We are an experienced team of entrepreneurial investors.
We use our profound individual and joint expertise to ensure the development and growth of small and medium-sized companies.

Partner and team

Each of our investments is an act of personal conviction. Every success story is the result of intensive teamwork. We don’t see our investments simply as financial projects, but as an opportunity for our active entrepreneurial involvement. This is why we create new ways of developing potential and prospects for our target companies, and at the same time add value for investors.

Pieter van Halem
Partner and Senior Advisor

Vita

Pieter van Halem

Active in the investment business for over 25 years, Pieter van Halem joined the PREMIUM partnership in April 2021. In recent years, he has launched several funds, completed, managed and successfully sold over 15 buyout transactions, growth financing and an equal number of add-on acquisitions. He has also held numerous supervisory and advisory board positions at medium-sized companies.

  • Human Med AG: Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

  • CornerstoneCapital Group: Executive Board, Managing Partner, co-founder since 2001.

  • Investment Director at 3i, previously held positions at Arthur Andersen management consultancy and Citibank.

  • Degree: Business Administration at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel, MBA from the University of Virginia/Darden School of Business.

Kontakt

Philipp Väth
Investment Manager

Vita

Philipp Väth

As Investment Manager, Philipp Väth is part of the PREMIUM investment team. Until April 2019, Philipp Väth worked as Manager in the Transaction Services division at the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH (PwC) in Frankfurt am Main. Having joined PwC in 2013, he primarily supported private equity companies with their due diligence and numerous buy- and sell-side mandates.

  • PwC: Manager in Transaction Services, previously in the Transaction Graduate Program.

  • Graduate in business administration with a focus on banking, finance and auditing.

  • Studied business administration at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, which included a study visit to the Grande École de Commerce (INSEEC) in Paris.

Kontakt

Dr. Thomas Duhnkrack
Founding Partner and Senior Advisor

Vita

Dr. Thomas Duhnkrack

As a founding partner, Thomas Duhnkrack has been Managing Partner of PREMIUM since 2011 and Senior Advisor since 2024. He worked at Deutsche Bank for over 20 years (including seven years in Japan) before joining the Board of Managing Directors of DZ BANK in 2003.

  • Operating Partner at Advent International (2010-2013). Member of the Supervisory Board at Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbank AG (2011-2023) and Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG (2015-2023). Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees of WWF Germany (2011-2019).

  • DZ BANK AG: Board Member for Corporate Clients, Corporate and Structured Finance, Foreign Branches and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Asset Finance subsidiaries (real estate, ships and aircraft, leasing) and at VR Equity Partner.

  • Deutsche Bank AG: most recently as Divisional Board Member responsible for the German corporate client business and international sales financing. Member of the Corporate and Investment Banking Board, London. Supervisory Board mandates at various industrial Mittelstand companies.

  • Banking apprenticeship, business studies and doctorate at the University of Hamburg.

Kontakt

Maximilian Bühler
Investment Manager

Vita

Maximilian Bühler

Maximilian Bühler has been a part of the investment team at PREMIUM since February 2023. Prior to this, he spent two years working at a family office in Munich, which primarily invests in medium-sized companies. Starting from 2017, Maximilian was a part of the deal team at PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit Firm (PwC) in Munich, where he advised financial and strategic investors on M&A transactions and accompanied several restructuring projects.

Previously, he was part of the investment team of a Munich family office, focusing on investments in medium-sized companies.

Senior Associate in the Transaction Services and Business Recovery Services department at PwC.

Studied Quantitative Economics at the University of Konstanz and the University of Essex.

Kontakt

Marcel van Wijk
Founding and Managing Partner

Vita

Marcel van Wijk

Marcel van Wijk was one of the founders of PREMIUM in 2011. With his extensive 30 years of experience in the investment business, he has analysed, supervised, successfully executed and divested more than 25 transactions. During this time, he has been involved in initiating and structuring management buy-outs and acquiring majority and minority interests in various medium-sized companies, has set up several SME funds and cultivated international investor relations.

  • Before co-founding PREMIUM in Frankfurt, he was a partner of the Halder Group.

  • Halder Germany: 1998-2010 finishing as partner; Halder Netherlands 1993-1998.

  • Fundraising for four medium-sized funds.

  • Degree: Business Administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Kontakt

Jean-Pierre Vincon
Investment Analyst

Vita

Jean-Pierre Vincon

Jean-Pierre Vincon joined the investment team of PREMIUM Equity Partners in 2025. Prior to that, he gained practical experience in investment banking and private equity, including internships at Deutsche Beteiligungs AG with a focus on the German Mittelstand and industrial technology sectors.

  • Internships: DBAG, Houlihan Lokey, Lincoln Intl.

  • M.Sc. in Finance (Nova SBE, Lisbon), B.A. in Business Administration (Frankfurt UAS)

Kontakt

Fabian Walesch
Managing Partner

Vita

Fabian Walesch

Fabian Walesch has been a partner at PREMIUM since August 2015. He began his private equity career by joining the HALDER Group, where he completed several buy-out transactions together with Marcel van Wijk from 2005 onwards. Before joining PREMIUM, he spent four more years working for the Swiss private equity fund, Cross Equity Partners, for which he generated, executed and supervised several medium-sized investments in Switzerland and Germany. 

  • Cross Equity Partners: Senior Investment Manager, formerly Halder Germany: Investment Manager 2005-2011.

  • M&A Boutique, Boehm-Bezing, Sieger & Cie in Stuttgart, previously a Private Equity Placement Agent at Triago.

  • MBA (Imperial College, London, also Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA); degree: International business administration at the Munich Business School.

