Amazingly, 50-70% of all M&A deals still fail to achieve their full, stated financial objectives. After all the blood, sweat and ink that has been spilled warning about M&A failure factors over the years, many deals still destroy value outright or make little difference. This is not just folklore. According to the most definitive study in the last twenty years, the Federal Trade Commission conducted a meta study of approximately 60 academic, media and consulting firm studies, many of which were supported by empirical data, and came to essentially this same exact conclusion.
I promised myself I wouldn’t peek at the survey results until we closed the response window. I admit it, though, I just now ripped the preliminary data open like a kid’s first present on Christmas morning. WOW! I am very encouraged by the data, and very appreciative to all of you that have provided your input and experiences to this important analysis.
"Follow a framework, have a playbook that is actively managed, keep discipline in your processes and establish a strong project management capability."
(Sixth in a Series on Culture)
“Are you beef or chicken?” My client, the integration leader, didn’t realize it at the time, but with this ice-breaker during the initial integration kick-off meeting, he perfectly illustrated the important and pervasive impact of sub-cultures on M&A integration success.
Chairman's Message, February 2017
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman M&A Leadership Council
All indicators point to an increasing level of divestitures for the foreseeable future. Most top executives strongly agree that they are more likely to consider a divestment today than in past years. So what are the traditional practices ...
Establishing a Diligence Management Office (DMO)
By Melissa Panagides-Busch, MPH, PMP with BDO Management Advisory Services, a Partner of M&A Leadership Council
The due diligence process is often fluid and unpredictable. Timelines can be tight, expectations can be high and accessing information can be a challenge. Effective and well-planned due diligence is critical to making...
Energy & Technology Forums
Presented by Mergermarket, a Partner of M&A Leadership Council
At the recent USD 50 per barrel (bbl) range, oil has roughly doubled its 13-year low set earlier in 2016. Short run stability in market equilibrium is in large thanks to tightening production from US producers and OPEC ...
Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor for Q2 2017
Provided by Intralinks, a Partner of M&A Leadership Council
Are protectionist attitudes going to hit the M&A market in 2017? Find out in the latest Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor, our independently verified forecast of future M&A. Also in this special protectionism edition ...
Overlooked Resources Are Often IT
By William Blandford, Managing Director at Blandford Associates and Member of the Board of M&A Standards
When a large company acquires a small company, one of the more overlooked resources and possibly the most valuable player (MVP) in achieving synergies as quickly as possible is the IT person of the company being acquired...
Quality Shines Through as M&A Deal Volumes Fall Globally
Provided by Willis Towers Watson, a Partner of M&A Leadership Council
The global M&A market continues to be a strategic driver of corporate growth, as executives seek to create greater value for their organisations in challenging economic times. This document summarises the year ...
Define and Communicate a Clear Integration Project Plan
Submitted by Midaxo
Post-merger integration requires resolute action. A digital M&A platform makes it easy to define and communicate a clear integration project plan and track its completion. In this article we'll run an integration project, following these 4 steps: