Management Buyout (MBO)

What Is an MBO?

The Team That Knows the Business Best Takes the Wheel.

A Management Buyout (MBO) occurs when a company's existing management team acquires a controlling interest in the business — typically partnering with a private equity firm or using leveraged financing to fund the transaction.

MBOs are powerful for both sides: sellers gain a buyer who deeply understands the business and can close with conviction, while management achieves the ownership and upside they've earned through years of building the company.

Crassus Partners advises on both sides of MBO transactions — representing sellers who prefer to transition to their existing management team, and advising management teams seeking to structure and finance a buyout.

We Advise Both Sides

For Sellers

We help owners who want to transition their business to the management team that helped build it — structuring the transaction to achieve fair value while facilitating a smooth, relationship-preserving process.

For Management Teams

We advise management teams on transaction structure, capital sourcing, private equity partner selection, and negotiation strategy — helping them acquire the business they've earned the right to own.

The Process

A Complex Transaction Requiring Expert Guidance.

MBOs involve simultaneous negotiations between sellers, management, lenders, and equity partners — often under significant time pressure. Our role is to bring structure, discipline, and expertise to every workstream.

Phase 01

Transaction Structuring

We design the optimal ownership, financing, and governance structure — balancing seller objectives, management ambitions, and lender requirements.

Phase 02

Equity & Debt Sourcing

We identify and introduce the right private equity or growth equity partners, and arrange the senior and subordinated debt needed to fund the transaction.

Phase 03

Negotiation & Close

We navigate negotiations between all parties — seller, management, equity, and lenders — with the experience to resolve competing interests and drive to close.

For Management Teams

You've Built It. Now Own It.

Management teams often underestimate their ability to acquire the businesses they run. With the right structure, the right equity partner, and the right advisor, an MBO can be achievable — and transformative.

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Equity Partner Matching

We introduce management teams to PE and growth equity partners who are aligned with their vision and will add strategic value — not just capital.

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Minimizing Management Investment

We structure transactions to maximize leverage and minimize the cash management teams must invest personally — preserving their upside without overexposing them to downside risk.

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Protecting Your Interests

In an MBO, management negotiates against sellers and PE simultaneously. We represent management's interests exclusively, ensuring the deal is structured in their favor.

Explore an MBO →

The Team That Knows the Business Best Takes the Wheel.

A Complex Transaction Requiring Expert Guidance.

You've Built It. Now Own It.

Ready to Discuss an MBO?