Livingstone opens Benelux office in Amsterdam

Amsterdam, 9 June 2022: Global investment bank Livingstone announced today it has expanded into the Benelux region by opening an office in The Netherlands.

Livingstone brought on Niels Claeren to lead the expansion of the Benelux office. With 25 years of experience as an investment banker, Niels has successfully advised on various transactions across the globe. His global experiences as a banker and private equity investor inform his perspective, providing greater insights into the unique challenges M&A presents. Consequently, he brings a deep understanding and clarity when tailoring custom recommendations for clients.

“I am excited to join Livingstone at a compelling time in the company’s growth and look forward to leveraging my experience as a Corporate Finance professional and investor to assist our clients with creative, value-creating ideas alongside excellent deal execution,” shared Niels Claeren, Managing Partner, Livingstone Benelux. “I have known the Livingstone team for a long time, having created and executed transactions together, and look forward to being part of this truly global corporate finance team. We have brought on two experienced senior team members (Mark Pel and Gabor Ruigrok) supported by two skilled junior team members (Bas Huijsmans and Sven van Velzen) and expect to add additional headcount by year’s end.”

Livingstone specializes in middle-market transactions and has advised on nearly 250 transactions in the last five years and aims to give “middle-market clients high-touch service and advocacy with a truly global reach,” stated Christian Grandin, Managing Partner of Livingstone Germany.

Grandin continued, “With this announcement, we are pleased to expand our ability to provide our clients with trusted advice to guide their ongoing development. The group of professionals we welcome today are an ideal combination of insight, energy, and talent – they will significantly enhance the firm’s ability to provide tailored investment banking guidance to companies at every stage of the corporate life cycle.”

Established in 2007, Livingstone employs nearly 100 banking professionals and operates in America, China, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK, and recently ranked as one of the most active middle-market banks in Europe in 2021, based on MergerMarket league table data.

In 2015, Livingstone opened an office in Stockholm, Sweden serving the Nordic region. The office delivered 22 mandates in 2021 – a performance the bank hopes to replicate in Amsterdam.

“Expanding to Amsterdam is a significant and logical next step in our European expansion. As a trusted advisor and proven leader, Niels is the right person to lead our office. Niels’ experience building long-term client relationships and mentoring younger bankers aligns perfectly with Livingstone’s philosophy and culture, while Mark and Gabor’s capabilities will help him position the office for long-term success. We look forward to working with our new Amsterdam team to support Dutch and European businesses during these testing times and well into the future,” stated Stephen Miles, Managing Partner, Livingstone US.

Livingstone’s ongoing, focused expansion of its senior investment banking leadership and expertise across key industries and sectors have been among the reasons for the firm’s record-setting results over the past two years.

The opening of the Benelux office further builds on this momentum. The Benelux office has already closed one transaction, providing buy side advisory services on a recent platform acquisition for private equity fund Ergon Capital. The Benelux office follows on the heels of the opening of the firm’s latest German location in Hamburg and the addition of Eleuterio Abad as Partner to the Spanish office.

About Livingstone

Livingstone is an international middle-market M&A and debt advisory firm with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Stockholm and Valencia. We have deep industry expertise and extensive global coverage, with dedicated teams across our offices serving five segments: Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial, and Media & Technology.

To learn more about Livingstone, visit the website: livingstone-publish.onistaged.com