Cedar is hosting a breakfast session with expert speakers, Gerald Edelman, exploring execution risk during live bolt-on acquisitions. Drawing on their extensive real-world experience advising owner-managed, founder-influenced and PE-backed businesses, we’ll uncover the hidden complexities of bolt-on transactions – and what management teams, finance leaders and investors often miss during live deals.
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Cedar Private Equity – Business Breakfast
April 15, 2026 @ 8:00 am - 10:30 am
Executing bolt-on acquisitions in PE-backed businesses
The execution risks teams often overlook
Event Overview
Rather than post-deal integration, this session will focus on the stages of a transaction where bolt-on acquisitions most commonly become more complex than expected – particularly where targets are founder-led, operate with informal processes or limited reporting infrastructure, or are assumed to be “simpler” due to their size or bolt-on nature. We’ll cover:
Why bolt-on acquisitions are often treated as lower-risk than platform deals, despite founder influence, informality and key-person dependency often being more pronounced.
How seller behaviour, expectations and process fatigue manifest during diligence, exclusivity and late-stage negotiations.
The impact of PE fund lifecycle and exit timing on deal competitiveness, transaction structure and earn-out flexibility – and how this is perceived by sellers during a live process.
Common points of friction between sellers, management teams and investors during bolt-on execution.
The practical role finance leaders play in maintaining momentum, credibility and alignment through the transaction process.
- Date: 15 April 2026
- Time: 8am – 10:30am
- Location: The Wolseley City, London, EC4N 7HR
Who should attend
CFOs and FDs in PE-backed businesses
Corporate Development Leaders in PE-backed companies
It will be particularly valuable for teams operating across mid-market and growth-stage PE-backed platforms.
Speakers include
Sam Barr – Partner, Deal Advisory at Gerald Edelman
Sam advises business owners in the UK lower mid-market on sell-side M&A and capital raising. His work primarily focuses on owner-managed and founder-led businesses selling to private equity and strategic buyers, with extensive experience supporting PE-backed acquisition and buy-and-build strategies from a sell-side perspective.
Stuart Marcy – Head of Private Equity at Gerald Edelman
Stuart leads Gerald Edelman’s Private Equity practice and is responsible for expanding the firm’s presence in the sponsor market. With over 20 years’ experience across corporate finance and private equity, he works closely with financial sponsors on origination and portfolio activity, bringing a sponsor-side perspective to PE-backed M&A and bolt-on acquisitions.
Gerald Edelman is a UK-based accountancy and advisory firm providing services across Accounts, Audit and Assurance, Tax, Wealth Management and Corporate Finance. Its Corporate Finance team includes over 30 professionals across Deal Advisory and Transaction Services, with deep experience advising owner-managed and founder-led businesses on PE-backed transactions, including platform investments and buy-and-build strategies.
Selected recent transactions include:
- Investment into Strata FSC by Growth Capital Partners
- Investment into Cloudrock Partners by Growth Capital Partners
- Sale of MIS Healthcare to H2 Equity Partners
Want to attend?
Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register your interest early to secure your place at this exclusive event.
Register your interest
Hosted by Cedar Private Equity | Event organiser Piers Rennie
Cedar works closely with private equity firms and PE-backed management teams to build high-performing finance, transformation and leadership functions across investment, value creation and exit.
