Luka Kankaras

Product Growth Lead at Storylane | Consultant | Growth Mentor | PLG Advocate

Howdy!
🌏 Lived across the world working remotely (currently in Austria)

I am working as a product growth manager and consultant, eager to help companies in their quest for growth. I eat, sleep, and breathe PLG (product-led growth), no joke, I dream about A/B testing in my sleep, and even caught myself exhaling buzzwords like "activation" and "retention." :))

When I'm not busy, I devote my energy to maintaining my physical fitness. Whether it's lifting heavy weights or running, I believe that a healthy body fuels a healthy mind. Additionally, I find joy in exploring diverse cuisines and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

I strongly believe that everyone deserves equal opportunities, as talent is talent, regardless of the location, origin, or background.

P.S. I eat hummus with a large spoon.

Mentor

A few of the things that I would love to help you with:

-> Validating the Product-Market Fit
-> Implementing or switching to Product-led Growth
-> Adding the Product-Led Sales motion
-> Activation (user onboarding, value metrics/aha moments, TTV)
-> Setting up growth loops
-> Monetization
-> Breaking into tech
-> Building personal brand

So...
Let's chat!
Book a call here - https://app.growthmentor.com/mentors/luka-kankaras-2ca031b8-e220-4a62-a71e-60fdf97bcd85

Cap Expand Partners

At Cap Expand Partners, we specialize in supporting cross-border growth initiatives with innovative financing solutions, including a fresh new approach to business acquisitions and exit strategies. Through our advisory and direct investment activities, we assist businesses and independent sponsors by leveraging our international family office network and applying modern methodologies.

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
► PwC Corporate Finance (Practice Lead, Industrials): Spearheaded business development program and M&A, LBO, refinancing, and capital-raising transactions.

► Moore Corporate Finance (Partner): Orchestrated commercial efforts and managed operations to enhance organizational excellence.

► Business Creation Investments (Partner): Spearheaded investments geared toward long-term employment and implemented private equity firm’s turnaround strategy, providing management support to portfolio companies' strategic business planning, sales, and HR matters.

Managing Partner

Deventures GmbH

Deventures operates in the European M&A market and offers advice to entrepreneurs, family businesses as well as family offices and private equity companies on mid-sized transactions with a value of € 10-200m.

Senior Advisor

KIDS Foundation

The foundation supports high school students in the Philippines. The country has approximately 110 million people, of which half are under 15 years of age. We believe the best way to make a difference is by contributing to a more accessible educational system. By providing younger Filipinos with an education, they can grow up to support their own families.

Board Member

Single Family Office

► Specialized in asset allocation and portfolio management with a focus on direct investments and managing investment portfolios in private equity 
► Identified, evaluated, and managed thematic and opportunistic private equity investments, applying advanced risk-mitigating strategies to maximize returns
► Sourced, assessed, and monitored high-performing private equity investments

Private Equity

Umicore

► Sourced and executed global strategic/M&A projects, including restructurings, and post-merger integrations
► Spearheaded divestment program for non-core assets across three continents involving complex negotiations of precious metal financing and transition service agreements 
► Advised board on impact of strategic reviews, including operational restructuring, liquidation, joint venture and sale options

Corporate Development | M&A 

Royal Swinkels Family Brewers

► Spearheaded international business development initiatives to grow organically and through M&A
► Led various growth projects involving strategic business planning, commercial/go-to-market strategies, and production license agreements 
► Negotiated capital raisings, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships

Leonardo & Co.

►  Worked on high-profile sell-side and buy-side M&A, debt/equity financing, and management buyout transactions
►  Successfully contributed to start-up of Amsterdam office as one of first employees

M&A Advisory

Oaklins

►  Delivered high-end advisory services including sell-side and buy-side M&A, leveraged buy outs, debt/equity financing, and due diligence processes
►  Selected to join New York office in 2009
►  Promoted one year earlier than peers due to performance and partner recommendations

Synergia Capital Partners

►  Assisted in all stages of the private equity process including fundraising, deal sourcing, industry research, banker book reviews, financial modelling, due diligence, and dividend recapitalization

InsingerGilissen

►  Started at wealth management office in Belgium and later requested by Head of Strategy to be transferred to headquarters in the Netherlands to support the firm's key portfolio investment processes

Asset Management

Advising Business Leaders on Growth and Financing Strategies | Investment Expert Specializing in Direct Investments for Family Offices

𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 >> 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 & 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 & 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 | 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 

The rules have changed and cards have been reshuffled. For many businesses, accelerating initiatives is not enough in the current markets and demands a fundamental shift in strategic priorities. 

At Cap Expand Partners, we specialize in supporting cross-border growth initiatives with innovative financing solutions, including a fresh approach to company acquisitions and exit strategies. Through our advisory and direct investment activities, we assist businesses and independent sponsors by leveraging our international family office network and applying modern methodologies.

𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒 >> 95%+ 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 | €4𝐛𝐧+ 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 | 10𝐤+ 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 & 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬  

Our global network of associate partners and professionals with cross-border expertise helps to:

►  Identify growth opportunities and develop value-creation plans.
►  Accelerate growth based on data-driven investment decisions. 
►  Raise capital for fundless sponsors on a deal-by-deal basis.
►  Monetize wealth to meet personal, financial, and business goals.

𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 >> 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 & 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡

►  Cross-border M&A and corporate / strategic development experience across all continents in various major financial centers.

►  Demonstrable record in financial markets, with experience in private equity investments, valuations, deal structuring, and corporate finance negotiations. 

►  Partner positions in M&A / banking and private equity, as well as operational leadership roles.

►  Companies worked with include PwC, Siemens, Umicore, The Carlyle Group, Advent, and GEA. 

On a personal note, I enjoy pushing boundaries, learning new things, and not taking myself too seriously. 

Are you considering:
► Expanding to new market segments or geographies?
► Raising capital for an upcoming deal?
► Filling critical gaps in your service offering?

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

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The Battle

Luka Kankaras

Sergio van Luijk, CFA

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