Independent advisory

We work with companies on the financial decisions that change their direction.

An owner-led firm for finance, transactions and transitions. We take on a small number of mandates at a time and lead each one ourselves.

Practice

Three kinds of mandate

We are usually called in at a moment, not for a product. These are the moments we know best.

i.

Finance

Mandates where the finance function itself is the question — its numbers, its cash, or its leadership.

Typically when
  • The company has outgrown its bookkeeping, but not yet a full-time CFO.
  • The numbers exist, but nobody trusts them.
  • It is profitable on paper and tight at the bank.
CFO services · Reporting · Liquidity · Stakeholder management
ii.

Transactions

Buy-side and sell-side work, from first assessment through to the months after signing.

Typically when
  • A succession or exit is on the horizon.
  • An offer has arrived and needs testing.
  • An acquisition has closed and integration has stalled.
M&A advisory · Valuation · Due diligence · Post-merger integration
iii.

Transitions

Periods where a business needs someone in the seat, or needs to work differently than it does today.

Typically when
  • The finance lead has left, and the seat cannot stay empty.
  • A financing partner has asked for a concept.
  • Consolidation still happens in Excel.
Interim management · Restructuring · Process and organisation · Finance systems
How we are set up
Mandates are led by the people you meet at the outset. We hold a small number at a time, which is what makes that possible.
Approach

How a mandate runs

Inside the team rather than beside it — and out again once the processes and people hold on their own.

i.Understand

We map the situation, the constraints and the objective before proposing anything.

ii.Assess

A direct view of the numbers and the options, so decisions rest on facts.

iii.Act

We work inside the team — present when it counts, accountable for the outcome.

iv.Hand over

We leave steadier processes and capable people, then step back.

About

An independent firm, owner-led

Carlstadt is an independent advisory firm based in Düsseldorf. We take on finance and transaction mandates directly — as interim leadership, as advisors to a board, or alongside a management team through a transaction.

Based in
Düsseldorf
Structure
Independent, owner-led
Languages
German, English

Tell us what you are working on.

Initial conversations are without obligation and treated in confidence.

Arrange a conversation
Email
[email protected]
Phone
+49 211 819 949 86
Office
Fürstenwall 69
40217 Düsseldorf
Germany
LinkedIn
Carlstadt