IN BRIEF
THE TRUSTED ADVISOR ROLE
What clients have asked of me, consistently, over thirty years, is the same set of things:
That is what "trusted advisor" means in practice. It is not a title. It is what I have built, one mandate at a time, with a client base that has come back to me through three industry cycles.
TRACK RECORD
Tier 1 carve-outs and divestitures
Schaeffler Catensys → DUBAG · Knorr-Bremse Kiepe Electric → Heramba · Benteler Aluminum Extrusions → Fidelium · Hella Schade → Excel Industries · Robert Bosch BTMT
→ Quantum Capital · Trelleborg Fluid Systems → Bavaria IK · Valeo Truck Cooling → EQT · Delphi Exhaust Tubes → Bienes Turgon· Alcoa aluminum spaceframe → OMR · Alcoa aluminum spaceframe → OMR · Alcoa AEES → Platinum Equity · Thyssenkrupp Fahrzeugguss → Cognetas · Daimler New Venture Gear → Magna· Daimler ADDA → Stewart & Stevens · Freudenberg Actuation → Eagle Industries · OP Mobility Commercial Vehicle Exteriors→ Mutares
Family-, founder- and private-shareholder sales
REHAU Automotive → Atlas Holdings · ITK Engineering → Robert Bosch · Kissling Group → TE Connectivity · Motec → AMETEK · Mürdter Group → Quantum · Zimmermann → Johnson Electric · Cmore (ADAS simulation) → DXC / Luxoft · Sinterwerke → Sumitomo Electric · Willi Elbe Steering → AEQUITA · Matador Group → Sodecia · TCG Lightweight Compounds → Bayer / Covestro
Private-equity sell-side and buy-side
TB&C → Delta Electronics (for H2 Equity) · Premium Sound Solutions → AAC Technologies (for VE Partners and Ardent Equity) · Neapco ← IFA Holding (from AEQUITA, for Wanxiang / Neapco) · Mci Mirror Controls → Flextronics (for Egeria) · CST Sensors → Sensata (for PAI / Carlyle) · Stadco → Magna (for Albermarle) · Thermopol → Continental (for Albermarle) · Inalfa Roof Systems → Beijing Automotive (for AAC Capital) · FEP Connectors → Amphenol (for Steadfast) · Novotema → Ardian (for 3i) · Novotema → Idex (for Ardian)
Cross-border outcomes spanning three continents
Cross-border outcomes spanning three continents
Counterparties from the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Lincoln International — Frankfurt
Managing Director and Partner; Global Co-Head of the Automotive & Mobility Technology Group. Built the global automotive franchise into a market-leading team of around twelve dedicated bankers.
2006 – 2026
Citigroup Global Markets / J. Henry Schroder — London
Director, European Industrial Manufacturing Group, with a leading role in spearheading the automotive franchise and building the German industrial team.
1997 – 2005
BHF Bank (now Oddo BHF) — Frankfurt
Analyst and Associate, Corporate Finance and M&A.
1993 – 1997
Selected transactions and rankings cited above reflect work led by Patrick von Herz during his career at Lincoln International, J. Henry Schroder / Citigroup and BHF Bank. League-table ranking source: mergermarket, Automotive & Mobility M&A advisory, 2010–2025.