Kontakt

Kristina Mickerts
Finance Director

Vita

Kristina Mickerts

As Finance Director, Kristina Mickerts has been part of the PREMIUM team since April 2018. From 2013 to 2018, she worked for the auditing firm Mazars GmbH & Co. KG. As senior auditor she was responsible for the execution of audits of stand-alone and consolidated financial statements for companies of different legal forms and sizes, in accordance with German accounting regulations (HGB) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

  • Mazars GmbH & Co. KG in Frankfurt am Main: Senior auditor from 2013 to 2018.

  • Ernst & Young GmbH auditors in Eschborn.

  • Master of Laws (LL.M.) at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management; specialising in: Mergers & Acquisitions, Finance & Accounting.

Kontakt

Track Record

PREMIUM Equity Partners is an investment company founded in 2011 with a focus on niche companies in the DACH region with revenues of between EUR 10 and 50 million.

since 1993

Investment experience

50

Transactions

14

Team Deals

Operating partners

A broad network of operating partners has been with us for many years. Experts we have been able to meet as part of our investments are an integral part of this cooperative network of more than 50 people. We would like to introduce you to four of these operating partners.

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    • Berthold Hackl

      Healthcare + MedTech

      A graduate biologist with an MBA, Berthold has more than 35 years of experience, including as a board member and investor in the Healthcare + MedTech sectors. Today, he is a professional member of the supervisory and advisory boards of several MedTech and healthcare companies, including a PREMIUM operating partner and chairman of the supervisory board of Human Med AG.

      • EUROFINS SCIENTIFIC: General Manager Europe 2014–2019.

      • INVENDO MEDICA: CEO 2007–2014 (sold to AMBU 2017).

      • SYNTHES (now JOHNSON & JOHNSON): Managing Director, formerly General Manager at PHARMACIA (now DANAHER).

      • Master of Business Administration, INSEAD in Fontainebleau; Diploma in Biology from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, degree: Biology, Chemistry, Ethnology in Freiburg and at the Université Paris VII.

    • Dr.
      Wilhelm Krüger

      Software + Connectivity

      As a serial entrepreneur and private investor, Dr. Wilhelm Krüger brings with him sound experience in the Software + Connectivity sectors, as well as from numerous memberships of supervisory and advisory boards. As chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fraunhofer Institute ITWM for many years, he also has excellent networks and expertise in key future technologies and their applications.

      • ELTEC ELECTRONIK AG: Supervisory board until 2021, before chairman of the advisory board at HUMAN SOLUTIONS GmbH from 2002 until its acquisition by two financial investors in 2015.

      • BLUE ORDER AG: CEO/CSO until 2010, previously CEO and founder of TECMATH AG.

      • Doctorate (Mathematics) at the University of Kaiserslautern 1983; Diploma in Mathematics, Physics at the Philipps University Marburg.

    • Dr.
      Wolf-Dietrich Loose

      Consumer 
+ Lifestyle Goods
      Founding partner PREMIUM

      As one of the founding partners of PREMIUM, Dr. Wolf-Dietrich Loose has remained closely associated with PREMIUM even after his departure in 2016. He was previously chairman of the advisory board at WEKA. He also holds a doctorate in law and a number of supervisory and advisory board positions.

      • Former management board at METRO AG, ASKO Deutsche Kaufhaus AG and Kaufhof Holding

      • Member of the investment committee and chairman of the industry advisory board of capiton AG

      • Founder of the corporate finance consultancy FIRST CAPITAL PARTNERS (2001–2016) and DEKRA Personaldienste GmbH

      • Chairman of the supervisory board at Stellaneo AG, previously held the same position at HORTEN AG, REAL SB-WARENHAUS GmbH, SCHWARZ PHARMA AG

    • Dr.
      Martin Wienkenhöver

      Technology + Industry

      Since 2016, Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver has been operating partner of PREMIUM for the Technology + Industry sectors – with a focus on chemicals and raw materials as well as related sectors. He holds a doctorate in chemistry and has worked for international fine chemicals companies. He has been responsible for successful exits to the financial investors Bridgepoint and Permira.

      • CABB Group: CEO, formerly NORDZUCKER AG: COO.

      • Management Board at LANXESS AG and BAYER Chemicals AG.

      • Doctorate and chemistry studies at the University of Münster.

    • Dipl.-Biol.
      Martina Ochel

      Healthcare + MedTech

      Has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including many years as Managing Director of Sanofi in Germany. Her expertise spans marketing, market access, and sales, with a particular focus on medicines for rare diseases as well as specialty therapies in oncology and immunology.

      • SANOFI: General Manager, 2007–2021

      • GENZYME: Head of Marketing and Sales, 2003–2007

      • ABBOTT: Marketing Manager, 1997-2003

      • MERZ PHARMACEUTICALS: Marketing, 1992–1997

      • Degree in Biology from the University of Düsseldorf

    • Dr.-Ing.
      Jaromir Ufer

      Technology + Industry

      Jaromir Ufer is an expert in entrepreneurship, aerospace, automation, and manufacturing. After conducting research at DLR and holding management positions at VOITH Composites, he founded Kerl Eyewear. The startup introduced material innovations such as carbon composites to the eyewear industry and developed a CAD-CAM software that reduced time-to-market by 95%. Following a successful exit to ic! berlin, he became their Chief Innovation Officer and now works as a technology-focused business consultant and interim manager.

      • MARVOLUTION: Consulting & Interim Management since 2023

      • QUANTUM SYSTEMS: Interim COO, 2023–2024

      • IC! BERLIN: Chief Innovation Officer, 2022–2023

      • KERL EYEWEAR: Co-Founder & CEO, 2014–2022

      • VOITH COMPOSITES: Head of Business Development, 2011–2019

      • Engineering studies in Germany & the USA, PhD from Technical University of Munich

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