8 short questions to Andreas Kappeler
Dear Andy, how do you end up in the ultra-competitive and highly-pulsating M&A market after a comfortable position as former CFO of the Hirslanden Group?
I already enjoyed the M&A business a lot in my former CFO role. Every single company acquisition and sale has its own specific characteristics, be it on a transactional but especially on a psychological level.
What do you like about the M&A world?
I find the versatility and the opportunity to get to know a wide variety of companies and people very enriching.
What is your biggest learning in relation to an M&A transaction?
Always expect the unexpected or, in other words, a transaction is only complete when the ink is dry on the contract.
Our previous joint collaboration culminated in an interesting transaction success, with a company from the Canton of Aargau acquiring a Zurich medical center. What do you remember about that? And no less important: do we now have to fear that the Aargauers will buy up more Zurich pearls?
The cooperation with FTS was professional and trusting, but we were also allowed to laugh from time to time. We were able to complement each other perfectly and thus create a rounded offer for the customer. And: you should never underestimate the Aargau!
At the end of 2021, you were able to record another notable success: The exclusive transaction support, whereby the private Klinik Gut in St. Moritz was acquired by the Cantonal Hospital Graubünden.
A really exciting transaction in my core area, healthcare. It was almost a bit like old times, only this time from the seller's rather than the buyer's point of view. We had been able to focus on strategic buyers right from the start, as a sale to financial investors was less of an option for the shareholders. In the course of the process, we were pleasantly surprised by the independence and agility on the part of the buyers and were ultimately able to find an all-round successful solution for all stakeholders.
Dear Andy, a few quick personal questions to finish off: It has been rumored for some time that you have a very special relationship with coffee. You can't drink more than one cup of coffee, and we've never seen you drink more than that. In our M&A environment, this is quite unusual and "gspässig". Please enlighten us.
I like to drink an espresso, but then it can also be a fine tea, be it a herbal tea (preferably from my own garden) or a green tea.
Which Zurich resident have you always wanted to thank?
What a question, I am now a bit overwhelmed. I know many great colleagues in Zurich (including at FTS), and I am grateful to all of them for the enriching encounters. However, I would like to pick a dear colleague who also had the courage to become independent not so long ago: I would like to thank Dominik Probst for always refreshing and unorthodox discussions.
Swiss binarities to finish:
Migros or Coop?
Online Migros, physically Coop
White socks or black socks?
Colorful socks as a compromise
Singer or dancer?
Guitar player
Rolex or IWC?
Going without a watch for a few years, hoping to "tame" time a bit
Bed dressing or vacuuming?
Cooking (oops, that was not a choice)
