M&A Blog and News

April 30, 2015

Training Session: Best Practices, Tools & Techniques for Each Phase of the Planning and Managing of an M&A Integration

The true value of an acquisition is not achieved when you close the deal, but when you complete it.  Today, as in the past, 70% of M&As fail to deliver the shareholder value promised. There is no justification for this high failure rate.  By focusing on both the art and the science of effective M&A integration, companies can “stack the deck for success.”

April 23, 2015

Element 1 in the S3 Guidance Model: Synergies
by Jim Jeffries, Chairman, M&A Leadership Council

Synergies…. Aren’t they the evil reasons for doing the deal?  Let’s take a look.  Webster says, “Synergy is the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people or businesses work together.” Wikipedia says, “Synergy is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts.” So wait -- Isn’t it all about cutting people and saving money? 
April 23, 2015

Corporate Review:  "Building Internal M&A Capabilities"
Mark Herndon, President of M&A Partners, Interviewed on Fox Business Network

Mark Herndon, President of M&A Partners, recently sat down with Donald Trump, Jr, and discussed the challenges facing acquirers in today's M&A market. Click below to watch the video of their meeting.
April 23, 2015
Stating "No Change" in the Short-Term Can Cause Longer-Term Value Erosion
by Jack Prouty, President, M&A Leadership Council
 
A year or so ago Jim Jeffries (Chairman of the Council) and I conducted a number of executive briefings to understand various companies’ approaches to M&A integration. On two occasions we heard what we would describe, from our experiences and expertise, as a “worse” practice: Do No Harm! Their approach was that in the first 12 months after close of the transaction they would not make any changes to the acquired company. 
April 23, 2015
M&A: Top Driver for Email Transformations
by Steven Pivnik, CEO, Binary Tree
 
There are several drivers for email change. One of the most frequent is mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Email transformation projects, driven by business need, often possess additional dimensions of complexity and higher levels of executive oversight.
April 23, 2015
Some Interesting M&A Data
Provided by Mergermarket
 
Mergermarket has released its Global M&A roundup for Q1 2015, including its league tables for financial advisors. Take a look at the report (with a brand new layout that is graphic and chart heavy for better ease of use) HERE!  A few key findings in the US include:
April 23, 2015

Seeking to Fill M&A Positions

The M&A Leadership Council is routinely asked to refer experienced independent or boutique consultants and project contractors for a variety of general M&A, due diligence and integration assignments. Typical assignments are with Fortune 500 or upper mid-market acquirers with active or pending opportunities. Currently, the following prospective, project-based opportunities are being sourced.

March 31, 2015

Challenges Every Leader Faces in M&A
by Moira Donoghue, who is a former Partner and Global Strategic Adviser in the M&A practice at Mercer, and Key Presenter at "The Art of People Leadership in M&A: Managing Talent, Culture & Change for Deal Success"

Despite years of evidence from research and the lessons of low-performing acquisitions, many still fail to capitalize on the richest resource available to an acquirer – its people.  Why does this still happen?