the client is seeking an entrepreneurial co-ceo to help build a growing financial services platform from day one. The role is designed for founder-level ownership and influence, with a focus on shaping strategy, driving growth, and scaling operations through innovation and collaboration. In this position, you will serve as a key leader who supports the company’s direction and represents the platform to relevant stakeholders.
Once an investment thesis is validated, you will take full ownership of the end-to-end deal cycle, including sourcing, pitching, negotiating, executing, and integrating acquisitions. You will also develop a buy-and-build roadmap, covering m&a strategy, value-creation levers, and operational synergies. Additional responsibilities may include acting as the public face of the platform toward sme founders, advisors, lenders, and other stakeholders; building relationships with sellers, particularly in founder-led mittelstand environments; partnering closely with the fellow co-founder to run the company; and supporting sector due diligence, selection and execution of initial acquisitions, structuring at the german holding company level, and organizational design, talent strategy, and long-term expansion planning.
The successful candidate will have proven leadership experience in financial services or a related area and a track record running deals from sourcing through closing, along with strong transaction execution and financial modeling capabilities. Strong pitching, negotiation, and relationship-building skills are essential for engaging german sme founders, and comfort with entrepreneurial risk and ambiguity is expected. This opportunity is intended for high-potential investment professionals who want to move beyond traditional pe structures and take real founder-level ownership, with a persuasive, credible, hands-on style and motivation driven by ownership rather than incremental promotion.