Mergers, Acquisitions & Buyouts Conference

MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & BUYOUTS CONFERENCE 3 TRACKS, 1 UNIQUE DIGITAL EVENT

WHY THIS CONFERENCE? After 8 successful editions, with over 1,500 participants attending, this 2021 conference will BUY provide you with a hands-on e-learning experience YOUR OWN of the steps you need to take towards a successful COMPANY merger, acquisition or sale.

GOING DIGITAL WITH SWAPCARD We have transformed our well-known format, a pre-conference in the morning followed by the conference in the afternoon, into a digital setting. We have joined forces with SwapCard, a virtual M&A OPENING conference platform committing to using digital AS AN innovation to empower meaningful encounters and & TRANS- a valuable virtual experience. ACCELER- FERRING ATOR FOR OWNERSHIP SCHEDULE PRIVATE MEET-UPS GROWTH Meet online with brokers, investors, financial advisors, and bankers during private meet-up sessions to ask your personal questions and get started with your M&A journey. The SwapCard JOIN OUR PANEL DEBATE platform enables you to connect and schedule these meet-ups upfront, making your networking We kick off the afternoon conference with a panel experience more effective on the day of the debate on how COVID-19 is affecting deal-making. conference. Since the summer, M&A volume has started to recover from the full lockdown in the second quarter of the year – but significantchanges in WORKSHOPS TO KICK-START M&A motives, transaction processes and deal YOUR M&A CAREER structures could be observed. The panel will discuss We’re organising 4 workshops during the morning these effects from various angles and shed light on to introduce tools and concepts to kick-start your the anticipated long-term impact of the pandemic. M&A journey and help you answer the following questions: • How to start searching for an M&A target? • How to value an M&A target? • What are the different funding options when buying a company? • What are the main contracts used in an M&A transaction? 3 TRACKS TO EXPLORE

TRACK 1: BUY YOUR OWN COMPANY This track offers you an excellent opportunity to reflect on your own entrepreneurial 1 aspirations. More and more people are endeavouring to become owner-managers or entrepreneurs rather than managers in large companies. One way to realise your entrepreneurial potential is to take over an existing company through a management buyout or buy-in. Given the huge number of company founders who will retire in the coming decade, management buyouts or buy-ins might well be fruitful avenues to entrepreneurial success. People who have successfully followed their dreams and bought into companies share their stories.

TRACK 2: M&A AS AN ACCELERATOR FOR GROWTH This track delves into M&A as a road to growth. As a business owner or corporate decision-maker, you are always searching for ways to grow your business. Operating in today’s increasingly competitive and global economic environment, 2 our practitioners will share with you the challenges of making a merger or acquisition work and how you can use M&A to realise your growth ambitions.

TRACK 3: OPENING AND TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP IN YOUR BUSINESS This track gives SME owners guidance on how to transfer or sell their company. During the next few years, many SMEs will change ownership. This can range from a familial transfer, to a merger, to a full or partial sale. Thorough preparation is 3 often a crucial success factor in such a story. This track gives you insights that are essential to achieving a smooth and satisfying transfer or sale of your company.

TOP-NOTCH KEYNOTE TALK We end the conference with a keynote talk from Marianne De Backer (Bayer AG Pharmaceuticals). Dr. De Backer has been a strategist, scientist, business leader, deal- maker and corporate investor in the healthcare industry for more than two decades, and will discuss how Big Pharma needs to up its game. " Big Pharma used to be the most predominant option, but now biotechs have all the possibilities in the world to access capital. The days of straight licensing deals are over – we need to be really creative and create win-win symbiosis, looking at what we are bringing and what the entrepreneur is bringing. Competition is extremely fierce, so we need to up our game. It’s a different world, and we need to show our value. “ Dr. Marianne De Backer, PhD, MBA Member of the Executive Committee and EVP, Head of Strategy and Business Development & Licensing, Pharmaceuticals Division of Bayer MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & BUYOUTS CONFERENCE PRE-CONFERENCE KICK-START YOUR M&A CAREER 9:00 AM - 1 PM Schedule private online meet-ups with brokers, investors, bankers and advisors (detailed list of participants can be found on the Vlerick conference website) WORKSHOPS 10:00 - 10:30 AM A primer on how to search for an M&A target (Vlerick Business School) 10:30 - 11:00 AM A primer on how to value an M&A target (BDO) 11:00 - 11:30 AM A primer on funding options when buying a company (Bank J.Van Breda & C°) 11:30 - 12:00 AM A primer on the legal documents in an M&A transaction (BDO) CONFERENCE PLENARY PART 1

