Management and Employee-Led
Buyout Opportunities
Blue Harbour Capital partners with founders, management teams and experienced industry investors to design and execute employee led and management led buyouts.
Our investor partners and industry executives are actively looking to:
- Back strong SMEs
- Transition ownership to management and employees
- Provide capital, structure and coaching to support through the transition and beyond
Our focus is continuity, culture and legacy.
How our model works for each mandate:
- Employees and management are positioned to become the majority owners of the business.
- Strategic investors and industry executives co-invest in a supporting minority position.
- Blue Harbour Capital:
- Designs the succession and ownership structure
- Coordinates financing with banks and aligned capital partners
- Guides all parties through the transaction and post-deal transition
The aim is to keep the business independent, transition ownership to the people who know it best, and wrap that transition in the right governance, leadership support and operating cadence.
Each listing will specify a sector, region and size range, but across the board we are looking for:
- Founders / Owners
- Leading an established SME, typically with enterprise value in the A$5m-200m range
- Considering succession within the next 1-5 years
- Wanting a credible alternative to a trade sale or private equity exit
- Caring deeply about staff, clients and legacy
- Management Teams and Key Employees
- Already running most of the day-to-day operations
- Interested in stepping into meaningful ownership
- Looking for structure, financing and coaching so they can succeed as owners, not just managers
For each opportunity, Blue Harbour and our investor partners provide:
- Succession strategy and deal design
- Clarifying goals for founder, management and investors
- Choosing the right structure (ELBO, MBO, hybrid employee ownership)
- Transaction and financing support
- Valuation, structure and negotiation support
- Coordination of lenders, legal and tax advisors
- Post-transaction coaching and operating rhythm
- 100 day post-deal plan
- Coaching for new owner-managers
- KPI dashboards and governance rhythm so the business stays on track after the deal
We combine transaction advisory with post-transaction coaching so that ownership transitions work in real life, not just in the documents.
Each specific listing on this page will set out:
- Sector and business model focus
- Geography
- Enterprise value range and financial profile
- Desired management and ownership situation
If you see a listing that sounds like your business, we invite you to contact us confidentially.
The next step for any listing is a short, confidential online form that helps us understand:
- Your business size, location and service or product lines
- High level financial profile (revenue band, profitability trend)
- Current ownership structure and founder’s timeframe
- Current management team and leadership depth
- Succession priorities, including:
- Value and timing
- Legacy and culture
- Employee participation and ownership
Once we receive your profile, we will arrange a confidential discussion to explore whether our model, our investor partners and a specific mandate are the right fit for you.