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About us

Who we are

We help organisations requiring practical guidance on how to create and unlock the value in their businesses.

Through our global advisory, M&A and investment expertise, from London to Sydney, our specialty is helping business owners realise their full potential.

Strategy is about direction – picking the right direction, also demands the correct positioning, the proposition which is most likely to win in the market. The correct market data must be available to the leadership to allow a meaningful differentiation which is important not just to the team but to existing and future consumers.           

Too few leadership teams have sufficient data to help drive direction – we will not attempt strategy without a defensible analysis.

When the focus is creating value, we help develop both a winning strategy, a robust plan and most importantly we are around for the execution through our specialist non-executive retainer services.

“To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. Execution is worth millions.”

Steve Jobs

 

Sydney

London

Servicing Australia and the U.K.

We bring our clients more than 35 years of advisory, M&A and investment experience. With over 500 transactions spanning Asia, North & South America, Europe and Australia, we manage business transactions across a plethora of industry sectors. Our global presence helps us effectively leverage international relationships to source the best opportunities for your business.

Oasis Partners operates Australia-wide from our head office in Sydney, frequently travelling to clients businesses in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, regional WA & NSW, New Zealand and beyond.

Oasis Europe operates out of our London headquarters, with additional offices in Falmouth and Reading representing clients acquiring and divesting across the U.K.

“I know what it feels like to be outgunned by a larger corporate acquirer and frankly, there is no need to be.”

Mike’s story

In 1987 Mike started one of the first pizza home delivery chains in the UK. The business grew rapidly and by 1990 became the number two in the market with 84 outlets and 15% market share in the growing delivery and take away sector.

In 1992, Mike was approached by the market leader ‘Perfect Pizza’ with a view to acquiring his business. Mike entered negotiations with his small internal team and without any specialist M&A support. A deal was agreed, due diligence completed and contracts were signed that same year. Mike was 28.

With the benefit of hindsight and after engaging Oasis Europe for representation in a later business sale, Mike learned that he had made some important mistakes in his first business exit.

His apprehension that the number one in the market must therefore be the best (or only) acquirer was misguided. Similarly his concern that staff, franchisees and others did not discover his intentions was valid, but prevented him from approaching other potential acquirers and leveraging competitive tension to secure the best offer.

“The Oasis proven formula of going to the widest possible market whilst maintaining our anonymity would have been key for us in the early 90s. There were several key players in the US at the time who would likely have paid based on our strategic footprint in the UK which would have saved them five years. We never even spoke to Dominos, the largest pizza chain globally at the time.”

“The other key mistake was doing my own negotiating and not securing representation. Though I had a proven ability to rapidly expand a chain of pizza outlets in a growth market, when it came to selling a business I was completely out of my depth back then.”

After working with Oasis Europe, Mike became passionate not only about how to create value through an enterprise, but how best to unlock that value at the business exit. Mike proceeded to build and successfully sell a number of businesses in the following years before establishing the Oasis Partners brand in Australia in 2009. Today, Mike and his team specialise in representing the shareholders of private companies wishing to increase then unlock value at the growth and exit phases of the business lifecycle.

Our purpose

Corporate advice with a practical bias

“We help level the playing field for our business owner clients.”

Meet the team

Our team are dedicated to representing our clients and achieving results, often in an almost inevitable mismatch, as we help negotiate terms on their behalf, with much larger corporate acquirers, who are used to getting their own way!

This David and Goliath struggle demands that we help level the playing field. Over the years and after many, many completed transactions, we have figured out what it takes to counter corporate might, this we do by intelligently engaging on our own terms.

Speak to the team if you want to know more about our unique approach.

A career entrepreneur, Mike draws on over 35 years of real-world experience across global markets and multiple sectors to advise company boards and owners navigating growth as well as in the unlocking of value.

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Mike McGrath

Executive Chairman

Don has been working as an entrepreneur, senior executive, and Non-Executive Director for over twenty years with broad experience and expertise across various sectors including health, media & technology, consumer goods, retail, and e-commerce.

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Don Hunton

CEO

Warwick is a qualified lawyer and chartered accountant with over 30 years’ experience supporting businesses undertaking rapid growth. After a successful international career which saw him work in Holland, the US and the UK Warwick now specialises in mergers and acquisitions representing the shareholders of established companies in Australia as they contemplate their exit.

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Warwick Pearce

Transaction Director

An entrepreneurial dealmaker and chartered accountant with over 25 years diversified senior executive experience globally. Chris now represents the shareholders of private companies in Australia in various sectors that include manufacturing, mining, finance, healthcare, AgTech and renewables.

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Chris Venter

Partner

Simon is a chartered accountant who has held CEO, CFO, and COO roles in a range of fast growing businesses, including: retail, manufacturing, logistics, distribution and medical. His experience crosses both the private and listed spheres, including MBO and MBI’s. Simon also has experience working with entrepreneurial-owned private businesses as well as with small institutional owners.

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Simon Farnsworth

Partner

Working as a corporate lawyer in London and China, Simon has 10 years of entrepreneur-operator experience as the founding managing director for two companies and a SaaS business unit in China. Simon now applies his experience from across sectors (FMCG, energy, creative services, SaaS) and disciplines (law, sales, marketing, operations) to maximise value for SME shareholders in Australia.

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Simon Manetti

PARTNER

Derrick has been a lead adviser and consultant to businesses for over twenty years in sectors that include finance, accounting, taxation, banking. Derrick is a specialist in M&A focussing on deal structurer and tax. He currently advises on transactions and is a non-executive director of two ASX-listed companies.

