Press Release: London and Oslo, 20 February 2023
Xynteo, a strategic advisory firm exclusively dedicated to providing sustainability and energy transition services to some of the world’s largest companies has announced a majority investment by funds advised by Leon Capital LLP (Leon Capital). The family of the founder Osvald Bjelland remains a minority shareholder. The agreement includes the creation of an employee partnership model, with senior employees now becoming owners of the business.
Over the last two decades, Xynteo has helped some of the world’s leading businesses and their leaders to achieve planet positive and inclusive growth, tackle complex systemic challenges, and incubate green supply chains. They provide a range of world class professional services in strategy and innovation, leadership and culture and systems collaboration, including cross sector and value chain-based coalition models. The company operates globally, with offices in the UK, Norway, and India, and serves many of the world’s leading businesses such as ABB, BP, Hindalco, HUL, JLL, Mastercard, SAP, Shell, Tata, Unilever, Verizon, and Visa.
“This partnership brings renewed impetus and ambition to Xynteo. We are incredibly excited to work with the Leon Capital team, who bring deep operational capabilities and resources, and an extensive network of industry relationships,” said Jonah Grunsell, Managing Partner of Xynteo.
“The time has come to build on what we have and improve all we do – to invest in our long-term client relationships, our team, technologies and services and handover to a fantastic new partnership. In short, I commend the partnership with Leon Capital and the leadership´s commitment to now take forward our mission in service of people and planet as far as we can.” remarked the founder Osvald Bjelland.
Christos Lavidas, Co-founder, and Managing Partner at Leon Capital, said, “We are proud to invest in Xynteo and its mission to help the world’s leading organisations succeed through planet-positive and people-inclusive growth: doing well by doing good. Our strategy at Leon Capital centres around partnering with exceptional services businesses, where we see a clear active ownership plan to create sustainable impact for all stakeholders. That’s exactly what we found in Xynteo.”
“We have been impressed by the exceptional business and longstanding customer relationships built by the team, and are thrilled to partner with the Bjelland family and the management. We are grateful for their trust, and this only confirms Leon Capital as a partner of choice for family-owned and founder-led businesses,” said Jean-Christophe Napoléon Bonaparte, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Leon Capital.
“We are excited to partner with Xynteo, and its exceptional team members, to scale their coalitions to new geographies and value chains, to grow the Xynteo team itself, and to ensure clients see the best of all Xynteo’s capabilities, every single time,” commented Michael Youtsos, Partner at Leon Capital.
Xynteo’s partners also expressed their excitement about the transaction. Peter Voser, Chairman of ABB, and former CEO of Shell, said, “As Chairman of the Europe Delivers coalition, I am excited to work with all of Xynteo’s stakeholders to scale our impact for Europe, through good growth.”
Sanjiv Mehta, CEO & Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever, said, “A few years back some MNC’s and local groups came together to solve some intractable problems facing the country relating to people and planet. As chairman of the Vikaasa coalition, I fully support the Xynteo partners coming in as shareholders and am excited to work on the big challenges that India faces.”
Henrik Madsen, former CEO of DNV, will remain Chairman of Xynteo, and Thorhild Widvey, former Minister of Petroleum and Energy, and Minister of Culture in Norway, will remain on the board of directors.
The transaction is backed by the Leon Capital partners, Yana Investment Partners and several prominent family offices among others.
About Xynteo
Xynteo is a purpose-driven strategic advisory firm that helps global organisations, and their leaders, find new ways to grow forward as they tackle the societal and environmental challenges that are too big, too expensive, and too complex to solve alone. We believe that business is a force for good when leaders think long term, work with, not against nature, and use their influence and resources for the many, not the few. For us, this is good growth.
For more information, please visit: www.xynteo.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xynt-o/
Contact: hello@xynteo.com
About Leon Capital
Leon Capital LLP is a private equity firm, based in London, and investing in leading mid-market European tech-enabled services companies. We partner with ambitious teams to enable transformational change and build regional or international champions. We have a long-term view, a family partnership mindset, and an active management model to deliver sustainable impact for all stakeholders. The Leon Capital team has successfully completed or been involved in over 45 transactions, representing €6 billion in equity invested, and direct operational experience across 20 portfolio companies.
For more information, please visit: www.leon-capital.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/leon-capital/
Contact: info@leon-capital.com
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