In this candid interview, we explore the journey of a visionary entrepreneur who turned a teenage dream into a thriving, impact-driven business. Inspired early on by his father’s entrepreneurial path, he cultivated his ambition through years of experience in management consulting and various leadership roles. His goal was always clear: to not just manage, but truly build something of value. Today, his company navigates the complex world of mergers and acquisitions with innovation, adaptability, and a strong focus on strategic growth. By integrating emerging technologies like AI and fostering a flexible, globally connected team, he continues to push boundaries in the field. From overcoming industry-specific challenges to forging partnerships with leading academic institutions, his journey is one of resilience, vision, and relentless pursuit of progress. His story offers valuable insights for emerging entrepreneurs seeking purpose-driven success in today’s fast-evolving business landscape.
Can you describe your entrepreneurial journey and the motivation behind starting your business?
The idea to be self-employed, start and develop my own business was already in my teenage age. My father being self-employed was a great example for me in both ways, what to do and maybe what needs to be improved. Until running my own business from being employed in management consulting until getting self-employed it was a long journey of gaining experience, learn from different perspectives in various management positions in diverse industries to absorb knowledge as much as possible. Always with the idea behind to learn as much about how to run a company as an entrepreneur, not just as a manager. And looking back all of my professional years, it was always the achieved result of making things happen and moving forward in a positive way, creating something of value, that satisfied me the most, which is still the driver inside of me.
How do you stay ahead of technological advancements in your industry, and how has this impacted your business model?
Following up news, attending to specific events, exchanging ideas with others, being open minded to new advancements and always being interested in inspiring chats and conversations with others not part of your business helps to create own ideas that might be at least something new for the business you are running. However looking across already existing borders and horizons is a must have to always question what you are doing and correct if necessary. And always keep in mind, the success of how we solved things in the past is not a guarantee for the success in the future.
What role does artificial intelligence play in your current operations or future plans?
We are investigating the possibility of supporting our deal flow with AI. To automize, select and prioritize as well as in the next step/ phase, create non binding offers, letter of intent as well as processing the due diligence would be a significant improvement in a more or less fully automized deal flow management or to be more specific transaction process. If in addition to this potential opportunities and risks with a business model of a ongoing transaction can be identified it would be a great help.
Can you share a significant challenge you’ve faced in your business and how you overcame it?
The most significant challenge in M&A business when it comes to a transaction is the very high failure rate (>99%) signing a purchase contract for acquisition. In general you have to look at more than 100 companies on the market and carry out almost the same number of transaction processes without success. Therefor it is very important to safe expenses and resources and cancel potential transactions as early as possible if the opportunity to sign and close the deal is (very) low. The capability to identify the probability is crucial.
How do you approach strategic planning and decision-making in your organization?
In general strategy defines where you might have the best results with the lowest efforts or in other words where you might have the best effectivity of what you are busy with. For this you need to set your own criterias and reflect your approach with others outside of your business as well as with your team – third parties have different views and might inspire you in any case. In terms of decision making, it is always good to have a consensus but not mandatory and if not possible the final decision is with me. But again, reflecting your decisions with the opinions of others is always an added value.
What is your approach to leadership and fostering a positive company culture?
That`s a huge question! Giving direction with precise objectives, delegating tasks, defining responsibilities, requesting results versus due date, communicate and inform as much as possible and regular meetings/ sessions to exchange status, ideas, improvements in a nutshell. Leave/ Delegate/ Extend responsibilities and a lot of room to deliver results until due date underlines trust within the team and does not destroy but maybe enable self-motivation. In addition to that, remote working in our team is not just possible but daily life as the team members are spread around Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Mexiko.
How do you ensure your business remains adaptable and responsive to market changes?
Observing the markets, clients, suppliers, (global) economics and politics daily is mandatory. As we are not sticking to typical private equity business models but permanently trying to make things different we are adapting regularly. So in the end it`s not a matter of how to adapt as the progress of adapting is regular.
Can you discuss a recent innovation or project that has been particularly successful for your company?
I am very proud of the contact to a very popular and prominent university in Switzerland to collaborate with them and their students in the nearby future to discuss and develop any innovative approach/ model/ structure/ process/ tool to generate innovations for our business model, the entrepreneurial succession with a system or its acquisitions. The ideas we have in mind right now are most probably more than the resources, time, money, we have. Definitely a innovation high-light for us this year, and maybe the next years too.
What are your long-term goals for your business, and how are you working towards achieving them?
Deploy (at least) the European market for entrepreneurial succession as it is a European opportunity, 10,000 of companies across all industries are looking for a successor and need to sell their business. As European companies are very strong and resilient in general, do have effective and efficient structures and processes and market and technology leaders in niches and sometimes in general there is a huge potential to grow a industry holding developing those businesses with a long term perspective. And I am working on this business model 24/7!
What advice would you give to emerging entrepreneurs in your industry?
Follow up your idea with all of your heart, don’t interrupt this way, make sure you are gaining experience, learn from mistakes, get up after failure and do it again in a better way, correct your way if necessary but don`t adjust the objective. If you need help, support, capacities, go and get it from other parties if necessary.
For more information visit:
https://www.franklugert.ch
For contact:
mail@franklugert.ch