Sebastian Stevens

Executive summary

Sebastian leads the Deal Advisory team at BDO in Sydney and also leads our national Transaction Advisory Services team.

Having held positions as BDO’s Global Head of Transaction Advisory and National Head of Deal Advisory, he has significant experience advising on international and complex transactions.

Throughout his career, Sebastian has had extensive experience in all aspects of deal advisory, including mergers and acquisitions, transaction advisory services, valuations, and financial modelling for both publicly-listed and growing private companies across a broad range of sectors.

Expertise

• Due diligence
• Independent limited assurance reports (ILARs), including for initial public offerings (IPOs)
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Independent expert reports (IERs)

Experience

Cross-border:

• Due diligence for a US logistics company’s acquisition of an Australian air freight forwarding business for the pharmaceutical sector.
• Due diligence for a US PE firm’s portfolio company’s acquisition of an Australian governance software solutions business.

Private equity:

• Vendor due diligence for the sale of a product comparison company to a private equity firm
• Due diligence for a sustainable asset management company’s investment in a coffee company and a beverages company.

Technology, media, and telecommunications:

• Due diligence for a UK media agency’s acquisition of an Australian internet marketing agency
• Red flag due diligence review for a capital management company over the acquisition of an IT services provider.

Financial services:

• Due diligence for UK financial service’s acquisition of an Australian asset and wealth management consulting business.
• IER relating to the proposed acquisition of two investment companies.

Real estate and construction:

• Due diligences for a property management/operator on various tourism, leisure and hospital business along the eastern seaboard.
• IER for the merger of two property funds by way of a stapling of units.

Manufacturing and wholesale:

• Led advisory for the sale of two separate packaging manufacturers to a private backed US company
• Vendor due diligence for the divestment of a vehicle parts manufacturer.

Retail:

• Due diligence for the acquisition of an Australian swimwear, beachwear, and accessories business
• Vendor due diligence for the divestment of a luxury watch & jewellery business.

Healthcare:

• Due diligence for a PE firm’s investment into numerous medical equipment and service provider businesses.
• ILAR for a medical diagnostic solutions provider’s IPO on the ASX with a market cap listing of $200 million.

Tourism, hospitality, and leisure:

• Financial due diligence for a UK cruise product distributor’s potential acquisition of an Australian online travel booking business
• Due diligence for a Gibraltar online gambling company’s potential acquisition of an Australian online gambling business.

Qualifications and affiliations

• Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
• Fellow, CPA Australia
• Affiliate Member, CA ANZ
• Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors

Professional engagements and activities

• Director, BDO Corporate Finance Australia Pty Ltd (AFS Licence 247420)
• Steering committee member, BDO Global Transaction Advisory Services Group
• Steering committee member, National BDO Corporate Finance Group
• Member, BDO’s Australian Private Equity Committee
• Member, BDO’s Australian and Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Committees
• Member, BDO Sydney Real Estate and Construction Group
• Annual BDO A-REIT Survey, author of one the longest running surveys of Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts (A-REITs) in the country.
• BDO’s ASX Listing Guide, author of BDO’s guide of key points to consider in a company’s decision to list.
• Indaily.com.au, Private Equity 101: Private Equity and Venture Capital fundamentals, Sept 2022
• The Australian, ASX well placed to benefit from global rebound in IPO activity, July 2024