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Derrick De Souza

PARTNER

Themis has a successful background in finance including advising HNW’s on equity, options and executing trades before joining Oasis as an Associate. He now focusses on establishing strong relationships with business owners in Australia who are considering M&A and exit options in technology, mining services, manufacturing, and food.

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Themis Papas

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

With a robust background in both sales leadership and financial services, Ortal has a wealth of experience in building and nurturing client relationships. She is dedicated to not only forging new connections but also nurturing existing relationships. Ortal strives to build and maintain strong client relationships through personalised service, effective communication, and a deep understanding of client needs.

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Ortal Vigdor

Senior associate

Liana has a strategic background in marketing, specialising in channel optimisation, content creation and campaign management. With over thirteen years of experience, she has held key roles at various high-profile companies. At Oasis Partners, she uses her expertise to deliver valuable content for future and current clients whilst ensuring the Oasis Partners brand is visible to future clients wishing to connect and unlock maximum value for their business.

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Liana Terrano

Head of Marketing

With over 20 years’ experience, Matthew is an expert in IT, communications, and systems. He currently manages Oasis Partners’ technology, real-time data streams, and internal processes and development.

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Matthew Smith

Systems and Processes Manager

Testimonials

What our clients say

"In late 2010 we set out to attract a majority investor for our professional and technical services business. Though we understood the need for an exit strategy, we did not understand the process of attracting an investor or selling the business. Oasis M&A was selected on the basis of their well-defined approach, track record and openness. Mike and the Oasis team’s professional approach and level of effort in identifying, gating and meeting potential buyers was impressive. Five years on, our majority shareholder is a major factor in the ongoing success of the business."
Jeff Bugden
Managing Director, KoBold Group
"Where Oasis are very good is being able to work outside the box to improve the deal through the negotiation. On more than one occasion, I thought I was presented with a great deal, but Mike helped ID some trap doors. My sale was extraordinary. We got more than we expected, as we were able to successfully argue the power of our brand and capability rather than financials – which were suffering post mining boom collapse."
Anthony Moorhouse
Founder and Director of Strategy, Dynamiq
"The challenge for Oasis was the fact that we had one major supply company based overseas with verbal supply agreements in place and to convince a potential buyer that those agreements would continue with an approved buyer. We were very happy with the professional and methodical approach of Oasis to find a selected buyer, which achieved a successful outcome within 10 months of engagement. We found Warwick and the team very helpful and very easy to deal with and can only recommend him and his team."
Joe F Blum
Major Shareholder, Intervac
"We entrusted Oasis M&A to assist with the sale of our Australian business in 2014. Michael McGrath’s extensive experience running his own business, coupled with his strong business acumen, made the sale process run seamlessly. From the investigatory stage, through to the due diligence and contract negotiations, Mike and the team offered practical advice and maintained a strong line of communication every step of the way. The team’s service levels were equivalent to any top tier M&A firm, without the exorbitant fee structure. We would certainly use Oasis M&A again in the future."
Ariana La Tessa
Owner, Hypoxi Australia
"Mike quickly grasped the nuances of our hybrid capital raising requirements for a startup venture in the software arena. Oasis M&A not only identified a highly relevant suitable partner, but provided immediate access, resulting in a very high level of engagement. From start to finish, the outcome was delivered inside 6 weeks. Including cash settlement. Unheard of. Legend. Thanks again Mike, and to the team at Oasis M&A. Great result."
Darren Beale
Founder, Solidtec Solutions Pty Ltd
"Oasis Partners have been our business advisers for over 4 years at a board and operation level. From the outset, guidance started with Oasis providing in-depth advice on business strategies to address the significant challenges posed by changing market conditions in the IT hardware, software and services industry. The outcome was a well developed business plan for the future. Since then we’ve not looked back, and Oasis Partnerss ongoing operational advice in the business has helped us tune these strategies to maximise revenue, profitability and shareholder value to deliver a more predictable future."
Robert Silver
CEO, Rivium
“We’ve worked closely with Michael McGrath and the Oasis team in an advisory capacity for some time now, and have enjoyed the frank, fearless and above all pragmatic approach they have taken to our relationship. We would wholeheartedly recommend the Oasis team to any small to medium size enterprise undertaking the sometimes difficult transition to more structured corporate governance processes. Collectively we have relied upon their expertise and guidance in establishing a board, implementing more rigorous financial reporting processes, recruiting high level executives and crystallising our longer term business strategy. The support and advice we have received is grounded in real-world business experience across a range of industries, and has proven to be invaluable to our organisation”.
Barry Jarred
Director, Price Attack
"Oasis quickly gained a deep understanding of our industry and helped shape our short and long term strategic focus, playing a pivotal role in evolving our leadership, finance, and management. We have been impressed with the measurable differences they have made over the past 10 years, along with their ability to distil complex issues into actionable insights and apply them to everyday business. I have personally recommended them to many other business owners looking to improve their business focus and gain a partner in creating value."
Brendan Green
CEO, GCG Health Safety & Hygiene
"Michael and the Oasis team demonstrated a wealth of experience by delivering highly practical guidance during the preliminary negotiation phase, coupled with the requisite technical advice during the later phases of the acquisition process."
Thomas Haines
CEO, Practice Insight
“We have been working with Oasis for coming up 2 years and their guidance has been invaluable."
Shane Gates
Managing Director , Impact Multimedia