Succession · Owner-management · Growth

The owner-manager’s confidential adviser throughout succession

30+
Years of leadership experience
20+
Board positions
30+
Business transactions

Advised on more than 30 company acquisitions, sales and successions – as managing director, board member and/or owner

Michael Nielsen, founder and adviser
Michael Nielsen Founder & adviser
I do not advise from theory. I advise from the experience of having stood on both sides of the table as a founder, managing director, board member, investor, buyer and seller.
Michael Nielsen
Advisory
In brief

Why Nielsen Advisory?

I help owner-managers plan, prepare and complete succession processes and business sales. Not from standard models, but from situations I have experienced myself — on both sides of the table.

Not theory. Practical experience.
FounderBuilt businesses from the ground up
Managing DirectorIn more than 10 businesses
InvestorInvested in and developed businesses
Board memberOn more than 20 boards
BuyerMade both go and no-go acquisition decisions
SellerSold to international buyers
Selected cases

The owner-manager’s entire journey — seen from within

01StartFrom idea to business
02ScaleGrowth and new markets
03ProfessionaliseManagement, KPIs and structure
04SuccessionOwnership and new management
05SellSale preparation and the right buyer
06IntegrateGetting the new owners off to a strong start
CASE 01
Appliance A/S
From entrepreneurial venture to international business sale. Founded in 2002 and developed into an international organisation with activities in the Nordic countries, China and Hong Kong — sold in 2006 to the Dutch PVG Group B.V. at a goodwill value of EUR 10 million.
I have built and sold a business myself.
Building a business from the ground up International expansion Business sale to a strategic buyer
Read the case
CASE 02
Wallmann A/S
From owner-managed business to professional market leader. The investor group acquired 51% in 2019 and completed the succession by 2022, while EBITDA increased from DKK 6.8 million to more than DKK 16 million. Sold to Riisfort A/S in 2025.
I have completed succession processes as an investor and board member.
Succession and change of ownership Professionalisation of the business Value creation leading up to a sale
Read the case
CASE 03
Marlon Tørmørtel A/S
From owner-managed business to international industrial group. I joined the board in 2023 as a sparring partner for management and the owners — in October 2025, the business was acquired by the Swiss industrial group Sika AG.
I have advised owners through a sale.
Confidential sparring partner Strategic board work Preparation for a change of ownership
Read the case
CASE 04
ARDEX
International leadership, growth and strategic development. Ten years in group management reporting directly to the Group CEO, with responsibility for Northern Europe and more than 100 employees — as well as strategic sparring on the acquisitions of Wakol and Wedi.
I have worked at international executive-management level.
Strategic leadership at group level Acquisitions and integration Growth and scaling
Read the case
CASE 05
ØT Gruppen
From years of attempted sales to a completed business transfer. Appointed Managing Director in 2023 with a mandate to prepare the businesses for sale; the sale was completed in September 2024, and the new organisation was operational within five weeks.
I can prepare businesses for sale and complete transactions.
Preparing businesses for sale Execution of complex sales Post-acquisition integration
Read the case
Services

Five ways I can help

Succession clarification

Many businesses are not ready for sale. We clarify your objectives, timeline, family circumstances and the maturity of the business before irreversible decisions are made.

Learn more

Sale preparation

Typically one to three years before a sale: professionalisation, management structure, KPIs, reporting and EBITDA optimisation, so the value is visible before negotiations begin.

Learn more

Buyer strategy

Family, employees, management, a private equity fund or an industrial buyer? The choice of buyer shapes both the price and the future of the business.

Learn more

Sparring partner throughout the process

Not as a lawyer, accountant or traditional M&A adviser — but as the owner’s confidential sparring partner who has experienced it personally.

Learn more

Board role before, during and after

Many buyers want continuity. I can therefore remain as chair, board member or senior adviser — also after the transaction.

Learn more
Contact

Your business is your life’s work. Let us talk about its future.

Choose one of the few advisers with extensive experience on both sides of the table. The first conversation is confidential and without obligation.