Mazars launches Mittelstand Business School

_{Representatives from the inaugural class of the Mittelstand Business School}

The genesis of the Mittelstand Business School was the Mazars Report ‘How to be a Standout SME’ which benchmarked the performance of SMEs across eight European countries. That report revealed weaknesses in the SME sector in terms of management expertise and overall capability to grow businesses to strong Mid-Market positions.   

“We need to develop Owner-Managers who can drive their businesses from the ‘S’ of SME towards the ‘M’ and beyond where they are considering how to grow their business internationally. Research has consistently shown that companies with strong leadership and an international footprint are more sustainable businesses which employ more people and have a greater value.” said Phil Verity, GBU OMB, Global Leader. “The Mazars Mittelstand Business School is a bespoke programme for business advisors working with pioneering Owner-Managers wishing to take their development to the next level.”

The inaugural class of the Mittelstand Business School are Mid-Market Advisors working with Mazars in 13 countries internationally. They spent 1 week in Dusseldorf in November and recently attended the second week of the programme in Dublin. They will then use online tools to support their expertise in specialist subjects to deliver advice to clients globally.   The team from Mazars global business unit for Owner-Managed businesses researched and developed the proprietary online tools and methodologies which are now being deployed in 20 countries.

Professor Finian Buckley of the Dublin City University Business School in Dublin worked with Mazars to develop programme content. DCU’s Business School is ranked in the top 5% of Business Schools globally with an outstanding reputation for working with top firms, locally and internationally, on leadership development programmes.  

“We’ve gathered a team of exciting and inspiring workshop leaders who are tasked to challenge participants thinking, and extend their skills repertoire in key business skills including digitisation for mid-market companies, critical thinking, market / competitor analysis, strategic corporate finance, governance and corporate accountability; HR and business planning”, said Prof. Buckley.“We’re giving advisors a deep understanding of the challenges for growing Mid-Market companies so they can best advise clients who wish to become challengers in both their home and international marketplaces”.

_{Joe Carr (Partner, Mazars Ireland), Prof. Finian Buckley (Associate Professor of Organisational Psychology at DCU Business School)}

The sharing of best practice across borders is a key part of the programme and bringing together 35 business advisors from many different countries has led to interesting collaborations according to Joe Carr, Global business unit OMB Deputy Head, Mazars. “Having seen the benefits of this collaboration, Mazars is now developing an international team of Mid-Market Advisors who will specialise in helping companies grow and expand across markets. This will greatly benefit our clients, giving them local knowledge and insights and helping them overcome quickly many common barriers to new market entry.  No other firm is providing this level of support”, he said.