Global Sell-Side M&A Specialists.
Built to Get Your Deal Done.
Deal Leaders International (DLI) is not a generalist M&A firm. We advise business owners, exclusively on the sell side, with a rigorous process, a global buyer network, and people who have sat across the table in hundreds of deals.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe most business owners are under-advised when it comes to their exit. They start too late, prepare too little, and talk to too few buyers — and the result is a deal that doesn’t reflect the true value of what they’ve built.
DLI exists to change that — for every client, in every deal.
If you’re thinking about selling — even if you’re years away from being ready — the best time to start the conversation is now.
WHO WE ARE
DLI was founded on a simple belief: selling a business is the most significant financial event in most owners’ lives, and it deserves more than a listing and a handshake.
We are a specialist sell-side M&A advisory firm, working exclusively with business owners to prepare, position and sell their businesses. We do not represent buyers. We work only for sellers, so every decision we make is made in your interest.
Headquartered in South Africa with a global reach, we work with clients ranging from founder-led mid-market businesses to large corporates and private equity-backed exits. What they share is a desire to exit well — at the right price, to the right buyer, and with the right deal structure.
Through our partnerships with Pandea Global M&A, an extensive network of carefully selected M&A advisory firms across the world, and CapEQ in the UK, we provide access to a global network of strategic and financial buyers, including high-net-worth individuals, across 36 countries. Having concluded over 100 deals and with access to more than 5,000 qualified buyers, we combine proven experience with international reach to deliver results that matter.
PROUD MEMBER OF
EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST
Andrew Bahlmann, DLI Joint Chief Executive
Andrew works closely with business owners, corporates and private equity on complex, high-stakes exits. Having built and sold businesses himself, he brings a practical, outcomes-focused approach to every transaction. Andrew is a recognised M&A thought leader, hosting The M&A Exit Lab podcast and contributing regularly to the media.
Rick Grantham, DLI Joint Chief Executive
Rick is actively involved in executing transactions for business owners. He advises on growth, positioning and achieving premium exits. Having built, acquired and sold businesses himself, Rick brings a practical, results-driven perspective to every engagement. He is also the author of Premium Exit Blueprint on Substack, a weekly M&A thought-leadership series.
Our team combines entrepreneurial experience, corporate expertise and global M&A capability.
WHAT MAKES DLI DIFFERENT
You go to market already prepared
We run a rigorous preparation phase before any buyer conversation begins. It surfaces the gaps buyers would use to reduce your price, and closes them. Then we build a tailored market-approach strategy. Many advisors skip this step. Most sellers regret it. You won’t have to.
Your interests are never compromised
Because we never represent buyers, there are no conflicts of interest and no situations where advice quietly serves someone else’s agenda. Our mandate is to get you the best possible outcome, and that demands complete alignment.
Your business reaches a global pool of buyers
As a member of Pandea Global M&A, one of the world’s leading independent M&A networks, your transaction reaches dealmaking professionals across 68 offices in 36 countries, backed by more than €50 billion in completed transactions across 2,500+ deals. You are not limited to a local buyer pool. You are selling to the world.
You’re matched to specialists who know your scale
Two focused divisions — Mid-Market, led by Rick Grantham, and Corporate & Advisory, led by Andrew Bahlmann — because the needs of a R50m business and a R500m business are fundamentally different. You get advisors with relevant deal experience and a process built for businesses your size.
THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
68
GLOBAL OFFICES
100%
SELL-SIDE FOCUS
36
COUNTRIES
100%
BUYERS AT THE TABLE
€50 B
DEAL VALUE
5000+
QUALIFIED BUYERS
Ready to find out what your business is worth?
Speak to an M&A advisor in a confidential 20-minute call — no pitch, no pressure. Just clarity.
