In a strategic move set to reshape the financial landscape in Ireland, Fairstone has unveiled its revolutionary Irish buyout model, just one year after making waves with the acquisition of Dublin-based Pax Financial. Following a number of senior appointments, including Financial Planning Director Derek Delaney, Head of M&A, Anthony O’Driscoll, and Marketing Director Fergal Lynch, Fairstone is now poised to introduce its premium Downstream Buy Out (DBO) model to the Irish market.
At the core of Fairstone’s ambitious growth strategy, the Downstream Buy Out model seamlessly integrates culturally aligned firms before a complete acquisition, with the primary goal of maximising capital value. Throughout the integration phase, partnering firms gain access to Fairstone’s investment, cutting-edge technology, abundant resources, empowering them to realise their growth aspirations.
Fairstone Ireland CEO Paul Merriman commented, “The DBO is a market leader in the UK, and I am thrilled to extend this proposition to forward-thinking financial planning firms in Ireland. We are actively seeking partnerships with firms uninterested in an outright sale today; our focus is on investing in growth and supporting business owners dedicated to optimising their business value through a long-term partnership with Fairstone.”
Merriman emphasised the DBO’s distinctive nature, stating, “This is not your typical M&A transaction; it is crafted for visionary business leaders committed to their enterprises, eager to capitalise on future growth.”
Fairstone’s success in the UK is evident, boasting its best-ever dealmaking year, in 2023, with twelve firms embracing the DBO model. Fairstone Group, CEO Lee Hartley celebrated the Irish launch, saying, “Over the last 15 years, we’ve demonstrated the effectiveness of the model. Our unconventional approach to dealmaking consistently yields year-on-year outperformance, with the latest figures revealing fully acquired firms surpassing their target sale values by an average of 113%.”
