Bio Leo Klijn

Leo Klijn

858.689.4120 direct

leo@henberger.com

Leo Klijn is a principal with Henberger, a San Diego-based mergers & acquisitions advisory firm. Henberger assists business owners in the lower middle market (revenues from $10 to $150 million) with exit planning, valuation and transaction services. Henberger is different from other investment banking firms, because it engages with business owners at least 3-5 years prior to their liquidity event. This allows them to optimize the value of their business and increase their odds for success.

Leo started his career working for Group Casino, one of the world’s top 25 retailers based in France. He set up and led their Far East Sourcing office. He was also Senior Vice-President Sales and Marketing for a $100 Million food manufacturing subsidiary, which he led back to record profitability through a drastic restructuring of its product lines and the development of new distribution channels.

Leo acquired direct hands-on experience as a business owner, when he co-founded a software and services company focused on supplier relationship management. He held several senior executive positions and led strategic sourcing engagements and software implementations for leading retailers and CPG companies such as Carrefour, Metro, Ito Yokado, Group Casino, Leroy Merlin, PETsMART, PETCO, Dannon and Smurfit. During his tenure the company became a public company with a market capitalization of $450 Million.

As a business owner and M&A Advisor, Leo discovered that most business owners are woefully unprepared for their endgame, whether they are transferring the business internally to their children, managers or employees or externally to a third party. As a result, Leo co-developed IntelligentExit® a comprehensive exit planning process that assists business owners in developing a roadmap for their exit. IntelligentExit® takes into account business and personal readiness as well as taxes, legal, financial planning and various stakeholders’ diverging interests.

Leo received his Masters from ESCP-Europe, Paris, London, Berlin and his Undergraduate from Nijenrode, the Netherlands ' School of Business. He is a CBI (Certified Business Intermediary) and holds securities licenses 62, 63 and 79 with Stillpoint Capital, LLC as well as a broker’s license from the California Department of Real Estate. He is also a Competent Toastmaster. Leo has worked on all major continents, is fluent in English, German, French and Dutch and proficient in Spanish and Thai.

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