Advior International
The Advior CM&S team is the proud exclusive Swiss member of Advior International – initially under the umbrella of Raiffeisen Switzerland and, since 2026, as an independent Swiss entity. This spin-off allowed us to become the first member to adopt the network name in our own brand.
More than 250 M&A professionals in more than 20 offices work as one team
Advior International is a Europe‑focused network comprising more than a dozen national M&A advisory firms, including two renowned partner firms in India and the United States.
The network’s members meet at least twice a year in person at a half-week conference and hold a weekly jour fixe via Teams. During these sessions, partners share live transaction insights across sectors, explore new ideas for joint opportunities, and discuss potential buyers or sellers for ongoing mandates, as well as broader M&A intelligence and market developments.
The partners within the Advior network have known each other for many years and have collaborated repeatedly on client assignments. The exchange within the network has evolved into a relationship defined by passion, friendship, and deep mutual trust.
Advior International in Numbers
Global Reach, Local Expertise
More than 250 M&A professionals in more than 20 offices work as one team
The Members of Advior International specialize in advising select clients on demanding cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions across a broad range of industries.
Perspectives from the Network
Interview with Gregory Tzanakakis
Global Coordinator of Advior International, since 2016
Greg, please briefly introduce yourself?
Like Advior CM&S Ltd.’s three founding partners – Alex, Nick and Matthias, I look back on roughly 25 years of experience as an M&A advisor. Having held positions at renowned institutions in Germany, I moved from the German Advior member, DZ Bank AG, where I was Director M&A, to Advior International in 2016. In my role as Global Coordinator of Advior International, I drive our strategic expansion and foster seamless cooperation between our members. This includes weekly calls and semi‑annual conferences to align our sector specialists, share industry insights and experiences, and actively develop and empower joint mandates across our network.
Having worked in M&A advisory for many years, I firmly believe that anyone leading an M&A network should stay in touch with the daytoday challenges of an everchanging dealmaking environment and remain an active practitioner. For that reason, I continue to advise on transactions on a referral basis for my own account. Based in Hamburg, I also had the opportunity to become an accredited regional partner of DZ BANK AG, the exclusive German member of Advior International. In this role, I advise on smaller transactions within the German Mittelstand.
What excites you about the role of global coordinator?
In this highly entrepreneurial role, I have the privilege of supporting our member firms across the globe – all united by a strong entrepreneurial spirit. I genuinely enjoy being involved in cross‑border deal ideas and mandates and witnessing how successful transactions take shape within our network. What started as a professional collaboration has grown into a relationship built on deep trust and enduring personal friendships with my partners worldwide.
How long have you known the three founders of Advior CM&S and what is your experience with them?
Since joining Advior in 2016, Alex, Nick, and Matthias (at that time as part of Raiffeisen Corporate Finance) have become a cornerstone of our network. Their profound knowledge of Swiss SMEs is a major asset; for any cross-border opportunity, they provide immediate, well-considered Swiss buyer suggestions and seamless introductions, significantly enhancing our cross-border deal-making capabilities.
On top of this, I have seen them working cross-border in joint mandates with other Advior members. They are really team players and represent in their daily work what Switzerland is famous for: reliability and integrity.
What is the relevance of Advior CM&S Ltd. for Advior International?
Switzerland is home to numerous global champions and an extensive landscape of “Hidden Champions” within its SME sector. These highly successful, internationally active companies often operate under the radar, due to Swiss discretion, yet they pursue ambitious, including acquisition-driven growth strategies. While listed corporations and private‑equity firms are easy to identify, Advior CM&S AG provides our members with an essential gateway to this otherwise hard‑to‑access market.
With the establishment of Advior CM&S Ltd. in April 2026, Advior International reaches a new milestone: Advior CM&S is the first member firm to operate under the Advior name directly in its home market, paving the way for our next growth chapter.
What sets Advior International apart from other globally oriented M&A institutions?
With 200+ advisors, Advior is a European heavyweight in mid‑market M&A. Our members unite strong local expertise with a uniquely collaborative international approach, free from mandate competition or fee‑sharing conflicts. Our partnership is founded on mutual trust, reciprocity, and absolute discretion: client identities remain strictly confidential whenever required, reflecting the core principles of Swiss discretion and federalism. Like Switzerland, Advior is a federal network based on trust, reciprocity, and absolute discretion.
