After decades of shaping Belgium’s corporate finance landscape, Philippe Craninx has announced his departure from Moore Belgium, passing the leadership of its Corporate Finance division to Wannes Gheysen.
Craninx, a pioneer in Belgian M&A, reflected on his journey in a LinkedIn post, expressing gratitude to the "dream team" he leaves behind – including Bram Verstraeten, Nele Neyrinck, Matthieu Geelhand de Merxem, Anthony Hernaut, Kevin Bogemans, Danny Achten, Wout Haesebrouck, David Valenne, Koen Steeland, and Benedicte Gruwez – who will now drive Moore Global Corporate Finance’s future in Belgium.
Craninx’s career has been defined by his commitment to family businesses and mid-market entrepreneurs, a focus he discussed in a 2024 interview with the Belgian M&A platform (MandA.be). There, he introduced the concept of "Corporate Finance 4.0"—a framework blending technical expertise, process management, international reach, and multidisciplinary collaboration to navigate the complexities of modern M&A.
His vision emphasized bridging gaps between theoretical financial knowledge and the practical needs of SMEs, ensuring Belgian entrepreneurs could compete on a global stage. From his early days at Unilever and Generale Bank to founding his own boutique firm (later merged with Moore in 2014), Craninx championed cross-border deals, noting that "two-thirds of mid-market transactions are now international”, with Belgium and the Netherlands serving as key hubs for regional champions.
Among his most enduring contributions is his focus on post-merger integration, a challenge he described as critical yet often overlooked. Craninx stressed the importance of pre-transaction analysis to anticipate cultural, regulatory, and operational hurdles—such as the nuances between Dutch and Flemish business etiquette or differences in tax structures.
His advice to emerging professionals was clear: "Be open-minded, creative, and solution-oriented", as success in M&A requires lifelong learning and the ability to align conflicting interests for long-term value creation.
Craninx’s legacy also includes his role in democratizing advanced financial insights for mid-market players. He recalled an early career moment when a knowledge gap in working capital and net debt calculations put a Belgian seller at a disadvantage—an experience that reinforced his mission to level the playing field for smaller businesses.
His work with Vlerick Business School to study cross-border M&A trends further underscored his belief in data-driven strategy, revealing how Western European companies increasingly use acquisitions to build regional dominance.
As Craninx transitions from day-to-day leadership, his impact on Moore Belgium and the broader corporate finance community remains profound. His parting message – "The future is in good hands" – reflects confidence in the team’s ability to carry forward his vision of collaborative, multidisciplinary, and client-centric M&A.
With Wannes Gheysen now at the helm, Moore Belgium’s Corporate Finance division is poised to continue its trajectory as a trusted advisor for family businesses and international dealmakers, embodying the principles of Corporate Finance 4.0 that Craninx helped define.
