M&A: trust and empathy are just as important as financial strategy
Nina Zimberlin is a Director in Rabobank’s Corporate Finance Team and winner of the Best Young M&A Advisor at the Netherlands M&A Awards 2024. Over the past eight years, she has played a key role in helping clients navigate critical transitions. We sat down with Nina to talk about her career at Rabobank, developments in M&A, and what she thinks the future holds for the industry.
Connecting with clients
I started at Rabobank as an intern in 2016, and from the very start, I connected with the team’s energy and culture - something that still excites me today. What I love most about my work is how we help businesses during defining moments. Whether it entails finding the right new owner or bringing two companies together, these decisions shape the future of organisations, employees, and entire industries. Our role is to guide clients through these transitions, making sure they feel confident and supported every step of the way.
We work with a wide range of clients - big corporations, global investors, and inspiring entrepreneurs. They all come to us when they’re considering major ownership changes and need a trusted advisor to help them navigate the process.
Beyond just financial expertise, what they really need is a strong partner - someone to help them think strategically, spot opportunities, and make the best possible decisions. We provide that mix of experience, market knowledge, and hands-on support to ensure they achieve the best outcome. As a bank with deep sector knowledge, we leverage our global network and act as a go-to advisor to our key clients.
Preparing for the future
M&A isn’t just about numbers - it’s about people. Of course, we analyse data and market trends, but the most successful deals require emotional intelligence as well. We often work with business owners who are making life-changing decisions, so trust and empathy are just as important as financial strategy. We really need to work together with our clients to gain a deep understanding of their business and combine industry knowledge with the company culture to shape the story and strongly position the organisation for potential investors. Collaboration both within the bank as well as with our clients is the key to success.
In terms of industry developments, I personally see a big shift happening with sustainability. Companies are becoming more focused on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors, and we’re seeing this begin to influence M&A decisions. While it’s not yet a dealbreaker in every case, I believe it will become a key factor in the near future.
Another area that’s often underestimated is brand perception. In today’s digital world, news spreads fast, and how a company manages the M&A process can impact its reputation. Part of our role is to create awareness, help clients think beyond the financials and consider the bigger picture - how their decisions will be perceived by employees, customers, and investors.
“We often work with business owners who are making life-changing decisions, so trust and empathy are just as important as financial strategy”
Thinking outside the box
Maybe you wouldn't normally count creativity as a usual M&A skill, but our job requires us to constantly approach unique problems and think outside of usual ways of doing things. When I think about considering the bigger picture and thinking outside the box, there is one project that stands out, my first major deal. This deal involved a third-generation family business led by an inspiring female CEO. What was interesting about this collaboration was how open and direct she was. Her honesty created a level of trust that allowed us to work together in a really unique way.
That deal pushed me to think beyond traditional M&A strategies. It wasn’t just about structuring the perfect transaction - it was about truly understanding the client, their company’s strengths and challenges, and finding a way to create the best future for our client, their company, and employees. That experience shaped the way I work today, always striving for collaboration, innovation, and the best possible outcome for my clients.
Focus on Sustainability
I believe ESG will be one of the biggest game-changers in our industry. In the coming years, businesses will likely need to report more on their environmental and social impact, and this will start to directly influence M&A decisions. Some companies may revolutionise their business models, while others will focus on sustainability metrics that are becoming more relevant to investors.
In my own work, where I focus on the Energy Transition sector, these topics are already a focal point. One of the key questions we constantly ask is: How will new regulations shape the deals of tomorrow? And more importantly, how can we prepare our clients for these changes? It’s a conversation that is becoming more and more important in M&A, and I see this continuing to evolve.
At its core, M&A is about transformation - helping businesses move forward, embracing new opportunities, and creating long-term value. It’s a fast-moving, high-stakes field, and what makes it truly exciting is the impact we can have. Whether it’s supporting a founder through a major transition, helping a company expand globally, or ensuring that sustainability is part of the conversation, the work we do shapes the future. And that’s what makes it so rewarding.
