LAVA at three: a testament to resilience, growth, and creativity

As we celebrate LAVA’s third birthday, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on some of the ups and downs that have shaped our past year. Read on for our main headlines.

Good riddance to the terrible twos

Our “terrible twos” were aptly named, as they coincided with one of the most challenging M&A environments the industry has faced in a long time.

Yet despite the difficulties, it’s been a transformational period of growth for LAVA. Our team tackled setbacks head-on, and through their resilience, determination, and creativity, we achieved many incredible milestones and ended the year on a high.

As we forge ahead into this next year and the market begins to turn, we find ourselves more energised, optimistic, and poised for success than ever before.

Charting our own course in M&A

When we founded LAVA in the unpredictable year of 2020, we took a leap of faith. Rather than conforming to the one-size-fits-all style of many major players, we focused on delivering complex deals in specialised markets with a bespoke methodology.

This tailored approach not only guarantees personalised service for each of our clients but has earned us a diversified portfolio of recent successes across various sectors, including education, manufacturing, and technology.

We’re also set to announce new deals in some really exciting new industries. Keep your eyes on our LinkedIn feed!

Building a specialist team

We’ve been deliberate and patient, investing in the right people to build a highly specialised and ambitious team.

In June, we welcomed Loïc Bourdonnec, a pivotal addition who enhanced our technical expertise, particularly within the private equity sector. He was followed by Kathy Thompson in July, who set a new benchmark for our team’s high-performance dynamics.

The following month, we proudly announced our latest hire, Ivo Brett, who joined us as an Analyst. His appointment supports our commitment to precision and the meticulous research capabilities that define LAVA.

Amidst LAVA’s new hires, we also celebrated Tom Rowe-Jones’s promotion to Director. Tom’s ascent to this role is a testament to his significant contributions, both in advising clients on additional value creation through the M&A process and in enriching our workplace culture.

At LAVA, we pride ourselves on recognising and rewarding employees for their hard work and unwavering commitment to the firm, and Tom’s promotion is a prime example of this ethos in action.

Community over competition

The support we’ve received from peers and other advisers over the past year has been invaluable.

This camaraderie has reinforced our belief that we’re a community of dealmakers, rather than competitors, and it has helped us to collaborate and crystallise more M&A opportunities.

Thriving in the face of challenge

We relish the challenge of going toe-to-toe with larger, international competitors. The strategic creativity needed to compete has not only brought out the best in us but also cemented the vital role every team member plays. We take pride in what we do and pursue excellence in each transaction.

With a culture built on honesty, openness, and a willingness to try new things, we’ve been able to adapt to a constantly changing market.

A sincere thank you

So, here’s to our clients, partners, and especially to our incredible team: Thank you for three amazing years. We can’t wait to see where we’ll be this time next year.

If you’d like to be first to hear about our latest news and to keep in touch with our recent developments, you can follow LAVA on LinkedIn here.

LAVA Advisory Partners

LAVA is an M&A advisory and corporate finance consultancy with a passion for creativity in the deal environment. We enjoy exploring M&A theses and pitching consolidation ideas in sector verticals where we see opportunity for value creation.

Having a strategic vision – however left-field it may be – and exploring the ramifications of it, is a central part of what we do. We are a diverse team of passionate dealmakers who share our vision for deal making in an ever changing M&A landscape.

We could stop at adequate, but we won’t.

A positive difference

LAVA is very proud to have achieved B Corp certification.
This means we have joined a growing group of companies and leaders that are reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. By demonstrating the highest standards of social and environmental impact, including committing to donate 2.5% of our revenue each year to support charitable organisations, we aim to show our commitment to using business as a force for good.