C&S event: Nordic Perspectives on Global M&A

Global M&A is entering a new phase, reshaped by geopolitics and artificial intelligence. Deal value is rising again in Europe, but activity is concentrating into fewer, larger transactions, with defence, energy, and EU tech sovereignty drawing outsized investment.

The panel featured perspectives from across the deal table: Pekka Lundmark, investor and board professional and former CEO of Nokia; Tuikku Alaviitala, SVP, Mergers and Acquisitions at KONE; Jarkko Karjalainen, Vice President, Group Treasury and M&A at Kesko; and Miro Hemanus, Director at Rothschild & Co.

The event explored where global and Nordic dealmaking align, where they diverge, and what that means in practice for dealmakers in the region. Panellists noted that Nordic companies hold advantages they don’t always credit themselves with: trust, predictability, and efficient decision-making. And when the home market is small, internationalisation isn’t optional, it’s a starting point, whether for industrial champions built over decades or fast-scaling growth companies.

‘Our task, as advisers, is to make sure ambitious Nordic companies have the structures, the funding, and the courage to go global’, says M&A Partner Valentin Golovanov.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to our speakers for such a candid conversation.