Commercial Due Diligence · Private Equity

Commercial intelligence for PE deal teams. IC-ready in 10 days.

Your investment thesis depends on commercial fundamentals that financial DD doesn't cover. I deliver board-ready commercial intelligence for FMCG targets — with the perspective of someone who has operated on both sides: as a PE investment professional at Aurelius Group, and as an FMCG operator across P&G, Danone, and Energizer.

Discuss Your Deal → View Pricing

Deal lifecycle support

Supporting PE FMCG deals from screening to post-close

Arbol provides commercial intelligence at every stage of the PE deal process — calibrated to what the deal team needs at each phase.

Stage 1 · Screening

Red Flag Report

Rapid commercial screening before you commit to full DD. Identifies the 3–5 commercial risks that would change your view of the deal. Delivered in 3–5 business days, from €4,500.

Stage 2 · Due Diligence

IC-Ready Assessment

Full commercial due diligence across all 8 dimensions of the Route-to-Value™ (RTV) framework. Board-ready report, executive deck, and strategic debrief. Delivered in 10 business days, from €9,500.

Stage 3 · Negotiation

Valuation & Deal Support

Commercial risk inputs for valuation, price chip identification, warranty and indemnity guidance on commercial representations. Typically bundled with the IC-Ready Assessment.

Stage 4 · Post-Close

Integration & Value Creation

Advisory retainer for the first 100 days. Sales force integration, distributor transition, key account strategy, and commercial quick-win execution. From €2,500/week.

If the assessment doesn't surface at least 3 strategic insights your team hasn't identified, you pay nothing. Every engagement. No exceptions.

The operator advantage

Why your FMCG deals need an operator, not a consultant

I've sat on both sides of the table

As an investment professional at Aurelius Group, I evaluated FMCG targets from the PE side — understanding what investment committees actually need to decide. As an operator at P&G, Danone, and Energizer, I managed the commercial realities that determine whether a deal delivers on its thesis. This dual perspective shapes every assessment.

Pattern recognition from 30+ countries

When I assess route-to-market effectiveness, I'm drawing on experience building distribution across the Nordics, DACH, and wider EMEA. When I evaluate key account risk, I've negotiated with the retailers in question. When I score integration complexity, I've integrated the sales forces and distributor relationships that most models assume away.

IC-ready means IC-ready

Every deliverable is designed for investment committee consumption — not as a consulting deck that needs translation. Clear go/no-go signals, risk-adjusted valuation inputs, quantified integration risk, and a prioritised post-close action plan. Because I've presented to ICs from the PE side, I know what they need to see.

Continuity from DD to value creation

The operator who assessed the target pre-deal is the same operator available for post-close support. No hand-off to a different team, no re-learning the business. The commercial intelligence from due diligence becomes the foundation for the 100-day integration plan.

Deliverables

What your investment committee actually receives

Board-Ready Report

Comprehensive commercial assessment across all 8 diagnostic dimensions. Evidence-based, structured for IC review, with clear executive summary and risk matrix.

Executive Presentation

15–20 slide deck distilling the key findings, designed for IC presentation. Commercial thesis validation, risk signals, and recommended actions.

Risk-Adjusted Valuation Inputs

Quantified commercial risks with direct valuation impact. Revenue sustainability adjustments, integration cost estimates, and synergy reality-check.

Strategic Debrief

60-minute session with the deal team. Walk through findings, address questions, and align on post-close priorities. Typically scheduled 1–2 days before IC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Commercial due diligence for PE — what you need to know

What does commercial due diligence cover for a PE FMCG deal?

For PE FMCG deals, commercial due diligence validates the investment thesis by assessing the target's commercial fundamentals: revenue quality and sustainability, brand pricing power, route-to-market effectiveness, distribution health, key account dependency, category growth dynamics, competitive positioning, and integration complexity. The deliverable is an IC-ready report with clear go/no-go signals, risk-adjusted valuation inputs, and a prioritised post-close action plan.

How does Arbol support PE deal teams during due diligence?

Arbol supports PE deal teams across the full transaction lifecycle: Red Flag Reports for early screening (3–5 days, from €4,500), IC-Ready Assessments for full commercial DD (10 days, from €9,500), and Advisory Retainers for post-close integration support (from €2,500/week). Every engagement is delivered by a single senior operator with both FMCG operating and PE investment experience — not a team of generalist consultants.

Can commercial DD be delivered within a PE deal timeline?

Yes. Arbol delivers IC-ready commercial due diligence within 10 business days, fitting within standard PE deal timelines for mid-market transactions. A Red Flag Report for early screening takes 3–5 business days. This speed comes from working with one senior FMCG operator with deep pattern recognition, not from reducing scope.

Why is FMCG-specific expertise important for PE commercial due diligence?

FMCG businesses have unique commercial dynamics that generic CDD frameworks miss: route-to-market structures, trade spend effectiveness, key account concentration, brand price elasticity, and distributor relationship risk. A generalist consultant can assess market size and competitive landscape. An FMCG operator can tell you whether the distribution will survive ownership change, whether the brand equity is real or promotional-dependent, and where the hidden margin sits in the trade spend waterfall.

Does Arbol support post-acquisition value creation?

Yes. Arbol's Advisory Retainer (from €2,500/week) provides ongoing support for post-close integration and value creation in FMCG portfolio companies. This includes sales force integration planning, distributor transition management, commercial quick-win identification, and key account strategy. The same operator who assessed the target pre-deal continues to support the portfolio company post-close — ensuring continuity of commercial intelligence.

UT

Uwe Thellmann

Founder & Principal — Arbol Management & Consulting

Aurelius Group (PE) Procter & Gamble Danone Energizer 20+ Years FMCG 30+ Countries

Related

Explore further

Evaluating an FMCG target?

Let's spend 30 minutes on your deal. No pitch, no pressure — just a conversation about whether a commercial assessment would add value to your IC process.

Book a 30-Minute Call →