Vondel Finance becomes Clairfield: an established corporate finance brand with international reach

Vondel Finance, a Dutch M&A boutique specializing in midmarket crossborder transactions, announced today that it would continue its successful business under the name of Clairfield International. This exciting change underscores the Amsterdam-based M&A firm’s growing global vision and close relationships with other Clairfield partners, a leading midmarket corporate finance partnership with worldwide offices.

The evolution from a dual-branded firm to Clairfield was a natural yet strategic progression for Vondel Finance. Clairfield International is a global corporate finance partnership which has expanded over the years to cover all major economies and financial centres.

Frank de Lange founded Vondel Finance in 2004. In the past 18 years the firm has grown to encompass 15 partners and associates and 15 transactions closed per year with relationships at all major Dutch companies and private equity firms. Vondel Finance became a partner of Clairfield in 2019. The relationship with Clairfield grew steadily and Vondel became a shareholder in Clairfield last year.

Frank sees the name change as a logical step. ‘Over the past 20 years, the number of crossborder transactions has skyrocketed, and strong international outreach is a must for Dutch businesses,’ says Frank de Lange. ‘The world has become more international, and our firm has grown accordingly. We have been Clairfield’s exclusive partner in the Netherlands for several years, and until now, our communications have been dual-branded. Adopting the Clairfield name reaffirms our international outlook. Being part of the Clairfield group offers our clients global reach, top-tier industry knowledge, worldwide access to the midmarket segment, and more business opportunities.’

With more than 300 M&A advisors and industry experts, Clairfield offers its clients direct access to local and international markets. Its know-how and in-depth sector specialisation are a key strength. Partner Mark Spetter says ‘the name change underlines our vision for the future. Clairfield offers crossborder sector expertise in all key Dutch industrial sectors: tech, software & digital, healthcare, consumer goods & retail, business services, and energy & sustainability. We see the benefits of this for our clients on a day-to-day basis with more deals and higher deal value. We are happy to take this to the next level.’

The company may have a new name, but the in-depth local knowledge and company values remain the same. ‘The Netherlands remains the home market for the Dutch team, and nothing will change that,’ says equity partner Daan Haeck. ‘Our private equity clients also operate mainly on a European level. They, therefore, also like to see their M&A advisor operating in multiple countries for quick buy-and-build opportunities. With colleagues and clients in more than 25 countries, being part of the Clairfield group will offer more options and make a difference to this important client group.’

Clairfield’s corporate tagline is “how do you define success?” For Clairfield’s Dutch team, this re-brand is the combined result of their numerous M&A success stories and of the many more to come.