Tim Lep

Founder & CEO

M&A professional & family office advisor

Tim Lep is the founder of Lep Elevate Partners, a boutique financial advisory firm active in Southeast Europe and cooperates with Batagel Group, one of the largest Slovenian conglomerates with more than EUR 90mn of book value of assets in steering the Group’s Corporate Development.

Mr. Lep is highly experienced professional with over 7 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions advisory. With a Master’s degree in Bank & Financial Management (cum laude) from Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana, he has honed his expertise in the field of mergers and acquisitions in Slovenia and Adriatics.

Before founding Lep Elevate Partners, Mr. Lep served as an independent consultant for mergers and acquisitions at UniCredit Group. He started his career as a credit analyst and continued as an M&A specialist for the Slovenian and Serbian markets, developing a strong cross-sectorial foothold. In recognition of his outstanding performance, Tim Lep became one of the youngest recipients of the UniCredit CEE Deal of the Quarter Award for advisory in the acquisition of Adriatic Slovenica (at the time, Slovenia’s 3rd largest insurance company).

Prior to his work in mergers and acquisitions, Mr. Lep showcased his strategic acumen and business insights through various roles. He advised the management of McDonald’s Slovenia and served as the Head of Business Development in a spin-off project at the financial technology company Halcom. Additionally, he actively participated in the management consulting club at A.T. Kearney and the Slovenian Managers’ Association.

Tim Lep’s exceptional qualities and achievements have garnered domestic and international recognition and awards. He has received the Zois Scholarship, based on special achievements. Throughout his education, he received the highest recognition for excellent academic performance. He became a Slovenian national champion in the 15th national competition in economics under the patronage of the Association of Economists of Slovenia. At the Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana, Tim stood out as one of the top 5% of students in his cohort, securing first place in KPMG’s competition and “Ace the Case,” and was awarded the Prešeren award for his Master’s thesis titled: “The value of advisors to business owners in the process of selling an equity stake,” where he analyzed 104 M&A transactions in Slovenia and found out that financial advisors have brought more than EUR 3.2 billion worth of added-value to business owners in the span of 20 years.

Renowned for his ambition, professionalism, and reliability, Mr. Lep approaches each client engagement with great attention to detail. His deep market knowledge and extensive network enable him to identify unique opportunities and craft tailored strategies that drive success. His integrity, transparency, and commitment to delivering exceptional results have earned the trust of many renowned clients.

Education and languages:

  • University: Faculty of Economics Ljubljana (Slovenia), Aston Business School in Birmingham (United Kingdom)
  • Master’s degree (MSc) in Bank & Financial Management (cum laude)
  • Supervisory Board Training Certificate from Slovenian Directors’ Association
  • Fluency in Slovenian, English, Serbian / Croatian, and solid basis in French