Build, Partner or Sell? Puzzling It Out with Paul Ramakers, CEO of Exact

Date: Tuesday, 19 January 2027
Time: 18:30 - 22:00 (CET)
Venue: Brasserie Ambassade, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Speakers:
Paul Ramakers, CEO, Exact

Sponsors: Bridgepoint Group and Jamieson

Build, partner or sell? For most tech founders, this is a familiar question, though the right answer can look very different depending on the stage of the business and its ambitions.

Paul Ramakers, CEO of Exact, brings a unique perspective to these decisions. Having joined the Dutch business software provider in 1995, he has spent nearly three decades progressing through the business, holding a range of commercial, operational, and leadership roles before becoming CEO in November 2020.

During his tenure, Paul has led Exact through significant organic and acquisition-led growth and two major private equity ownership transitions, while helping build its strong position in its home markets.

At this fireside conversation, Paul will share first-hand lessons from Exact's journey, exploring what makes a successful acquisition, how to grow through M&A, and the opportunities and challenges that come with changes in ownership. Paul's talk will be bookended by networking and an intimate dinner.

Paul will explore four questions that founders and CEOs regularly face:

1. Where can your business win? Should you focus on your home market, build a defensible niche or expand internationally? How do you identify where you have a genuine competitive advantage, and how is AI changing those decisions?
2. Who should own your company next? What are the differences between founder ownership, private equity and a strategic buyer? Drawing on his experience of Exact's ownership transitions, what changes under different ownership structures, and what should management teams consider before making that decision?
3. Can you buy or be bought? What makes a software business attractive to an acquirer, and when does it make more sense to accelerate growth through acquisitions? What has Paul learned from Exact's acquisition strategy about finding the right businesses, assessing strategic fit and making acquisitions work?
4. Where does management come in? What happens to the leadership team when ownership changes? How do you maintain alignment, retain key people and keep founders and management teams motivated and appropriately incentivised through a transaction?

About the Speaker

Paul Ramakers joined Exact in 1995 and has held various positions since – becoming CEO, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors, and Chairman of the Executive Committee in November 2020. After his switch to Grote Beer Software, an Exact subsidiary, he became responsible for Exact’s product portfolio and organisational strategy, among other duties. He previously headed the Sales and Customer Support departments. Paul is also active as Chairman of the Exact Foundation, which aims to provide equal opportunities for all by supporting unique learning and education initiatives.

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