'We turned down the big guys' - Exclusive COO says firm shunned distie giants in favour of new PE owner

VAD's COO also reveals that a Europe acquisition is imminent for Exclusive Networks

Exclusive Group is set to make a European acquisition "within weeks" after turning down approaches from distribution giants to instead switch its private equity backer.

COO Barrie Desmond told CRN sister publication Channelnomics Europe that the Paris-based group aims to quickly put its €1.3bn (£1.1bn) cash injection from new majority investor Permira to use, and is already in talks to close an imminent acquisition.

"There are well-progressed discussions to close an acquisition within weeks in Europe," Desmond (pictured) said.

"We've built a solid platform globally but we haven't finished yet."

Further afield, Desmond highlighted northern Asia as a high-priority expansion region.

"One of the ways we're looking to expand is by looking for the white-space regions where we're not present," he said.

"We're not in Korea, Japan, Hong Kong or China. Vendors like this strategy because we can take them into complex markets, and resellers like it because we expand their addressable market."

The security VAD made two acquisitions last year. Exclusive broke into the US with €230m security VAD Fine Tec, before snapping up €90m Dutch player TechAccess.

As well as expanding its global presence, Desmond said that the group is looking to ramp up global revenue targets.

"In North America we have a $350m business and it's got to be over $1bn… within two years. And that will be through expanding our vendor portfolio in the US, and also looking for other partnerships and acquisitions."

"More broadly across the group, we have a five-year plan to hit €10bn, but we want to be well on the way within three years… So north of €3bn within three years. We're dreaming big."

In 2017, Exclusive Group's revenues rose 38 per cent to €1.75bn.

Its new London-based backer Permira took over from Belgian private equity firm Copeba and Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners.

Having put in a €350m stake in 2015, the pair have more than tripled their investment, selling up early into a five-year funding plan.

Although he did not provide names, Desmond added that Exclusive rejected consolidation approaches from other major distribution players.

"We were approached by the big guys but we decided that we couldn't dilute the culture at Exclusive," he said.

"No matter what they said, we just knew that the blend of people here, the approach, entrepreneurial flair and agility would not be sustainable being a part of a bigger entity… And Permira agrees with that."