M&A and Corporate Development Executive entry level - Europe/S Africa

Lallemand Inc is a privately owned market leading global biotechnology company with sales in excess of C$2bn, employing more than 5,000 people across 45 countries and headquartered in Canada. Lallemand ‘s fermentation derived products are present in the daily lives of millions of people and help provide answers to the challenges the World faces with respect to health, climate and the sustainable production of food and drink.

Our business is highly cash generative enabling us to grow through disciplined acquisitions as well as organically. With an active pipeline of opportunities, we are now seeking a highly motivated individual to strengthen our M&A and Corporate Development team.

What the role involves:

• Working globally alongside our Business Unit teams across the entire transaction process, from deal sourcing through due diligence, valuation, deal structuring, the negotiation and execution of transaction agreements and post-closing integration
• Financial modelling and benchmarking of comparable transaction valuations
• Assisting our Business Unit teams by preparing screening, investment thesis, valuation and due diligence summary presentations for our leadership team
• Liaising with vendors and their professional advisors as well as co-ordinating internal and buy side legal, financial and tax due diligence professional advisors
• Supporting our Business Unit teams in mapping, assessing acquisition targets and preparing five -year strategic plans
• Assisting with the formation of joint ventures & related shareholder and commercial agreements
   

Who we are looking for:

• Strategic thinker with sound commercial judgement aligned with very high standards of integrity
• Well-developed financial modelling and analytical skills
• Pro-active, self-motivated and well organised
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, able to operate across levels, functions and also internationally
• Intellectual curiosity and interest in the future of sustainable food and drink production “from plough to plate” and for the environment

Location:

• As this role will cover transactions across Europe, Asia and the Americas time zones, candidates must be based in the EU, Switzerland, the UK or S. Africa.
• You can work out of one of our many European regional offices or production plants or be home office based

Minimum requirements for this role:

• Qualified chartered accountant or MBA or other appropriate corporate finance qualification from a leading business school
• Between one to three years’ experience in M&A, investment banking, private equity, corporate finance or in financial due diligence with a “Top4” audit practice
• Fluent spoken and written English, other languages helpful but not mandatory
• The right to live and work in the EU, Switzerland or the UK or South Africa
• A record of academic or personal achievement
• Excellent Excel modelling skills, PowerPoint skills helpful.

What we can offer you:

• A competitive compensation package including a performance-based bonus and customary benefits
• A well-defined opportunity for career growth and personal development in an organisation with a depth of expertise and success in M&A and a clear strategic vision.  To date, in 2024, we have acquired:

-BASF’s Bio-Energy enzyme business

-A majority interest in Swiss baking yeast producer Hefe Schweiz

-The Marmite, Bovril and savoury foods business of PepsiCo Southern Africa

-Cerealtech, a Singapore bakery solutions business servicing APAC

-A strategic stake in Livzym, a Turkish enzyme producer

• We foster a truly entrepreneurial culture and encourage autonomy and initiative, recognising that our people are key to our success and ability to provide innovative products and services to our global customer base
• Our flat structure, accessible leadership team and depth of knowledge of the sectors in which we operate, enables us to make fast but informed decisions
• A clear commitment to professional skills development via structured training

Start date:

To be agreed. We can take on candidates who are available in early 2025 or in summer 2025 following their course completion.

Next Steps:

To apply for this role, please register and apply through our careers portal with a detailed CV and a short covering letter of a maximum of 250 words:

Apply now via the apply-button

Applications will close on 31st December 2024. Initial interviews will be held via Teams. Shortlisted candidates will be required to undertake a case study assessment and a psychometric profile. Final interviews will be held in Montreal (reasonably incurred travel expenses will be reimbursed)