As global dealmaking enters a new phase, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of fewer but more strategic transactions. This insight explores the key forces influencing global M&A activity — from capital markets and private equity dynamics to technology, regulation and geopolitics — and what they mean for boards, shareholders and management teams. Download the full report to understand the trends shaping M&A decisions in 2026.
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Ian Wright
“Our achievements are the result of a combined effort of each individual. Having built a solid team, keeping together has allowed us to progress and brought about success.”
Ian Wright has worked with numerous clients at a senior level to deliver business acquisition and divestment services, operational and financial restructuring and business improvement projects to corporate clients, private shareholders, banks and private equity.
– United Kingdom
– Czech Republic
Marco Hulsewe
“Our strength comes not only in the form of our unrivaled ability to serve our clients on a global scale, but also from our tested and considered transaction approach to ensure the best possible outcome for them”
Marco Hulsewe seasoned corporate finance, investment and real estate deal maker with profound knowledge on the real estate and corporate Spanish market.
We take confidentiality seriously and follow all generally accepted rules on compliance.
Our extensive experience, our international contact base and our strategic understanding of a wide range of industrial sectors ensures our ability to find the right solution. Our success rate is among the highest in our industry.
Gert Kruger
“Here, we pride ourselves on providing each of our clients with diligent, professional and personal service – that’s the best kind of marketing.”
Gert Kruger founder, and managing partner of GKA Capital, one of the leading independent mid-market M&A and financial advisory firms in South Africa.
Miguel Moura
“Working directly with company owners and CEOs, in a wide range of industries, we have built a strong knowledge of the Portuguese business environment and a valuable and loyal relation with the lead players of each industry.”
Miguel Moura founder and managing partner of CapAdvise, has consolidated a broad experience advising large and medium companies in cross-border Project Finance and M&A transactions.
CapAdvise is a corporate finance boutique focused on M&A sell-side advisory. By building a long-term relationship with all our clients, we start our advisory services in a very early stage, even before they think about selling the business. We work closely with the business owners helping them to prepare in advance the company for a future sale and, in some cases, executing acquisitions.
Regardless of our involvement in a possible future transaction, we have earned the confidence of many companies throughout financial and strategic advisory.
– Portugal
Paul Walentynowicz
“We focus on finding suitable acquisition targets in a pro-active search process, and divesting businesses on the most advantageous terms.”
Paul Walentynowicz Managing Partner of AMA International, and independent mid-market M&A advisory for Benelux & Central and Eastern Europe.
– The Netherlands
– Belgium
– Belarus
– Bulgaria
– Czech Republic
– Hungary
– Moldova
– Poland
– Romania
– Russia
– Slovakia
– Ukrain
– USA
Radu Doru
“Bring the quality level of the London-based investment banking services to mid-sized companies in CEE”
Radu Doru is a diligent M&A advisor always going for the extra mile.
– Hungary
– Romania
Themis Magginas
“Our vision is to be identified as a top quality Corporate Advisory house in the region, working hand-in-hand with our clients aiming at enhancing their shareholders’ value. This is to be achieved by offering services by top senior professionals at the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.”
Themis Magginas is Founder & Managing Director at Paxinosa Partners. He was previously Managing Director at European Investment Holdings, the family office with participations in financial services, ship-building, renewable energy, real-estate, tourism, IT&T, food & beverage sectors. As a Senior Advisor at LEAD Finance, he was managing complex turnaround transactions, in/out-of-court settlements, responsible for firm’s expansion in South East Europe. Prior to that he co-founded Oxygen Capital (financial advisory & asset management firm on behalf of a Greek shipping group), as Head of Corporate Finance, and he was also a Senior Manager at KPMG.
Paxinosa Partners is an M&A advisory firm operating in Greece and South East Europe having accumulated significant industry, investment and advisory expertise since its inception. The mission is to maximise the value we offer to our clients acting as pure partners to them.
– Greece
– Cyprus
– Broader South East Europe
Herve Grosjean
“At the heart of it all are “people”; harnessing that passion, creativity and energy is what realise our clients’ dreams.”
Herve Grosjean has been involved in Corporate Finance since 2000, with highly diversified industry experience in France and internationally; He joined CMW International before co-founding Quartz Partners in 2007.
Quartz Partners is a financial advisory firm in mergers and acquisitions, founded by professionals in the field.
Quartz Partners is involved in bringing together companies in the “small / mid-cap” segment (valuations ranging between 5 and 50 million euros), based on the consolidated experience of its founders.
In a highly intermediated world, Quartz Partners distinguishes itself by a real financial expertise and a double experience, both of big industrial groups and of the world of SMEs.
-France
Jarmo Kuusivuori
“Our end goal is to add value to our customer’s business, and that’s why we are selective when starting a cooperation.”
Jarmo Kuusivuori founder and CEO of Wolfcorner, has more than 25 years’ experience as a CEO and board member in the ICT industry, working worldwide with corporations like Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Wincor Nixdorf, and Techdata. In addition to this, he works successfully with startups and nonprofit organizations.
Wolfcorner is an independent boutique M&A advisory firm established by Jarmo Kuusivuori in 2013. Our merger and acquisitions advisory services are based on customer needs, and the aim is always to add strategic value to a customer’s business.
Wolfcorner provides M&A advisory services during the sale or purchase of businesses. Also, many companies have used our experience by ordering market research to understand the acquisition or carve out opportunities more concretely.
– Finland
– Sweden
– Norway
– Denmark
– Estonia
– Latvia
– Lithuania
– Poland
Jan Slabý
I like this principle formulated by Fred Smith: “Leaders get out in front and stay there by raising the standards by which they judge themselves and by which they are willing to be judged”
Jan has gained experience in investment banking in the Czech Republic and Slovakia since 1996. Before he joined ECOVIS, Jan had spent more than five years with WOOD & Company, where he worked in the Corporate Finance department. He obtained a lot of experience with M&A transactions. He was involved in significant transactions in various sectors in the Czech and Slovak economy. Jan also worked in China for a year as the head of the analytical department and a project manager for PPF Investments. Jan graduated from Prague University of Economics. He speaks Czech, Slovak, English, and German.
Ecovis is a leading global consulting firm with its origins in Continental Europe. It has almost 9,000 people operating more than 80 countries. Its consulting focus and core competencies lie in the areas of tax consultation, accounting, auditing, and legal advice.
– Czech Republic
– Slovakia
Galya Filevska
“We are fully committed to render valuable business advice and management services in complex and high demanding projects to ensure the client’s success.”
Galya Filevska is the Founder & CEO of AGM.
AGM was established in 2013 as a corporate platform for delivering business advise and management services in complex projects by independent seasoned professionals with complementary skills and expertise in corporate strategy, business planning and marketing, private equity investments, M&A transactions, financial management and corporate law.
– Bulgaria
– Greece
Manfred Moschner
“We provide solutions for strategic growth decisions”
Manfred Moschner founded ACS Vienna/ ACS Moschner & Co. in 1989and since then personally executed over 270 transactions.
What sets ACS Vienna apart is that we are a truly international company. As an interdisciplinary and cross-border consulting company, we have completed over 270 transactions with success rate of 95 %.
More than 90% of our partners have operative and strategic experience with industrial and business operations — a further reason why we are the logical partner for strategic business solutions.
– Austria
– Russia
– Slovakia
– Switzerland