NBCC was pleased to interview our member, Thomas Butt, Managing Director at Valandis. Valandis specialises in navigating transactions with precision and strategy. As a modern corporate finance boutique, the firm combines fresh perspectives with tailored solutions to help businesses achieve their goals. With a client-first approach, Valandis delivers bespoke strategies across mergers and acquisitions and capital raising, guiding clients through every step with clarity and precision.
Introduction & Background:
Thomas, could you start by sharing a bit about your background and how you came to be Managing Director at Valandis?
I started my career at KPMG, where I built a strong foundation in financial analysis. From there, I moved into an M&A role at Mediq, working on the buy-side, before joining Hunt Corporate Finance as a Partner, advising on mid-market transactions across a range of sectors.
Each of those experiences reinforced something I kept coming back to: many founders and business owners were not being well served by the advisory models available to them. The process could be impersonal, and the strategic dialogue was often lacking. That conviction, combined with the experience I had built, led me to co-found Valandis. As Managing Director, my focus is on leading transactions, maintaining close client relationships, and shaping the firm’s direction.
What inspired you to help build Valandis into the modern corporate finance boutique it is today?
The core motivation was building something we genuinely believed was missing. Having worked across both the advisory and corporate sides of deals, I had a clear sense of what clients actually needed, and how often they were not getting it.
Valandis was founded to combine institutional-quality execution with a more entrepreneurial mindset: selective in the work we take on, close to the detail on every mandate, and genuinely aligned with our clients rather than running a standardised process. That is still what drives us.
Purpose & Positioning:
Valandis is described as a corporate finance boutique that blends fresh perspectives with tailored solutions. Can you elaborate on what that means for your clients?
It means every engagement is built around the client’s specific situation rather than a standard playbook. The “fresh perspective” is about genuinely challenging assumptions, asking whether the conventional deal structure is actually the right one for that business at that moment.
“Tailored solutions” reflects how we execute: from valuation through to negotiation and final structuring. Two mandates might look similar on paper, but the approach will differ if the objectives, ownership dynamics, or growth ambitions are different.
What would you say are the core values and philosophy that guide Valandis’ work?
Clarity, alignment, and execution. We prioritise direct and honest communication, genuine alignment of interests with our clients, and disciplined follow-through.
Integrity and long-term relationships sit at the heart of everything we do. In the mid-market, where reputation carries real weight and word travels, that is not just a value statement. It is the foundation of a sustainable business.
Valandis was founded recently and operates with a lean, focused team. How does that shape the way you deliver services?
Being lean keeps us sharp and focused. There are no unnecessary layers, and clients work directly with senior people throughout the entire process. That improves both the quality and the pace of decision-making.
It also means we stay close to the details on every mandate and can respond quickly when circumstances shift. In a live transaction, that kind of responsiveness makes a real difference to outcomes.
Services & Client Impact:
Valandis offers a suite of corporate finance services, from M&A support to capital raising and transaction readiness. Which of these services do you feel most defines the company’s strategic edge?
It is the way we integrate our services rather than treating them as separate offerings. Value is often created before a transaction formally begins, through preparation, positioning, and strategic clarity.
Transaction readiness is one of the most underestimated parts of the process, yet it can materially improve outcomes on both price and terms. We combine that with M&A execution and capital structuring so that clients are not just well-advised on the deal itself, but well-positioned going into it.
Industry Insights & Market View:
From your perspective as Managing Director, what trends are shaping corporate finance in the Netherlands and across Europe?
There has been a clear shift toward quality over quantity in dealmaking. Buyers are more selective, financing conditions remain disciplined, and there is much greater scrutiny on underlying business performance and resilience.
At the same time, activity remains strong in niche sectors. Technology-enabled businesses, healthcare, and companies with credible international growth stories continue to attract serious attention. The bar is higher, but the opportunity is still very much there for well-prepared businesses.
How is Valandis helping businesses adapt to evolving expectations around capital raising and strategic growth?
We work closely with clients to ensure their business is positioned in a way that resonates with investors. That means sharpening the equity story, improving financial transparency, and structuring transactions thoughtfully.
We also try to help clients think about capital differently: not just as a funding mechanism, but as a strategic tool for enabling growth and building long-term value. That broader perspective is often where the most meaningful conversations happen.
NBCC Membership & Collaboration:
What motivated Valandis to join the NBCC community, and what do you see as the biggest benefits of this network?
The cross-border dimension was the primary draw. Our work increasingly involves international dynamics, whether that is a Dutch company looking to expand into new markets or a foreign buyer looking at opportunities here.
The NBCC brings together a strong mix of international businesses and professionals that aligns closely with that focus. It is a genuine opportunity to build relationships, exchange perspectives, and explore collaboration in a setting where the international mindset is already shared.
Are there particular sectors or types of partnerships you’re excited to explore through NBCC?
We are particularly drawn to sectors with strong international dynamics: technology, healthcare, and specialised industrials.
In terms of partnerships, the most relevant connections for us are entrepreneurs, investors, and advisory firms that are already thinking and operating across borders. There tends to be natural common ground there, and those relationships often lead somewhere productive, whether through a transaction or simply a better understanding of a market.
Vision & Future Ambitions:
Looking ahead, what are Valandis’ key priorities for growth in the next few years?
The priority is building a genuinely high-quality track record in the mid-market, not growing for the sake of it, but deepening the work we do and expanding selectively where it adds real value.
Cross-border activity and capital raising are areas we are continuing to develop, but always with the same focus on execution quality that defines what we are trying to build. The reputation we are building, one transaction at a time, is the most important asset we have.
How do you see your role as Managing Director evolving alongside that growth?
Over time, I expect my focus to shift more toward strategic oversight, relationship development, and nurturing the team, while staying involved in the transactions that matter most.
As we grow, maintaining the culture and quality we have built is just as important as the growth itself. Probably more so. The firms that lose that as they scale are the ones that end up looking like what we set out to be different from.
Closing:
Finally, what keeps you and your team energised each day, and what does success look like for Valandis in 2026 and beyond?
What keeps us motivated is the work itself. Being close to entrepreneurs, understanding their businesses, and seeing the real impact a well-executed transaction can have on someone’s life and legacy. Every deal has its own dynamics and its own challenges, and that variety keeps things genuinely engaging.
Success for us is not measured by deal volume. What we are building toward is a reputation as a trusted mid-market advisor, known for execution, for integrity, and for delivering outcomes that genuinely matter to the people we work with. That is what we are here for, and that is what we will keep working toward.
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