Marktlink opens new office in Copenhagen

Managing partner Jesper Fogh Duelund takes the helm at Marktlink Denmark

Marktlink is rapidly staking out new territory. On 1 October 2021, Marktlink Denmark became a reality. From Copenhagen, managing partner Jesper Fogh Duelund is the face of and driving force behind business acquisitions in Scandinavia. Thanks to his broad experience in the international world of Mergers and Acquisitions, he is the ideal partner for companies that want to venture into this region. At the same time he and his team are paving the way for Danish companies with ambitions in Western Europe.

Jesper is a seasoned expert in the world of corporate acquisitions. He has over 15 years of experience in the world of investment banking and M&A, both nationally and internationally and within various industries and sectors. After working as an investment banker at Carnegie’s, he joined the international scale-up TERMA Group in 2011, where his responsibilities included corporate development and the international growth strategy.

At home in the world of deals

A few years ago, Jesper returned to his roots in the investment world. Until recently, he was vice president at the Danish M&A specialist Tofte & Company. He is now making the step to partnership at Marktlink. Jesper: “After my time on the corporate side at TERMA, I very deliberately made the step back into the investment world. I found it very interesting to be responsible for international expansion and growth within an business. But in time I also missed the excitement, strategy and dynamics of making deals. So when I was approached to set up a new boutique investment bank for an entrepreneur, I gave it no second thought. In the past years I have laid the foundation of Tofte & Company and it now stands like a rock. Entrepreneurship was a logical next step for me. I wanted to build something new independently and under my own responsibility. Thanks to Marktlink, I now have the opportunity to use all my background and expertise as an entrepreneur. At the same time, I have the solid foundation of an existing, successful organisation behind me. A unique combination and, in my opinion, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And so I seized this opportunity with both hands.

Building a bridge

Jesper has two priorities for the coming period. Creating a team and introducing and positioning Marktlink. Quality plays a key role in both. “When building a team, it is essential to get the right people on board straight away. Both in terms of knowledge and expertise, and in terms of culture. If you want to be successful as a professional in this business, you need expertise, but also the right mindset. At the same time, making deals is also about quality and precision. For example, it is a misunderstanding to think that ‘the Scandinavian region’ exists. Neighbouring countries the Netherlands and Belgium are completely different, and the same goes for Northern Europe. But as much as neighbouring countries can differ, there are also similarities between them. The Danes and the Dutch have a lot in common. They are direct, goal-oriented and business-like. That is not at all comparable with how business is done in Sweden. The Swedes are much more indirect, reserved and non-confrontational. And there many more details and nuances that make it essential to handle each process with the utmost care. That is why our physical presence here is so important. I am immensely looking forward to being that bridge to Scandinavia for many companies. And to be the linking factor with our expertise that enables these companies to achieve their international ambitions.”