Rebuilding for Growth: How Croft & Co Helped a Boutique Industrials Advisory Practice Reinvent Its M&A Capabilities
Brief
A boutique investment bank specialising in industrials & business services was emerging from a difficult but necessary reorganisation. The restructuring had created gaps across the 'spine' of its M&A team : several senior bankers had departed, sector coverage had weakened, and clients had begun to question whether the boutique had the staff to handle complex and important transactions. They were starting to lose pitches because there were doubts about their long-term viability as a firm.
This posed a clear risk to deal flow and market credibility at a time when global industrials M&A activity was showing renewed momentum.
Approach
We partnered closely with the firm’s leadership to redesign and rebuild the team in line with current market dynamics:
- Strategic team architecture
- Re-shaped the team structure around key subsectors where deal activity is accelerating — including industrial manufacturing, engineering & construction, and aerospace & defence.
- Established distinct roles for sector leads, digital-transformation specialists, and origination-focused bankers, ensuring the practice could both source and execute transactions aligned with shifts in the industrial landscape.
- Targeted talent acquisition
- Identified and attracted two senior bankers with strong credentials in industrial manufacturing carve-outs and consolidation plays — areas currently seeing increased activity as corporates streamline portfolios and private equity targets platform build-outs.
- Added talent with expertise in smart manufacturing, automation, AI-driven industrial solutions anticipating M&A growth driven by digital transformation and supply-chain modernisation.
- Complemented external hiring with internal mobility: we supported the promotion of high-performing associates and VPs with strong institutional knowledge, helping maintain continuity in key client relationships.
- Cultural alignment and high-touch integration
- Delivered integration workshops to align both long-standing team members and new hires on the firm’s strategy, deal philosophy, and client service expectations.
- Designed a structured mentorship model to accelerate cultural fit and knowledge transfer.
Results
- Within six months, the industrials practice was fully re-staffed, including two new managing directors and several senior dealmakers with deep operational and sector expertise.
- The boutique re-energised its pipeline, winning mandates across carve-outs, roll-up strategies, and cross-border industrials transactions. This mirrors broader sector momentum, with industrial manufacturing continuing to see strong deal values despite more selective transaction volumes.
- Client confidence was restored, and the firm secured several high-impact advisory roles that repositioned it as a trusted specialist within the industrials ecosystem.
- By blending external hires with internally developed talent, the rebuilt team is now positioned for sustainable growth — able to deliver on near-term deal activity while scaling in line with ongoing market tailwinds such as private equity dry powder, capital redeployment, and an uptick in strategic acquisitions across industrials.
