Wieger Houtman: driving force behind M&A transformation

In the dynamic world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), there are those who set themselves apart with their ability to drive innovation and progress. Wieger Houtman, Head of Corporate Accounts at Dealsuite, is a prime example. His journey from becoming a seasoned M&A consultant to taking on a key role at Dealsuite marks a major turning point in both his career and the digitisation of M&A professionals. 

As Head of Corporate Accounts, Wieger is focused on Dealsuite's client  group: the strategic buyers. Companies that acquire larger holdings based on an active buy-and-build strategy. Let's get acquainted with this experienced M&A expert.

Wieger Houtman’s background

Wieger Houtman has built an impressive career in the M&A industry. Fresh out of the lecture halls, he started working at Hogenhouck M&A, where he soon mastered the M&A profession. After this he branched out his career with his own corporate finance consultancy. Over the years, Wieger has seen the M&A landscape change. ‘’During my early years, from 2010 to 2015, you saw the first forms of digitisation start to take shape,'' says Wieger. "The digital data room, for example, that was a breath of fresh air compared to traditional screening and auditing."  

Switch to Dealsuite

At that time, Wieger became acquainted with M&A platforms such as Dealsuite. "Back then, the main focus was on connecting buyers and sellers, as Funda does for the housing market." The corona pandemic accelerated the digitisation of M&A. A meeting with Dealsuite founder Floyd Plettenberg proved to be pivotal for Wieger. He saw an opportunity to apply his M&A expertise in a digital context. This led to his move to Dealsuite, which he describes as “an ideal match.”

Dealsuite: ‘Linkedin for the merger & acquisitions market’

Dealsuite now offers comprehensive support to CEOs, CFOs and in-house M&A professionals. The platform not only provides access to the network of M&A professionals, but also plays a crucial role in strengthening M&A branding and efficiently sourcing deal flow. Dealsuite goes beyond a state of the art on-the-market deal sourcing solution: "We have developed a unique tooling to spot off-the-market deals," explains Wieger, "which gives users an edge in the hunt for excellent opportunities."

The network module has been well received by Wieger and business owners: "This puts them in direct contact with M&A professionals. In that respect, we are like LinkedIn for the merger and acquisitions market, with both personal and company profiles." 

Dealsuite has also integrated strategists, private equity firms and M&A consultancies. This step with Dealsuite further adds to the growing merger and acquisitions market.  

Acquisitions are becoming more common

The number of acquisitions taking place in the middle market, which Dealsuite operates in, has been increasing for years. "Whereas in the past a business owner would usually be considering the sale of a company around the age of 60, partial or full acquisitions are now far more common across the board," notes Wieger. “Business owners at any stage now find it easier to part ways with their company. "They are better at identifying when they are no longer needed or when a business requires new capital in order to scale up." “We are also seeing the continued rise in popularity of buy-and-build as a growth strategy.”

The demand for acquisitions may also be driving the supply of investors. There are many more different buyers now than, say, 15 years ago. Both financial and strategic parties are moving into the mid-market sector. Strategists operate in multiple countries. “The number of international transactions will continue to increase,” predicts Wieger. 

Dealsuite is therefore active across all borders. "In more than 50 countries, we are even the leading M&A platform for the European middle market," says Wieger.

International interest in Dutch SMEs is also on the rise. “Of course, there are language barriers to consider, as well as different legal entities and currencies. But our software takes all that into account." Wieger illustrates this with an example: "A Frenchman can offer a company for sale in French and you can then view all their company information in Dutch. The same applies to foreign currencies. The platform is more international than ever.’’

What the future holds

“We are never finished with updating our software” Wieger says, pointing to the constant progress and adjustment to changing market needs. Dealsuite is committed to expanding its software every year, with each new functionality leading to better connections and even more relevant deal flow.

 Wieger emphasises that there is still a lot of room for improvement within the M&A process. "There are still many parts in the process that we can support with smart tools so that professionals can do their work even better." This commitment to innovation reflects Dealsuite's mission to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of mergers and acquisitions.

Despite the large international reach, Wieger does not rule out further expansion: " We want to continue to strengthen our leading position in Europe, in Central and Eastern Europe." This geographical expansion is a clear signal that highlights Dealsuite's ambition to remain a dominant player in the international M&A market.

The future of Dealsuite also includes major upgrades in the network module, the insights module and the data module. "The competitive merger and acquisitions market encourages companies to position themselves even better," says Wieger. “Companies will want to put more emphasis on their unique characteristics, such as their specific areas of expertise, proven track record in deals, and their company branding.”

With this vision and the plans that are in place, Dealsuite is positioning itself as a pioneer in the evolution of a digital M&A market. An environment in which Wieger feels perfectly at home. 

Do you have an active buy & build strategy? Book a demo with Wieger to see what Dealsuite can do for you!