The rules Apex holds to in every contract it signs, so an organisation knows where it stands before the first conversation.
Apex writes its principles down and holds itself to them like a contract. What follows is what the firm protects and what it refuses.
Apex starts with fit: which person an organisation needs to reach, before the size of the name or the audience. That person gets one position, built around the work that earned their authority in the first place. Apex takes on a second name only when it can give it the same attention as the first, so the list stays short on purpose.
One partner per category, written in as exclusive, over a multi-year term. Those terms are the point. If a rival borrows the same person’s authority, the authority stops meaning anything to either buyer. Exclusivity keeps the fit intact, so it builds over the years instead of thinning out across competitors.
"Exclusivity is what makes the partnership work."
Apex is paid mainly for partnerships that get built and last. The meetings that lead there are Apex’s own cost to carry. Client and advisor share one outcome: whether the partnership is still working several seasons in.
Most organisations that approach Apex are the wrong fit. So are most people. The right answer is no, said early and honestly.
"A fast no is worth more than a slow maybe."
A partnership takes a few seasons before it starts paying back. A one-year deal ends before that happens, so Apex writes a multi-year term into the contract from the start. Anything shorter is not worth building.
Every conversation is with Danny. Every contract is reviewed by Danny. Every renewal is led by Danny. The smallness is deliberate.
"The founder is the firm, by design."
A person’s day job can rule a partner out completely. A referee cannot be tied to a club’s sponsor, and no amount of negotiating changes that. Apex checks for those conflicts at the start, before a single term is written.
The people Apex represents built their standing by being good at the work, over years, before most of the public knew their name. The organisations Apex partners with are the same kind. Both sides recognise it in each other.
Because both are chosen this way, these partnerships are slow to set up and hold for a long time once they are.
"A category outlasts reach."
The firm publishes a few times a year, and only when it has something specific to say. Each piece covers one idea and stops there. Nothing goes out to keep a schedule full.
Apex does not represent people in gambling categories. Apex does not write speculative pitches. Apex does not enter partnerships that conflict with a referee’s officiating obligations or values. Apex does not charge introduction or finder’s fees. Apex does not compete on volume.
"These constraints are what make the rest credible."
One name, one category, given full attention, and a firm willing to turn down everything that does not fit.
Danny Schuurman
Founder & Managing Director · Apex Partnerships & Advisory
Amsterdam · Q1 2026
The firm works best with brands and talent who would have written something similar.
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