Why, at igc, partners lead every transaction

What does "owner to owner" mean?

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It means that the entrepreneur selling their company speaks, on the other side of the table, with someone who is also the owner of their own business: an igc partner. It is not an executive performing a function, it is an owner conducting a transaction for which they are personally responsible. Both sides of the conversation carry the same kind of responsibility — for the result, for the reputation, for what that outcome means. This symmetry changes the quality of the relationship from the very first meeting.

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Why does this matter for the person selling the company?

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Because someone who is an owner understands the pains of someone who is an owner. The igc partner knows what it means to build something from scratch, to carry the payroll in difficult months, to have the family's wealth concentrated in the business, to feel the weight of a decision that cannot be undone. The sale of a company is not a financial operation like any other — it is a moment of life. Whoever leads it needs to understand this not as a concept, but as lived experience. It is the difference between treating the transaction as just another mandate in the pipeline and treating it as what it is for the entrepreneur: unique.

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What changes compared to a process led by executives?

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Large financial institutions have competent and well-prepared executives — and they are, in fact, frequent buyers in transactions in the Brazilian market. The difference is in the model. The executive is a professional building a career: they may change areas, receive an offer, move to another institution — legitimate and natural moves in corporate life. The igc partner is not going anywhere: their name is in the firm, their wealth is in the firm, their commitment is to the outcome of each transaction they lead. For a process that usually lasts many months, this difference in ties matters.

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And if the person leading the process leaves midway?

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This is one of the most underestimated questions by those who hire an M&A advisor. The sale of a company involves trust built over months: the advisor knows the history of the business, the numbers, the seller's sensitivities. When that person changes teams midway, the entrepreneur restarts the relationship from scratch at the moment they can least afford that luxury. At igc, the person who leads is a partner — they will not resign, they will not change teams. They are there from beginning to end, and usually stay close after closing.

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How does igc ensure the partner is on the front line?

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At igc, partners personally lead transactions — it is not a detail of the org chart, it is the way the firm organizes its work. With 35 partners and more than 520 deals, the structure is designed so that the owner-to-owner model reaches every process and does not become diluted as the number of transactions grows. It is not a delegated team managing the client: it is a partner conducting, from the first contact to closing.

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Does having a partner leading make the process more expensive?

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An M&A advisor's compensation is usually mostly success-based, tied to closing. The owner-to-owner model reinforces exactly this alignment: the partner who leads is compensated for the result they deliver to the client and is accountable for it without intermediate layers that dilute responsibility. Entrepreneur and partner are, literally, on the same side of the table.

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How to assess this before hiring?

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The simplest way is to ask directly: who will conduct the process day to day? Is this person an owner of the firm or an executive passing through? Will they be in the decisive negotiations and at closing — or do they appear during the pitch and then delegate? The answers reveal whether the commitment of whoever signs the mandate is to the entire process or only to its beginning. It is worth listening carefully: the answer anticipates what the journey will be like.

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Owner to owner: why the partner leads

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At igc, partners personally lead transactions. The entrepreneur speaks with someone who is also an owner — who understands the pains of those who have built a business, is directly accountable for the result and will be present from the first contact to closing, with no risk of changing teams midway.

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With 35 partners and more than 520 deals, the structure is designed so that the owner-to-owner model reaches every process, with sector specialization and access to more than 6,000 buyers in Brazil and abroad.

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Frequently asked questions

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What is igc's "owner to owner" model?

It is the model in which an igc partner — someone who is also an owner — personally leads the transaction, from the first contact to closing, speaking with the entrepreneur as an equal.

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What is the difference between being served by a partner and by an executive?

The executive is a professional building a career, who may change institutions or areas during the process. The partner is an owner of the firm: they do not resign, they do not change teams and they are personally accountable for the result.

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How do I know who will lead my transaction?

Ask directly, before hiring: who will be there day to day and in the decisive negotiations? Is this person an owner of the firm? Will they be present until closing?