Industries and Sectors With Experience and Client References:

Retailing and Consumer Brands/B2C

Books & media, car dealerships, consumer electronics, cosmetics, DIY chains, FMCG, furniture, healthcare, health food, optics, paint, pharmacies, supermarkets, transportation

Industrial Trade/B2B

Chemicals, electronic components/computers, health food, metals, pharmaceuticals, power, software, telecom (cell/mobile, M2M, RFID, alarm systems), trucks/buses

Industrials

Aerospace, automation/robotics, automotive/engines, consumer appliances, defense, electronics/power electronics, marine electronics, packaging, pharmaceuticals, plastics, shipyards, tools, various subassembly segments

Process Industry

Chemicals, carton board, energy, fertilizers and agrochemicals, foundries, glass, mining, pulp & paper, steel & ferroalloys

Natural Resources

Oil & gas, alternative energy (incl. wind power, hydropower and CO2 capturing technologies), mining/minerals, fisheries (upstream/downstream)

Business Services

Advertising/media, banking/financial services, car/truck rental, catering, commodity & metals trading, construction, consulting, engineering, hospitals, ICT/IT consulting, ISPs, logistics, office supplies, packaging, printed materials, publishing, various outsourcing subsegments, real estate, recruiting, software, staffing, surface coating, telecom, transportation/logistics and buses

Other

Extensive experience with public and multinational corporations, as well as with family-controlled entities. I also work extensively with startups, in particular with "go-to-market" strategies and early stage financing.

Contact me if you recognize yourself as being in one of the following situations:

Ketil A. Wig

Ketil Wig is the owner and managing partner of Remis AS. He previously developed and managed the niche advisory firm Rokade AS within M&A and post-merger integrations/turnarounds, which was acquired by KPMG in 2012. From 2013 up until August of 2015, he served as the head of M&A Service Lines at Deloitte Norway. His previous experience includes McKinsey & Co., Andersen Consulting/Accenture and a number of management-for-hire assignments in Norway and internationally. Ketil Wig holds a MSc. in Engineering degree in physics/computer science from the Technical University of Norway (NTH/NTNU) and an MBA from Stanford University. He currently works on corporate advisory assignments and as a board director. For more information, see Linkedin Profile.

Remis AS - Ketil Wig

Mergers and Acquisitions, Divestitures and Trade Sales, Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures (read more about Buy-side and Sell-side M&A)

Read this article on: Buy-side Mergers and Acquisitions.


Acquisitions or mergers are about implementing strategies through the filling of strategic gaps. This may be achieved through the implementation of a growth strategy, through product and/or geographical diversification, by focusing on core business combined with outsourcing; or through consolidating manufacturing capacity. Available M&A tools to fill such gaps are e.g., acquisitions or trade sales, joint ventures/strategic alliances and mergers.

A transaction does not represent any value, only risk!
It is a tool for strategic change, not an objective.

Understanding the links between basic business strategy and the use of M&A is a critical and highly underestimated domain of knowledge in top management as well as in the M&A industry.

(For more on this key issue, read this main article on business strategy and M&A, or this summarized Linked-In article on Strategy and M&A or this White Paper #2 which is a full version downloadable pdf)

Buy-side Transactions and M&A

For buy-side transactions, managing acquisition risk is critical. Risk comes in three forms: 1) The nature of the acquired entity; 2) The acquisition model – e.g., a merger vs. step-based ownership increase; and 3) The emphasis on post-merger integration. In addition to acquisition risk, the acquisition process itself is risky as you are “one of many buyers.” Therefore, the ability to develop a buyer's advantage is a key factor.

Learn more about buy-side M&A.

Sell-side Transactions and M&A

In contrast to acquisitions, divestitures (also known as trade sales) are driven by creating and maintaining negotiation strength through high-impact project management and the optimal use of tactics.

Unlike an “uncertain" acquisition process, a divestiture process is “certain” in the sense that its outcome is determined only by the seller’s own ability to locate motivated buyers and to negotiate acceptable terms.

The below illustration is from White Paper #2, which discusses optimal use of the various M&A strategies and tools:

An overview of strategic M&A options and their characteristics, 
  M&A, M&A strategy, M&A strategies, M&A process, M&A processes, M&A project, M&A projects, 

  acquisition, acquisitions, merger, mergers, merger & acquisition, mergers & acquisitions, merger and acquisition, mergers and acquisitions, 
  merger or acquisition, mergers or acquisitions, 
  strategic alliance, strategic alliances, joint venture, joint ventures, 
  growth strategy, growth strategies, divestiture, divestitures, trade sale, trade sales, spinoff, spinoffs, spin-off, spin-offs, de-merger, de-mergers, 

  M&A in Norway, acquisition in Norway, acquisitions in Norway, merger in Norway, mergers in Norway, 
  merger & acquisition in Norway, mergers & acquisitions in Norway, merger and acquisition in Norway, mergers and acquisitions in Norway, 
  merger or acquisition in Norway, mergers or acquisitions in Norway, 
  strategic alliance in Norway, strategic alliances in Norway, joint venture in Norway, joint ventures in Norway, 
  growth strategy in Norway, growth strategies in Norway, divestiture in Norway, divestitures in Norway, 
  trade sale in Norway, trade sales in Norway, spinoff in Norway, spinoffs in Norway, 
  spin-off in Norway, spin-offs in Norway, de-merger in Norway, de-mergers in Norway, 

  post-merger integration, synergy, synergies, synergy capture, synergies capture, 
  post-merger integration in Norway, synergy in Norway, synergies in Norway, synergy capture in Norway, synergies capture in Norway, 

  advisory, advisory services, consulting, management consulting, financial consulting, M&A consulting, 
  management consultant, financial consultant, M&A consultant, 
  project management, negotiation, negotiation support, 
  advisory in Norway, advisory services in Norway, consulting in Norway, management consulting in Norway, financial consulting in Norway, M&A consulting in Norway, M&A services in Norway, 
  management consultant in Norway, financial consultant in Norway, M&A consultant in Norway, 
  project management in Norway, negotiation in Norway, negotiation support in Norway, 

  company, companies, business, businesses, enterprise, enterprises, firm, firms, 
  company in Norway, companies in Norway, business in Norway, businesses in Norway, enterprise in Norway, enterprises in Norway, firm in Norway, firms in Norway, 

  Norway, Scandinavia, Nordics, Northern Europe
Illustration: The M&A Tool Set of Strategic Options

Therefore, the keys to success in a divestiture are to understand buyer motives and synergies; to locate enough potential buyers and their decision makers; and then to negotiate and tactically handle the process in order to secure the optimal terms.

Learn more about sell-side M&A.

Other Relevant Articles

Also read the separate articles on Strategy and M&A, on Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures, on Buy-Side M&A, on Sell-Side M&A, on Synergies and Poor Judgment, on Financial vs. Industrial Ownership, on Equity Based Financing of Start-ups, and about M&A Process Management especially related to handling non-financial M&A objectives.

See Download Center: White Paper #2: Strategy - and the Proper Use of M&A Tools. A LinkedIn article with a shorter web version of the same white paper is available here; White Paper #5: Buy-Side M&A (mergers and acquisitions); White Paper #6: Sell-Side M&A (divestitures, trade-sales and mergers); or White Paper #7: Should You Choose Financial or Industrial Investors/Owners?; or White Paper #8: Equity Based Financing of Start-ups and High Growth Situations.