Keep Your Options Open: How to Prepare Your Company for a Successful Exit

An exit doesn’t have to begin when a buyer comes knocking. By then, it may already be too late to shape the outcome.

Founders who build value, understand potential buyers and address issues early create options and stay in the driver’s seat.

How do you build optionality instead of reacting to a single buyer? Which value drivers matter? What can become a blocker during due diligence? And what should founders start preparing 12–24 months in advance to protect value, create options and stay focused on running the business?

Joining the discussion are Thomas Inhelder, Co-Founder of Yokoy, which was acquired by TravelPerk in 2025; Herbert Sablotny, experienced scale-up CFO/COO who has been through two successful exits and multiple M&A transactions; and Beat Arbenz, M&A Transaction Advisor at Alfred with 30+ years of experience in corporate finance and M&A. The panel is moderated by Alfred's Diego Seitz who brings in his own exit experience.

Together, they’ll explore:

→ Why exit readiness starts well before an offer is on the table→ How to create options and stay in the driver’s seat→ Which business and legal issues can affect value or derail a transaction→ How external advisors can add value, from early preparation through transaction execution→ Lessons learned from people who have been through it

📅 11 November 2026📍 Zurich (2 minutes from the main station)💬 Panel discussion + Q&A🥂 Networking apéro

Because a good exit doesn’t start when the buyer calls. It is prepared early.

🎟️ Entry is free, but registration via Luma is required. Please note: submitting your registration does not guarantee entry. We’ll confirm via email.

Media notice: By registering, you agree to being photographed or filmed for marketing purposes and may be contacted by Alfred regarding relevant events and updates.