Advice you can bank on

DC Advisory is a mid-market corporate finance advisor with specific expertise in cross-border transactions. Headquartered in Paris, the company has 36 subsidiary offices worldwide. “Our strength lies in the fact that every Managing Director in our various subsidiaries boasts expertise in a particular market sector,” says Managing Director François Prioux. “Each office marries industry expertise with ongoing strategic advice to ensure that these businesses perform to their potential.”

Mr. Prioux’s own area of expertise is Industry 4.0. “Industry 4.0 is hugely significant for the future. The technology and the potential it holds to cut costs and improve efficiency are becoming increasingly interesting for a lot of companies.”

Each office within the DC Advisory network operates independently, but there is a great deal of cooperation between them. “We have an international presence and outlook,” notes Mr. Prioux. “Our international team provides tailored and independent advice on mergers and acquisitions, and debt structuring to a wide range of public and private clients. We operate in a range of sectors including business services, healthcare, industrial products and services, infrastructure, leisure, retail and consumer services, real estate and technology, media, and telecoms.”

One of the most recent cross-border transactions it worked on was the provision of advisory services to Hitachi in the sale of its car navigation unit Clarion to French car parts maker Faurecia for 1.2 billion EUR.

DC Advisory is part of Daiwa Securities Group Inc., a Japanese investment bank. “Through our parent, we can offer unrivalled mid-market presence across Asia,” says Mr. Prioux. “We have a dedicated Asia-focused team based across our offices in Paris, London and Frankfurt that works full-time with our partner offices in Asia to provide advice regarding sales to Asian buyers and entry strategies for European businesses to access Asia, and vice-versa.”

The strong growth potential in Asian markets acts like a magnet for western companies, but the need for careful planning cannot be overstated. “In every Asia-Europe situation, the importance of cultural understanding cannot be overplayed,” insists Mr. Prioux. “For example, our advice was crucial to the partnership concluded between winter sports equipment manufacturer Rossignol and Chinese-focused investor IDG Capital earlier this year. Our goal for the future is to continue to give our customers the benefit of our advice and expertise to secure their competitive advantage.”