AlphaPrimus Advisors

The time-honored wisdom ‘experience is the best teacher’ perfectly encapsulates the spirit of AlphaPrimus Advisors, a premier M&A advisory firm based in the Philippines. Leading the team is Co-Founder and CEO, Manuel “Manolet” Salak III, whose extensive international background at ING—a leading European bank known for its excellence in advisory, securities and M&A services—equips him with an unmatched depth of knowledge. Alongside him, Natividad Alejo, Co-Founder and Managing Director, boasts a formidable record as former Head of BPI Capital, one of the Philippines’ premier investment banks. At the helm of their advisory teams, they form the backbone of AlphaPrimus, blending traditional banking rigor with innovative investment banking work.

Having operated on the ‘principal’ side, they offer a unique perspective as advisors and leaders who have navigated similar challenges within their own ventures across financial services, banking, asset management and insurance. This firsthand experience equips them to empathize with and fully understand the decisions their clients face, enhancing the strategic guidance they provide.

This pedigree, structured with a boutique advisory approach, is rare in today’s M&A landscape. While major players face bureaucratic layers or smaller firms struggle with limited cross-sector depth, AlphaPrimus deftly achieves a critical balance, combining a nimble organizational structure with the robust, disciplined expertise typical of larger banks.

“The differentiation is clear. Our team employs a best-of-both-worlds approach that effectively meets a broad range of scope and needs. This versatility is why we are highly credible among diverse clients, from large conglomerates—typically served by big banks—to family offices and smaller mid-caps,” says Salak.

For cross-border deals, AlphaPrimus excels in its role as a bridge, connecting local market intricacies with universal business standards. Working hand-in-hand with ex-colleagues, clients from regional offices of multinationals, as well as international funds and private equity, AlphaPrimus becomes the go-to house for on the ground knowledge, combining valuable eyes and ears on the ground with international quality execution, giving clients definitive edge in executing successful international transactions.

A prime example of AlphaPrimus’ expertise in action is the sale of Medicard, a leading Philippine HMO firm, with interest coming from several insurance buyers and healthcare groups and the AIA Group emerging as an ultimate buyer. Throughout the process, the family offices of the sellers were guided and handheld by AlphaPrimus directors through a highly personalized approach.

A major mandate, this time on the buy-side, was AlphaPrimus advising the Aboitiz group in acquiring the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, a very high profile and transformational deal that laid the foundation for the client to jumpstart its airport portfolio investments. Last year, AlphaPrimus likewise set up a debt advisory team for project finance and acquisition facilities.

“The proof is in the numbers. With over 20 successful transactions over a short span of time, amounting to more than $3 billion across vital sectors such as energy and infrastructure, telecom, media and technology, healthcare and consumer goods, we have consistently forged lasting impacts across every market we engage,” asserts Alejo.

Other important transactions involve advising the consortium of Meralco and Stonepeak on its acquisition of Telco towers and supporting Ayala-owned AC Energy for Asia’s first and pioneering Energy Transition Facility, the first energy transition facility that addressed the reduction of carbon emissions and directed capital in new sustainable ventures. These efforts earned AlphaPrimus the award for Best M&A Adviser in the Philippines by The Asset for 2021 and again in 2022, along with recognition as one of Asia Business Outlook’s Top 10 M&A Consultants in Asia.

Finally, these experienced bankers value giving back and paying it forward. Officers and analysts take time off to get involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR), working with chosen advocacy groups such as sponsorship and volunteer work with WSF Philippines, a leading NGO, providing pro-bono surgical services to the poor across different regions in the country and sponsorship and volunteer work in various public-school repair and maintenance activities, two advocacies that AlphaPrimus, as an organization, has committed to.

At the heart of this success lies the unique DNA of AlphaPrimus—“minds of global expertise, work of a boutique firm.” This combination offers clients an exceptional proposition, one that’s difficult to find elsewhere.