Launch your Buy-In CEO Journey

Dream of becoming an entrepreneur but lack the experience or capital to start from scratch ? This is your chance to take over a healthy, established business and grow it - with the backing of an experienced investment partner. 

You'll gain access to entrepreneurship in a support environment, with strategic guidance, operational expertise, and financial support. A unique opportunity to grow personally and professionally while creating significant financial upside. 

The Opportunity

For our next investment in East Flanders, we are looking for a Buy-in CEO with a hands-on mentality and commercial mindset. You will take the lead of a well-established B2B distributor of professional hand tools (approx. €2.4M turnover), supported by a compact and committed team.

Your Role

• Take full responsibility for the company’s daily management and strategic direction.
• Drive growth through marketing and sales initiatives.
• Optimize product and service offerings and strengthen brand positioning.
• Implement operational improvements (digitalization, automation, efficiency).
• Identify and integrate strategic acquisition opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with the Companions team for strategic sparring and growth support – you’re never on your own.

Your Profile

You don’t need a long track record to succeed here: what matters is your drive, curiosity, and willingness to learn. We’ll provide the guidance, expertise, and financial support to help you thrive as a first-time CEO.

• A hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset with commercial affinity or initial commercial experience.
• Analytical and pragmatic, eager to learn the business from the ground up (including time on the road with customers).
• Ambition to grow as an entrepreneur and build sustainable business growth.
• Leadership potential and the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions.
• Fluency in Dutch is essential; proximity to East Flanders is a plus.
• A Master’s degree is a plus, but not a strict requirement.

What We Offer

• A unique path to entrepreneurship: take over and grow an existing company.
• Guidance and sparring: access to Companions’ strategic and operational expertise.
• Co-investment opportunity: participate in the company’s equity and share in the value creation (indicative ~10-20%, negotiable).

Interested or know someone who might be? Send us your CV and we’ll get in touch.
Questions? Contact Eline De Cuypere (Talent Manager) at +32 478 31 36 32 or via email.