Acquisitions That Actually Deliver What You Promised
For PE-backed and privately owned businesses executing 2-5 acquisitions over the next 12-24 months
Your board approved an acquisition strategy months ago. The plan made sense. Your team is capable. So why are you further behind than when you started?
The problem isn't your strategy. It's that no one actually owns the entire system- from finding deals to making sure they deliver what you promised.
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Three Problems Keep Showing Up, No Matter What You Try
No Quality Deals
You're reacting to whatever brokers send you instead of choosing from opportunities that actually matter. By the time you see a deal, two other buyers are already through due diligence.
You're not running an acquisition strategy, you're running an auction participation programme.
Your CEO Is Stuck Coordinating
Without someone owning the whole process, your CEO spends 15-20 hours every week chasing advisors, tracking information, and keeping things moving.
The board is starting to wonder if your team can handle M&A and operations at the same time.
Deals Don't Deliver
Six months after closing, the numbers don't match what you promised. No one tracked the synergies. No one owns the gap between what you said would happen and what actually happened.
No one admits the synergies aren't happening and no one owns the gap - and the next deal is already demanding attention.
This isn't a people problem. It's a system problem. And it costs you deals, time, and credibility with your board.
The Real Problem
Nobody owns the whole programme.
Advisors own workstreams, not systems - legal manages legal, FDD runs parallel, Commercial advisors execute mandates, Nobody coordinates pace or preserves leverage
Management teams get overstretched - CEO becomes coordinator, Finance splits focus, Everyone goes reactive
Boards oversee what they can't fix - Inconsistent pipeline visibility, Late risk flags, Unenforceable integration plans
The root cause: fragmented accountability.
The solution: single-point ownership.
Not advice. Not coordination. Not project management.
Ownership of the entire system - from deal flow to value delivery. By someone with no reason to push transactions that shouldn't happen.
That's Kelvin Lane specialises in.
Growth Isn’t the Issue - Ownership Is.
If acquisitions sit on your growth plan, you already know what you’re doing but the frustration often comes later.
Deal flow feels thinner than it should.
Execution absorbs more of your time than expected.
And value after close takes too long to show.
Not because the strategy is wrong but because no one truly owns the programme or project end to end.
I’ve spent 12+ years running buy-side programmes inside firms where boards and investors measured outcomes, not activity, from Investment Banking, Big Corporate and SME’s to leading global M&A programmes adding billions in value.
I founded Kelvin Lane to bring that level of ownership to acquisitions.
You make the decisions.
We take responsibility for delivery.
Michael Ferguson, Founder & Director
The Precision Pathway - Your Systematic Expansion Process
Step 1: 90-Minute Market Mapping Session
We map your top 3-5 markets against your strategic thesis, identify hidden exposure, and determine whether to acquire, partner, or wait. You'll leave with a decision framework you can present to your board, not a pitch deck.
Step 2: We get deals done
We define market thesis, originate 10-50 qualified opportunities per market, structure staged entries, and coordinate advisors, so you make decisions from a position of strength, not scarcity.
Step 3: Systematic, Defendable Growth
Expansion moves from your head to a documented, repeatable process. Your business stays focused. Your board stays aligned. Growth has quarterly decision points, not constant fire-drills.
Expansion Done Right
Wealth Management Firm - £18M Turnover
Needed clarity on global expansion options. We mapped 12 markets, identified 6 viable opportunities, and originated qualified partnerships across 3 continents - all before capital commitment. Client now has strategic optionality instead of guesswork.
F&B Brand - £70M Turnover
Led full European expansion execution. Coordinated legal, regulatory, and distribution across 5 markets simultaneously. Launched in 14 months with zero operational disruption to UK operations. Year-one international revenue: £8.2M.
Marketing Agency - £12M Turnover
Qualified 47 acquisition targets across 3 markets. Completed 2 strategic partnerships and 1 acquisition. International revenue now 28% of total, up from zero 18 months ago.
Get Your Top 3 Market Opportunities Mapped - Free
You've built a strong business. Inorganic expansion is the logical next step but only if it's done right.
Our Expansion Roadmap gives you exactly what you need - clarity on which markets to target, how to enter safely, and a step-by-step plan that protects what you've already built.
No guesswork. No unnecessary risk. Just a clear path forward.
30 minutes · Confidential · You'll leave with at least 2 actionable improvements/insights