Leadership transitions are the single strongest predictor of acquisition readiness. A new CEO reassesses every strategic relationship, every vendor contract, and often the company's long-term direction β within weeks of taking the seat. For corporate development, the window to initiate that first strategic conversation is measured in days, not months. Founders & Movers surfaces these transitions the morning they hit the SHAB register.
In corporate development, relationships precede transactions. The firm that establishes strategic dialogue earliest sets the frame for any eventual deal. By the time a target company is "in the market," the relationships that matter are already formed.
An incoming CEO or CFO is not yet locked into existing strategic commitments. The first 30β90 days are a reassessment period. Calling during this window means you reach a decision-maker before they've decided anything β and before competing corp dev teams have booked the coffee meeting.
A capital increase registered in the SHAB is rarely just an accounting entry. It signals growth intent, a pending acquisition, or preparation for an exit process. Identifying this within 48 hours lets you reach out before the round closes and before the company's advisors control access.
A legal name change or commercial rebrand often accompanies a strategic pivot β new ownership, new market positioning, or preparation for sale. This is a low-visibility signal that most corp dev teams miss entirely. Catching it early means initiating a strategic dialogue at the exact moment the company is rethinking its identity.
Founders & Movers monitors the Swiss SHAB daily and scores each publication against your role profile. These three signal types carry the highest acquisition and strategic partnership relevance for corp dev.
A mid-size industrial components manufacturer registers a new CEO in the SHAB. The founder, who held the role for 19 years, has stepped down. Here is what happens next β and why timing determines the outcome.
SHAB events give you a real, specific, verifiable reason to reach out. That changes the conversation from cold outreach to warm intelligence β and it signals to the recipient that you're paying attention to their business, not running a spray campaign.
Founders & Movers has 27 pre-configured roles. These work similarly to Corporate Development Manager.