Michael J. Seligman

Independent adviser to private equity firms and asset managers investing in financial and corporate services businesses across Europe, Iberia and the Americas. Formerly Head of the Americas at TMF Group and a member of its Global Executive Committee. Based in Portugal.

Discuss a deal LinkedIn profile
Michael J. Seligman, private equity adviser, Portugal

Twenty years building and running international services businesses. Since 2024, on the other side of the table.

Countries led at TMF
20+ in the Americas
Last operating role
Head of the Americas, TMF Group
Languages
English, French, Italian. Working Spanish and Portuguese

Practice

An operator’s view across the deal cycle.

Due diligence on the commercial and operational case, with a view of the market and competition. A senior second read of the vendor materials by someone who has run these businesses.

  • Key-person dependency
  • Client concentration behind the headline
  • Attrition exposure
  • Regulatory drift
  • Hidden technical debt
  • Pricing power and recurring revenue

Essay: Buyers Can Model the Revenue. They Can’t Model Who Stays.

Value-creation planning and post-merger integration, built by someone who has run the integrations and turnarounds the plan depends on.

  • Integration complexity
  • Harmonisation across offices
  • Retaining the people the franchise needs
  • Commercial strategy credibility
  • Operating model and AI readiness
  • Buy-and-build sequencing

Essay: The Last Mile: Why Transformation Plans Die at the Office Door

Commercial strategy and operating model work with management ahead of investment, expansion or sale, so the business holds up under the next buyer’s diligence.

  • The equity story the operations can support
  • Operating model the next owner will test
  • Management depth beyond the founders
  • Vendor materials that survive a second read

Essay: One Sponsor, Three Bets

Fund administration, corporate services, fiduciary and capital markets businesses, for European and US investors. Client engagements are confidential, and they stay that way.

Career

Global
Americas
Europe
Asia
  1. 2024 – present: Independent adviser, private markets. Commercial and operational due diligence, market assessment and value-creation planning for European and US private equity firms and asset managers.
  2. 2025 – present: Co-founder, LeSel. Brain coaching and the LeSel Brain Profile.
  3. 2022 – 2023: Head of the Americas, TMF Group. Global Executive Committee. 20+ countries and 2,500+ people; 20% annualised regional revenue growth through M&A and market expansion.
  4. 2019 – 2022: Head of Latin America and Iberia, TMF Group. Regional lead on TMF’s acquisition of Paraty Capital, a Brazilian fund administration platform.
  5. 2018 – 2019: Managing Director, Mediterranean Europe, TMF Group. Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta.
  6. 2015 – 2018: Managing Director, Sweden, then the Nordics, TMF Group. Turned around the Swedish business; the model was rolled out across the Nordics and South West Europe.
  7. 2011 – 2015: Global Relationship Director, TMF Group. Joined Equity Trust shortly before its merger with TMF. Top-tier global clients across 70+ countries.
  8. 2007 – 2011: Fund structuring and private investment. Structured a Guernsey distressed real estate fund, from GP and administrator terms to the private placement memorandum.
  9. 2002 – 2007: Southeast Asia. Built and sold a telecoms services business; earlier, market and investment research for foreign direct investment.

Recommendations

He is a dynamic leader incredibly well-versed in global operations and absolutely astute at building and leading strong-performing teams.

Luis F. Pereira, Group CFO, KMS Technology. Worked for Michael for five years at TMF Group.

He is both creative and pragmatic and quick to put plans in place to solve any concern or service issue.

Samantha Williams, VP Head of Global Payroll, NielsenIQ. Client.

He always pushed us to think big and for the long term, and to execute.

Federico Liutvinas, Latam Corporate Leader, TMF Group. Direct report.

From LinkedIn recommendations.

On the record

Bloomberg: Executive profile, TMF Group TMF Group press release: TMF Group acquires Paraty Capital PAM Insight: TMF completes Paraty Capital acquisition

Writing

All writing

Discuss a deal.

Give me the shape of the transaction: sector, stage, timing. Everything you send is treated as confidential.

michael@seligman.eu Portugal

Confidential. Never shared.