Lincoln International adds an innovative and global Joint Venture & Partnering Practice

Dr. Marc van Grondelle joins Lincoln International as a Managing Director and Head of Joint Venture & Partnering Advisory

Lincoln International, the leading global, mid-market investment bank, announced today that it has added a new global capability in joint venture (“JV”) and partnering advisory, led by Dr. Marc van Grondelle. Formerly, Dr. van Grondelle was Global Head of Joint Venture & Partnering Advisory for KPMG. Also joining Lincoln International are other senior members of Dr. van Grondelle’s team from KPMG.

Lincoln International’s JV & Partnering Team’s expertise spans the entire JV and partnership lifecycle, from creating sustainably successful new JVs in emerging economies, to resetting, restructuring and exiting existing JVs and partnerships, globally. A particular area of focus for the team will be driving improved value from the diagnosing and resetting of terms and operations of individual (or portfolios of) underperforming JVs, partnerships and minority stakes.

The team has an excellent track-record in advising large multinational corporations, mid-cap companies and leading private equity firms. Dr. van Grondelle and the team will be based in Lincoln International’s London office but will operate globally and call on the resources of Lincoln International’s 17 offices in 14 countries.

Dr. van Grondelle has an excellent background for advising on JVs and partnerships globally, which is unique for an investment banker. He has nearly two decades of operational, transactional and restructuring experience in running joint ventures and partnerships with Shell International globally as part of the operating team on long-term assignments in Africa, Australia, India, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and the UK, among others. He is a chemical and petroleum engineer, has a PhD in Arabic and Islam and speaks five languages.

Marc and the team also have many years of experience working with companies as a trusted C-suite advisor and have consulted on dozens of joint ventures and partnerships globally. Some of the world’s largest multinational firms have called on the team for advice and support, diplomatically and in confidence. These include:

  • Leading multinational banking and financial services corporations in the US and Europe
  • National energy companies in the Middle East and Asia
  • Leading multinational consumer companies, globally
  • Leading international industrial and service companies in the US, Europe, Middle East and CIS

As part of its M&A activities, Lincoln International has worked on cross-sector JV, partnership or minority stake related assignments, including companies as diverse as:

  • Baylor College of Medicine forming a JV with Miraca Holdings (Baylor Miraca)
  • Terex selling a majority stake in Terex A.S.V. to Manitex, resulting in a joint venture
  • Brand New Day issuing share capital to a private investor group

“Joint ventures and partnerships are vital to growth, but not all of them are successful. All too often, JVs are created by lawyers who lack operational, practical experience in the implementation of such JVs. This gives a false sense of security and usually results in under-performance against the original business plan and leaves potential untapped money or market share on the table,” said Chairman of Lincoln International, Jim Lawson. “Marc’s team brings decades of hands-on, operational JV experience and cultural sensitivit, as well as transactional expertise. Lincoln International brings deep investment banking skills, global relationships and prior work on JV and partnering situations. Combined, we can now provide significant value to our clients, beyond what lawyers can bring, across the entire lifecycle of JVs, partnerships and minority investments. Moreover, we are truly independent advisors as we do not cross-sell accounting, tax or operational consulting services.”

Dr. van Grondelle added, “I am delighted to join Lincoln with my team and look forward to working across all of the firm’s offices globally to support our clients worldwide. I believe that together we have a differentiated and unique offering. Our role is to keep our clients safe when they enter new JVs or partnerships or to get more value and performance from their existing JVs and partnerships that are under-achieving, financially or operationally. My goal is to help build Lincoln International into the global leader in providing independent advice on JVs, partnerships and minority stakes.”

Prior to joining Lincoln International, Dr. van Grondelle was with KPMG for over five years, where he served as a partner and Global Head of Joint Venture and Partnering Advisory. He began his career with Shell International, where he spent two decades working in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, India, the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Marc received a PhD in Arabic, Islam and Middle Eastern Affairs from Utrecht University and a Master of Science degree in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering from Delft University of Technology. He is a member of The Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE), currently holds a board position in the UK for the Corps Council of the Corps of Army Music and is a Governor of Danes Hill School (Oxshott).

 

About Lincoln International

Lincoln International specializes in merger and acquisition advisory services, debt advisory services, private capital raising and restructuring advice on mid-market transactions. Lincoln International also provides fairness opinions, valuations and pension advisory services on a wide range of transaction sizes. With seventeen offices in the Americas, Asia and Europe, Lincoln International has strong local knowledge and contacts in key global economies. The firm provides clients with senior-level attention, in-depth industry expertise and integrated resources. By being focused and independent, Lincoln International serves its clients without conflicts of interest. More information about Lincoln International can be obtained at www.lincolninternational.com