2.30 – 2.45 PM Welcome & introduction • Prof. Miguel Meuleman & Prof. Mathieu Luypaert (Vlerick Business School) 2.45 – 3.30 PM Post-corona M&A panel debate • Prof. Stijn Baert (Professor Ghent University) with Q&A • Muriel Uytterhaegen (Co-Founder We are Jane) • Dirk Wouters (CEO Bank J.Van Breda & C°) • Moderated by Prof. Hans Vanoorbeek (INSEAD & Vlerick Business School) 3.30 – 3.45 PM Introduction tracks & practicalities • Prof. Miguel Meuleman & Prof. Mathieu Luypaert (Vlerick Business School) 3.45 – 4.00 PM Short break

1 TRACK 1: BUY YOUR OWN COMPANY (moderated by Prof. Miguel Meuleman) 4.00 – 4.45 PM Embarking on a growth trajectory: • Dieter Aelvoet (Founder AIM Group) & The story of serial buyout Prof. Kurt Verweire (Vlerick Business School) entrepreneur Dieter Aelvoet 4.45 – 5.00 PM Short break 5.00 – 5.45 PM Starting young as a buyout • Charles Cattoir (Owner Primalof) entrepreneur: The story of Charles Cattoir who became witloof farmer 5.45 – 6.00 PM Short break

TRACK 2: M&A AS AN ACCELERATOR FOR GROWTH (moderated by Prof. Mathieu Luypaert) 4.00 – 4.45 PM M&A from a brand differentiating • Bart Claes (CEO JBC) perspective 2 4.45 – 5.00 PM Short break 5.00 – 5.45 PM Title to be confirmed • Bob Verbeeck (CEO Golazo) 5.45 – 6.00 PM Short break

TRACK 3: OPENING AND TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP IN YOUR BUSINESS (moderated by Sophie Manigart) – this track is in Dutch

4.00 – 4.45 PM Sharing ownership - When skin in • Helena Brutsaert the game, you have your most (Chief Commercial Officer CID LINES) 3 loyal ambassadors! 4.45 – 5.00 PM Short break 5.00 – 5.45 PM The untold sensitivities facing the • Tom Gheysens (Founder Apart Audio) entrepreneur before, during, and after transferring the company 5.45 – 6.00 PM Short break

PLENARY PART 2

6.00 – 6.50 PM Big Pharma needs to up its game • Dr. Marianne De Backer (Member of the Executive Committee and EVP, Head of Strategy and Business Development & Licensing, Pharmaceuticals Division of Bayer) 6.50 – 7.00 PM Wrap-up & goodbye • Prof. Miguel Meuleman & Prof. Mathieu Luypaert (Vlerick Business School) PRACTICAL DETAILS REGISTRATION Please register online: WWW.VLERICK.COM/MABC Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation with all practical details. If you plan to attend the pre-conference, you will also have the opportunity to schedule private meet-ups with investors, brokers, financial advisors and bankers via the virtual SwapCard conference platform.

DATE & TIMING 24 February 2021 • Pre-conference: from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm • Conference: from 2:30 pm - 7:00 pm

FORMAT Virtual, hosted with SwapCard

LANGUAGE English (except for Track 3, which will be in Dutch)

PRICE • €75 (excl. 21% VAT) for the pre-conference and conference • €50 (excl. 21% VAT) for the conference only • €50 (excl. 21% VAT) for Vlerick alumni of long-term programmes

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please contact: Cloé De Moor T: + 32 9 210 97 88 E: [email protected]

CENTRE FOR MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & BUYOUTS Vlerick Business School’s Centre for Mergers, Acquisitions & Buyouts develops and disseminates knowledge concerning best practices in the entire M&A field − from deal origination to completion, from financing to integration. The Centre brings all this knowledge together and shares experiences for everyone who is involved in an acquisition, merger or sale. The Centre’s activities, including this conference, are supported by the following Prime Foundation Partners: