M&A Blog and News
May 21, 2019
Introducing The Art of M&A, 5th Edition
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman of the M&A Leadership Council
We are a little more than a month away from the release of one of the most highly anticipated business books in a decade:The Art of M&A, Fifth Edition (McGraw Hill Education).
May 17, 2019
PE Deal Values Increase as Number of Deals Decreases
Submitted by Acuris, a partner of the M&A Leadership Council
Mergermarket, an Acuris company, has released its US PE Data Brief and Analysis for the first quarter of 2019 (1Q19). Take a look at the report HERE and don’t forget to review the charts breaking down the activity by sector, value, year-to-year analysis, etc.
May 17, 2019
A View from the Trenches
By Jack Prouty, President of the M&A Leadership Council
Successful mergers and acquisitions hinge on creating value and mitigating risk. Working in M&A over the last 30 years has taught me the high value of being paranoid. Many challenges will crop up throughout any deal: from diligence, to integration pre-close planning and post-close transition management. M&A deals are challenging and complex: it is not business as usual. You need to expect and be prepared to deal with issues throughout the deal. Anyone expecting everything to operate smoothly and just as planned will have a disappointing and short career.
April 26, 2019
A Smooth Integration Begins with Thorough Due Diligence
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman of the M&A Leadership Council
While thorough due diligence cannot guarantee a successful deal, it is the primary protection an acquirer has against buying a time-bomb. In addition to being the best defense against litigation, in nearly one out of three cases, it will turn up deal breakers. In others, it at least allows the acquirer to take mitigating actions. And when the deal goes forward, proper due diligence provides the basis for integration planning and activities.
April 26, 2019
The Two Most Important Words in Due Diligence: “So what?”
By Jack Prouty, President of the M&A Leadership Council
Too often, the focus in due diligence is on collecting data rather than analyzing the business. It is equally important to evaluate how well the businesses align; the value the acquisition bring to the acquirer and vice-versa; how the business is organized and how well it operates; analysis of their financials; potential synergies; and an assessment of their culture. At The Art of Due Diligence training events, I challenge the attendees to always ask the “so what?” questions regarding any information collected or interview held:
April 19, 2019
"Vigorous Private Equity Activity and a Healthy Domestic Deal Flow "
Submitted by Acuris, a partner of the M&A Leadership Council
Mergermarket, an Acuris company, has released its Global M&A roundup for the first quarter (Q1) of 2019, including its financial advisors league tables. Take a look at the report HERE and don’t forget to review the charts breaking down the activity by sector, value, year-to-year analysis, etc.
March 22, 2019
M&A Positions Available
Submitted by M&A Leadership Council Talent Services Division
A client of the Talent Services Division of the M&A Leadership Council needs an experienced and accomplished HR Executive/Leader with deep M&A Integration experience.
March 22, 2019
A View from the Trenches
By Jack Prouty, President of the M&A Leadership Council
In my 30-plus years of working on mergers and acquisitions, both in corporate management and as a management consultant, I have observed two conflicting facts:
1. Project management is not a core competency in most organizations.
2. Effective project/program management is a critical success factor for effective M&A integration.