- Alantra appointed Alexander Matthes as Managing Director and head of its German investment banking team in Frankfurt, effective October 1, 2025.
- Matthes brings nearly 25 years of investment banking and private equity experience, most recently from Vendis Capital with a Consumer-sector focus.
- The hire supports Alantra’s plan to rebuild its Germany franchise after 2024 cuts, targeting 30-35 professionals and 5-6 Managing Directors.
- Alantra is positioning the move to capitalize on improving DACH deal momentum and recent cross-border M&A across multiple sectors.
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Background & Rationale
Alantra’s German investment banking arm underwent a significant contraction in 2024, cutting roughly half of its staff in Frankfurt—the senior investment banking team dropped from around 35 to under 20 people—as part of a global restructuring that realigned the firm away from country-based teams, toward a sector-led model. The appointment of Matthes represents a strategic reversal or recalibration of that move, aiming to reestablish local leadership in Germany with a strong sectoral focus—especially around Consumer.
Matthes’ profile & what he brings
With close to a quarter century in both investment banking and private equity, Matthes has held senior roles at Vendis Capital (since 2021), led Consumer & Retail at William Blair for eight years, and has prior experience at Lazard, Dresdner Kleinwort, and Commerzbank. His domain strength lies particularly in the European mid-market Consumer sector, a key focus for Alantra’s German growth.
Strategic implications
1. Rebuilding Germany as a core hub: The intention to scale to 30-35 people and 5-6 Managing Directors suggests a robust commitment by Alantra to restore a competitive footprint in Germany. This could enhance cross-border deal flow and client origination in DACH given Germany’s importance in Europe..
2. Consumer sector as anchor: By placing a Consumer specialist at the helm, Alantra signals that it views the consumer sector as offering high growth potential in Germany. Investment banking trends in Europe suggest consumer brands and consumer health remain attractive amidst macroeconomic uncertainty.
3. Risk of execution lag: Rebuilding a team after cuts carries risks—notably hiring quality, rebuilding institutional relationships, and overcoming reputation/market share erosion. Matthes will need to execute not only in deal origination but also in talent acquisition and retention.
4. Competitive landscape: Alantra faces competition in Germany from both local boutiques and global mid-market banks. The strategic timing, seen with contemporaneous deal momentum in the region, plays to their advantage, but success will depend on speed and differentiation (sector depth, cross-border capability, client access).
Open questions and challenges
• Can Alantra hire and retain sufficient senior talent to reach the targeted 5-6 MDs, given competitive pressure in Germany?
• Will the Consumer sector alone provide enough dealflow to justify this focused approach, or will diversification (Industrials, Technology, Healthcare) need greater emphasis?
• How quickly can the Frankfurt office regain market visibility and deal momentum after staffing cuts?
• How will macroeconomic, regulatory, and market-specific risks in Germany and EU affect mid-market M&A especially in consumer and cross-border deals?
Supporting Notes
- Alantra named Alexander Matthes as Managing Director and Head of Germany, headquartered in Frankfurt, effective October 1, 2025.
- Matthes has nearly 25 years of transaction and investment experience, joining from Vendis Capital (partner since 2021), prior to which he held leadership roles at William Blair, Lazard, Dresdner Kleinwort, Commerzbank.
- Alantra’s strategy for Germany involves scaling its team to 30-35 professionals and 5-6 Managing Directors.
- In 2024, the firm halved its German investment banking headcount amid a slump in deal-making, reducing from approximately 35 to less than 20 senior bankers.
- The firm has been involved in major cross-border transactions in the DACH region recently, such as: Rieter’s €900 million acquisition of Barmag (Oerlikon); Migros selling Mibelle Group to Persán; Dr. G to L’Oréal; Oakley Capital’s sale of Windstar Medical to Merz Lifecare; Aebi Schmidt’s takeover of Shyft Group.