William Blair Continues European Expansion

Adds Veteran Consumer & Retail Investment Banker Arthur van der Goes

CHICAGO & AMSTERDAM & FRANKFURT & STOCKHOLM & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, today announced the hiring of Arthur van der Goes. Van der Goes joins the global Consumer and Retail investment banking team as a managing director. Focusing on food and beverage, van der Goes will be based in Amsterdam, a continuation of the firm’s strong commitment to the Benelux region, and Europe more widely.

“We are continuing to expand our European presence and are investing in our team to better serve our clients across the continent,” said Anu Sharma, head of European investment banking. “We have a long history of serving European clients with exceptional outcomes, and with Arthur joining are excited to continue our strong transaction momentum within the consumer sector.”

With over 20 years of industry experience, van der Goes joins William Blair from Rabobank in Amsterdam. Most recently, he was managing director on the food and agriculture M&A team, leading midmarket food M&A transactions in the Netherlands and coverage of animal protein clients in Europe. Prior to that, he held various positions at ING in Amsterdam, New York, and London, advising clients on corporate finance transactions across various industries. Van der Goes holds a master’s degree in financial economics from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

“Arthur brings a breadth of capabilities and senior-level M&A advisory experience to the team,” said Adam Filkin, managing director and head of the Consumer and Retail investment banking team. “He has a long track record of success focused on M&A transactions in the consumer, food and beverage, and agriculture sectors for clients across Europe. We are excited to have him join to help build our presence in the region.”

In 2019, William Blair unlocked over $100 billion in value for clients, completing 245 transactions. More than one-third of M&A transactions involved cross-border counterparties, spanning 23 countries. Over the past five years, William Blair has been very active in M&A advisory in Europe, completing 151 advisory engagements with a total aggregate transaction value of more than €27.3 billion.

About William Blair Investment Banking

William Blair's investment banking group enables corporations, financial sponsors, and owner/entrepreneurs around the world to achieve their growth, liquidity, and financing objectives. Drawing on the collective intellectual capital and deep sector expertise of a global team that reaches across more than 20 cities on four continents, the investment banking group brings a rigorous and innovative approach to corporate board advisory projects, mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt financing. Over the past five years, the team has completed more than 1,050 advisory and capital markets transactions totaling more than $365 billion in value for our clients.

About William Blair

William Blair is the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet our clients' evolving needs. As an independent and employee-owned firm, together with our strategic partners, we operate in more than 20 offices worldwide.*

*Includes strategic partnerships with Allier Capital, BDA Partners, and Poalim Capital Markets.