Houlihan Lokey Advises EMZ Partners on its investment in H&Z Unternehmensberatung

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that EMZ Partners (EMZ) has acquired a significant stake in H&Z Unternehmensberatung (H&Z). In addition to EMZ, a total of 120 employees of H&Z will invest in the group, thus forming one of the largest employee participation programs in the management consulting industry in the DACH region. Houlihan Lokey acted as debt advisor on the acquisition financing.

H&Z was founded in 1997 as an independent consulting firm in Munich and has since pursued the unique approach of consulting with head, heart, and hand. The consulting projects executed by H&Z focus on sustainable transformation and tangible results for clients. Over the past 25 years, the consultancy has continuously expanded its market position and reputation and has significantly accelerated its growth in the last three years. H&Z currently advises its clients primarily in the areas of procurement and supply chain, strategy and performance, and sustainability and transformation, from strategy development through to successful implementation. In the coming years, the management team plans to further expand the consulting offering organically and inorganically and to develop H&Z into the leading European consulting firm for the circular economy.

EMZ is a leading European investment firm with offices in Paris and Munich. The firm focuses on small and medium-sized companies and offers flexible capital solutions in strong partnerships with founders, family shareholders, and managers. EMZ is majority-owned by its employees and has a base of European institutional investors. The current fund has a volume of more than €1.3 billion, and its investment size ranges from €10 million to €200 million.

Houlihan Lokey provided debt advice on all commercial aspects of the financing transaction and secured a highly attractive, tailor-made, and flexible financing structure that will support H&Z’s organic and inorganic growth strategy.