Keep Your Options Open: How to Prepare Your Company for a Successful Exit

​An exit doesn’t have to begin when a buyer comes knocking. By then, it may already be too late to shape the outcome.

​Founders who build value, understand potential buyers and address issues early create options and stay in the driver’s seat.

​How do you build optionality instead of reacting to a single buyer? Which value drivers matter? What can become a blocker during due diligence? And what should founders start preparing 12–24 months in advance to protect value, create options and stay focused on running the business?

​Joining the discussion are Thomas Inhelder, Co-Founder of Yokoy, which was acquired by TravelPerk in 2025; Herbert Sablotny, experienced scale-up CFO/COO who has been through two successful exits and multiple M&A transactions; and Beat Arbenz, M&A Transaction Advisor at Alfred with 30+ years of experience in corporate finance and M&A. The panel is moderated by Alfred's Diego Seitz who brings in his own exit experience.

​Together, they’ll explore:

​→ Why exit readiness starts well before an offer is on the table
→ How to create options and stay in the driver’s seat
→ Which business and legal issues can affect value or derail a transaction
→ How external advisors can add value, from early preparation through transaction execution
→ Lessons learned from people who have been through it

​📅 11 November 2026
📍 Zurich (2 minutes from the main station)
💬 Panel discussion + Q&A
🥂 Networking apéro

​Because a good exit doesn’t start when the buyer calls. It is prepared early.

​🎟️ Entry is free, but registration via Luma is required. Please note: submitting your registration does not guarantee entry. We’ll confirm via email.

​Media notice: By registering, you agree to being photographed or filmed for marketing purposes and may be contacted by Alfred regarding relevant events and updates.