made solutions for them. Our local, regional and global experience also enables us to understand and uphold our client’s requirements whatever the size or nature of the project, irrespective of sector or geography. Although we are headquartered in Switzerland and simultaneously have a FCA EU passportable approved subsidiary in London we, like our clients, are not restricted geographically. Our international network of investors coupled with our global strategic partnerships means we can support our clients’ needs whatever their location or area of interest. This flexibility is valuable to our clients as their work is not restricted geographically, so we have to ensure we are not either. As the global economy continues to improve, our firm is observing both investor and business owner confidence growing on a selective basis for at- tractive investment opportunities in a significant number of regions globally. In addition to this we are experiencing a steady increase in the number and volume of M&A transactions, which is a good sign of economic recovery. This recovery is a good sign, but has also meant an increase in competi- tion in our industry, a new firms move in. There are many factors which differentiate us in the market place; we more than complete with the larger firms in our expertise, global reach and investor network enabling us to manage the most complex mergers, acquisitions or disposals of companies as well as supporting any IPO or bond/capital market needs, however our continuing independence and lack of conflicts, professional network and nimble abilities allows us offer totally impartial advice and be creative in finding the most appropriate strategic solutions. In addition to this we have a unique culture within our company which helps define the work we do and set us apart from our competitors. We are entrepreneurial company at heart, so whilst there is an excellent foundation in corporate finance and over 200 man years of collective M&A experience, we also see matters from all sides and understand our clients’ needs and values. This deep understanding makes every transaction we work on personal to us and inspires us to strive to achieve the best possible outcome for the client. MilleniumAssociates has always had one of the broadest professional networks worldwide, including institutional and private investors, and we work hard to maintain and develop this network, ensuing we understand their evolving strategies and demands. Looking to the future we will strive to continue to augment our network of global strategic partners to ensure we can offer industry and geographi- cal expertise whatever the transaction.