AvS Advisors

What AvS Advisors does

AvS Advisors (legal name: AVS International Trusted Advisors GmbH) is a German boutique management consulting firm founded in 2011 by Andreas von Specht, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. The firm specializes in senior-level advisory services for private companies, with a tightly defined service portfolio of executive search, board search, management appraisal, succession planning, talent development, and family enterprise advisory. Its positioning is "future-proofing ownership through excellence in leadership," and its stated mission is to advise entrepreneurs and family businesses on long-term and sustainable solutions in strategic leadership and governance matters, helping to preserve wealth and safeguard purpose.

The firm operates under a "One Firm" collaborative model across ten offices in Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Geneva, Baar, Saint-Cloud (Paris area), London, Singapore, and Bogotá, with a multilingual, multinational team of approximately three Managing Directors (Andreas von Specht, Dr. Christian Bühring-Uhle, Philipp J. Fleischmann), six to eight consultants and senior advisors, plus research-analyst and working-student support. There is no proprietary technology product; the offering is delivered through senior-led client engagements, supported by thought-leadership publications including "The Trusted Advisor" and the annual "What Boards Do Next" research report, and by alliances with PwC, INSEAD's Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise, and EY.

Revenue is generated through quote-based, multi-year professional services engagements for three primary customer segments: family businesses (the primary segment), family offices, and private equity firms, with entrepreneurs as a secondary persona. Customer acquisition is relationship-based, direct, and senior-led — there are no resellers, channel partners, or self-service digital distribution. Strategic partnerships function as both research collaborators (PwC, INSEAD, EY) and market-access extensions (Wardhana & Co in Asia-Pacific; Simmons & Simmons on governance events; Berenberg Bank via the founder's advisory board role). The firm is privately held under the three Managing Directors with no external institutional investors, obtained B Corp certification in March 2024, and is recognized by Family Capital among the world's top family enterprise advisors.

Name

AvS Advisors

Legal name

AVS International Trusted Advisors GmbH

Website

https://avs-advisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AvS Advisors is a Frankfurt-headquartered boutique consulting firm founded in 2011 that advises entrepreneurs, family businesses, family offices, and private equity firms on executive search, board search, succession planning, management appraisal, and governance across ten global offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Governance Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Business & Succession Advisory (FSAAADAL)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Board advisory consulting
• Family business consulting
• Succession planning services
• Corporate governance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: AvS Advisors provides senior-level advisory services to entrepreneurs and family businesses on strategic leadership and governance matters. The firm helps preserve wealth, safeguard purpose, and ensure businesses are run by the best talent available. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for executive search, board search, management appraisal, succession planning, and talent development services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AvS Advisors is a boutique international management consulting firm that provides senior-level advisory services to entrepreneurs, family businesses, family offices, and private equity firms. Its core offerings span executive search, board search, management appraisal, succession planning, talent development, and governance advisory, delivered through direct senior consultant engagement across 10 offices worldwide.

Product overview

AvS Advisors operates as a boutique management consulting firm providing senior-level advisory services focused on leadership and governance matters. The firm offers an integrated suite of advisory services including executive search, board search, management appraisal, succession planning, and talent development, primarily serving entrepreneurs, family businesses, family offices, and private equity firms. Key publications include 'The Trusted Advisor' (a regular thought leadership publication) and the annual 'What Boards Do Next' research report. The firm maintains offices across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, operating on a One Firm concept where staff collaborate across locations to deliver tailored solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Services

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Columbia Law School Blue Sky BlogminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 January 2021AvS consultants Frederik Otto and Dr. Christian Bühring-Uhle published article on 'The Global Issues Corporate Boards Must Face Right Now' in the Columbia Law School's Blue Sky Blog.
• Wardhana & CominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2020Cooperation partnership with Wardhana & Co, expanding AvS network of cooperation partners. Wardhana & Co serves as a local partner, likely in the Asia-Pacific or Indonesian market.
• Simmons & SimmonsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2019Joint event collaboration with international law firm Simmons & Simmons focused on family business governance topics.
• PwCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2018Global cooperation with PwC on family business research and studies. Joint publication of 'Successful External Succession in Family Businesses' study with PwC and INSEAD. PwC collaboration on European studies regarding external executives in family companies.
• INSEADcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2018Joint research partnership with INSEAD Business School's Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise. Collaboration on family business studies including 'Successful External Succession in Family Businesses'. INSEAD joint webinar series and academic engagement.
• EYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2016Long-standing cooperation with EY (Ernst & Young) as part of international studies on family businesses. Published European study on 'External Executives in Family Companies' in collaboration with EY. Participation in EY Global Family Business Summit.
• Berenberg BankminorOthersFounder Andreas von Specht serves on the Advisory Board of Berenberg Bank, Germany's oldest private bank, representing shareholders of his extended family.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Signium: Global executive search firm with explicit Family Business and Family Office expertise. Direct competitor to AvS in succession planning, board search, and next-generation leadership advisory for owner-led enterprises.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm — the most direct peer to AvS, sharing overlapping services in CEO/board search, succession planning, and family business advisory. AvS's founder spent 17 years as Partner there, and AvS competes for the same talent and clients.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with strong executive search, leadership assessment, and culture shaping practices. Listed peer with comparable C-suite and board search offerings plus Heidrick & Struggles' Culture Shaping and Heidrick Consulting capabilities overlap with AvS's governance and management appraisal work.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Family Office & Family Business practice. Comparable mid-sized competitor offering CEO succession, board advisory, and family enterprise search services across multiple geographies.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with Leadership Transition, Board & CEO Advisory, and Family Business practices. Direct competitor in C-suite/board search and succession planning for family enterprises and PE-backed companies.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and advisory firm with deep board practice and family business expertise through its Spencer Stuart Family Business and Board Advisory practices. Closely comparable on CEO/board search, succession, and governance advisory for family-owned and PE-backed firms.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong DACH and family business coverage. Competes head-to-head with AvS in mid-to-senior executive search, board advisory, and succession mandates for European family-owned firms.

Emerging players

• IMD Family Business Center: Top-ranked business school with a dedicated Family Business research and education center. Comparable on family enterprise advisory/research (e.g., joint publishing on succession), though IMD's primary mode is academic education rather than fee-based executive search like AvS.

Broad incumbents

• PwC Private Business / Family Business: Big 4 firm with a global Family Business and Private Business advisory practice and existing strategic partnership with AvS. Comparable in governance/succession advisory for family enterprises, though PwC's scope extends across tax, audit, and transaction services.
• KPMG Private Enterprise: Big 4 firm with dedicated Private Enterprise and Family Business advisory practices serving family-owned clients on governance, succession, and leadership. Overlaps with AvS in DACH family business advisory but as part of a much broader professional services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avs-international-trusted-advisors

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AvS Advisors