Patience and timing were keywords for Dave Schmidt, founder and owner of Obvious People Group. It has been four years since he first talked to Marktlink about his wish and ambition to take his company, which specialises in the staffing of IT professionals focussed specifically on Salesforce and data, to the next growth phase, but the right time came only this spring. Under the flag of Belgium-based World of Talents, Dave will have the opportunity to retain the Obvious People Group name and identity and together roll out the buy-and-build strategy.

If Dave Schmidt had started the sale process four years ago, he probably would not have achieved this great result. Deal team members Laurence Hamilton, Luka van Munster and Bart Schijen can be pretty clear about that. “As an advisor, it is our duty to be honest about the chances of a sale process and to provide insight into the best options”, Laurence, who met Dave for an exploratory meeting four years ago, clarifies. “The growth plans were already clearly identified at the time, but we concluded that there was more to gain by postponing the sale process. Achieve organic growth first, strengthen the internal organisation and professionalise in order to stand strong when the moment comes to sell and attract a partner with whom the highest future value can be realised.”

International network

In previous years, there was regular contact between Marktlink and Dave: how are things, what are trends in the market and what opportunities are there? “Because Obvious People Group is an expert in attracting international talents and takes care of their every need when they migrate to the Netherlands, we contacted our foreign offices when we started selecting potential candidates”, Luka says. “At first, private equity seemed like a good fit; Obvious People Group was suitable as a platform investment because Dave wanted to maintain his company’s autonomous position. From our Belgian network, however, World of Talents emerged – together with investor Baltisse, it is actively building a specialised European HR network focused on niches that are dealing with a serious shortage of talent.”

In the management meetings, it soon became clear that both parties flawlessly understood each other. Bart: “Trust is the foundation and we quickly realised that wouldn’t be a problem. Within World of Talents, Dave will have the opportunity to create a platform together with Tom Wolterinck and the new shareholder Marieke Rodenburg. Steve Rousseau, founder and CEO of World of Talents, and the three others share their vision for the growth strategy. To World of Talents, the acquisition means that it can immediately use Obvious People Group’s sourcing and migration model to gain access to an infinite number of international talents.

Shaping the buy-and-build strategy together

In the coming years, Dave Schmidt will remain at the helm of Obvious People. “As deal team we will definitely stay involved, but in a different capacity”, Laurence Hamilton realises. “We are in contact with entrepreneurs in this sector almost every day. Now that we have successfully concluded this acquisition, we know precisely what fits within the joined growth plan of Obvious People Group and World of Talents. For us, it’s only natural to keep our eyes peeled and ears to the ground to see if we can help shape the buy-and-build on an international level. Because once you’re in our network, it is easy to stay in touch.”