Meet Ángel Carrillo Montero, Corporate Finance, M&A Partner: Cognos Spain

Redefining Boutique M&A Through Balance, Execution and Trust

In a world where corporate finance is often associated with sleepless nights, relentless pressure and transactional relationships, Ángel stands out as a different kind of M&A professional. He believes excellence is not only measured by deal volume or valuation multiples, but by balance: between strategy and execution, ambition and humility, and professional success and family life.

The Founder of Seabird Capital, a boutique M&A advisory firm based in Spain with a strong international footprint, Ángel has built a career around one clear conviction: great deals are created by people who stay close to their clients, deeply involved in execution, and fully committed to long-term value creation.

A Philosophy of Balance: Excellence Without Compromise

Ángel’s guiding principle is simple yet demanding: be excellent in everything you do. Excellent as an advisor. Excellent as a business partner. And just as importantly, excellent as a father and family man.

He thrives on M&A — especially the unique moment of closing a transaction after months or even years of intense work. For him, that final signature is more than a professional milestone; it’s the culmination of trust, resilience and executional excellence.

But unlike many in the banking sector, Ángel has deliberately chosen a different model. At Seabird Capital, weekends are protected, and family life is respected. This is not because the work is easier — M&A never is — but because he believes that sustainable excellence requires personal balance.

Ángel completed his academic training in Madrid, studying Business Administration, where he developed a strong grounding in finance, strategy and corporate analysis.

Today, he is married and the father of four young children — aged 11, 9, 8 and 5. Life at home, as he puts it, can be “noisy,” intense and joyful all at once. He is fully aware that he is raising his family in the middle of the storm, and he embraces it.

This personal reality has strongly influenced how he runs his firm. Having experienced the extreme demands of large financial institutions — including collaborations with global banks where no one leaves the office before 3 a.m. — Ángel made a conscious decision: success should not come at the expense of being present as a parent.

Early Career

Ángel’s career began with summer internships at major banks, including Deutsche Bank, where he gained early exposure to the rigour and intensity of investment banking.

He then joined Deloitte, where he spent three years across audit, transaction advisory and due diligence.
Working extensively with private equity clients, Ángel built a strong analytical foundation and developed a deep understanding of how investors assess risk, value and growth potential.

After Deloitte, Ángel joined GBS Finance, one of Spain’s leading M&A boutiques. During his seven years there, he further sharpened his advisory skills and became deeply involved in mid-market transactions.

This experience marked a turning point. Ángel began to reflect on the traditional partnership model in advisory firms.

Founding Seabird Capital: A Different Kind of M&A Boutique Firm

Twelve years ago, Ángel founded Seabird Capital with a clear mission: to create a client-centric, execution-driven M&A advisory firm.

He had observed that in many firms, partners focus primarily on originating and closing deals, leaving execution almost entirely to junior teams. Ángel wanted the opposite. At Seabird Capital:

• Partners are deeply involved in execution
• Clients interact directly with senior advisors
• Quality and trust take priority over volume

This partner-led model, which he has championed for years, has found a powerful catalyst in the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Unlike traditional, pyramid-shaped firms that rely on large teams of juniors for manual processing, our senior-heavy structure is uniquely positioned to leverage AI for execution. By automating the mechanical aspects of a deal, we can focus our bandwidth entirely on what technology cannot replicate: high-level strategic judgment, nuanced negotiation, and deep client trust. For us, AI doesn’t replace the analyst; it empowers the partner to deliver even greater value with more agility than the industry giants.

Strengthening the Team and Shared Values

Two years ago, Luis Miguel, a former colleague from Deloitte, joined Seabird Capital. Having returned from Colombia, Luis Miguel shared Ángel’s philosophy: partners should be hands-on, writing information memoranda themselves, managing processes directly and acting as the central point of contact for clients.

While Seabird has a team of analysts supporting transactions, Ángel and Luis Miguel remain closely involved in client communication, strategic positioning, negotiations and managing the end to end process.

The team provides not only financial advice, but also psychological support and strategic guidance to owners and shareholders when they most need it.

Beyond M&A: Interim Management and Long-Term Trust

One of Seabird Capital’s distinctive features is its interim management practice. This was not created for profitability, but because clients needed it. Seabird responded by identifying and training the right interim CFOs and finance professionals. While less profitable than M&A, this service deepened client relationships — and, over time, led naturally to transaction mandates

Ángel firmly believes:

“When a client truly trusts you, they call you for everything.”

Organic Growth and International Reach with Cognos Global Partners

Remarkably, in twelve years, Seabird Capital has never made a pitch. Its deal flow comes almost entirely from word of mouth, recommendations and the teams’ own professional and personal networks. Today, 70% of transactions involve international counterparties.

Seabird joined the previously named ICFG network (now Cognos Global Partners) in 2022 to enhance global reach.

Since then, the firm has completed several complex cross-border transactions, including sales to major German, UK and USA buyers. These are precisely the kinds of transactions Seabird seeks: strategic, international, and value-driven.

The Meaning Behind “Seabird Capital”

The firm’s name reflects its philosophy. Five hundred years ago, sailors navigating toward the Americas would look for seabirds. Seeing them meant land was near — a sign of hope, direction and safety.

For Ángel, Seabird Capital represents the same idea: guiding clients toward solutions, clarity and successful outcomes.

Cross-Border M&A: A Global Mindset

Ángel believes successful cross-border M&A depends on three core things:

1. Open-mindedness
2. Cultural understanding
3. Deep preparation

Every transaction begins with research — not only on the company, but on the country, culture and people involved. Creating alignment, even without a perfect cultural fit, is essential to unlocking value.

Life Beyond Finance

Outside of work, Ángel has a passion for high-performance cars. Weekend drives were once a ritual, though today much of that time is dedicated to his children. His home is his haven – a place for slowing down, playing with his kids and reconnecting with nature when possible.

As a movie buff, Ángel has invested in film production and dreams of writing and publishing a book one day. A lifelong football fan, he is a proud and active Real Madrid supporter.

A New Kind of Global Corporate Finance Firm

Ángel’s story is not just about deals closed or companies sold. It is about building trust, staying involved, and redefining success in corporate finance.

This echoes Cognos Global Partners’ approach, making Seabird Capital and Ángel’s team a great fit within the Cognos global network.

To work with Ángel and the Cognos Spain team, please get in touch.