M&A library

Integration is not just about combining processes and systems. It is about bridging cultures and creating a shared identity. However, integrating two organizations can be complex, especially when it comes to managing major cultural differences.

For venture capitalists, one of the best scenarios is for the portfolio company to be acquired to maximize investment returns. Learn how to prepare for an exit through regulatory approvals, gaining market traction, and how your role as an investor can impact an exit.

The collaboration between a Private Equity (PE) firm and a portfolio company during an acquisition is a powerful partnership. Together, they create a synergistic environment where growth and value thrive.

For high-growth companies, M&A is almost inevitable. If done right, it could speed up growth and open new opportunities for the acquiring entity. However, it’s not without challenges, as it can also be destructive and destroy both companies involved.

M&A is a massive undertaking that calls for collaboration among numerous individuals. Ensuring alignment with everyone involved is essential for the success of a deal. Yet, with a variety of opinions and personalities at play, achieving alignment can be quite a challenge.

For public equity analysts, M&A is nothing new. One of their main jobs is to conduct financial analyses of companies and other potential investments. However, M&A execution is another story.

International business transactions often present unique challenges that are vastly different from local ones. The complexity increases exponentially when these transactions involve mergers and acquisitions.

Many complexities are caused by the different tax structures of the parties. Usually, the best structure for one party will almost always be bad for the other. The deal can get complex quickly, so both parties must engage with a tax advisor before negotiating the term sheet.

International deals are one of the most challenging transactions to execute. Aside from the complexities of M&A, there are additional hurdles that acquirers must overcome to successfully acquire companies overseas.

Only a few believe that an equal merger is possible, especially considering the power struggle between the two companies. However, a merger of equals can be a powerful strategy that could unlock tremendous value and opportunities for growth if done right.

In today's highly competitive business landscape, companies are constantly looking for ways to enhance their capabilities and maintain their edge. With so many competitors in the market, how can a company stand out and reduce customer churn?

In big companies, some business units may not perform well and might be overlooked. It can be helpful for the company to find a more suitable owner for these units. At the same time, buyers can take advantage of these opportunities to improve their businesses and maximize their potential.

There are many different reasons why companies buy other entities. Traditionally, acquirers have focused more on the financial aspect of the target company. However, experience has shown that not all acquisitions are the same, and must be executed properly against their strategy.

To perform M&A at the highest level, an ever-evolving M&A function is necessary. Organizations must focus on refining their strategies, processes, and team dynamics to ensure they can effectively navigate the complexities of each deal.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is a long and tedious process filled with challenges and surprises that could harm the acquiring company or destroy the deal altogether. To ensure a successful transaction, it's crucial to identify and overcome these hurdles.

M&A is inherently risky, but the rewards of a successful deal can exponentially grow a company overnight. There are many things to consider before closing a transaction, and big companies are finding new deal structures to minimize risks when doing acquisitions.

According to Mark, regulators are now more aggressive when reviewing deals, with the intention of slowing down or stopping acquisitions. They are now less predictable and less reliant on historical precedent.

Acquiring companies can be extremely rewarding if done right. To be proficient in M&A, a dedicated function must be established for continuous improvement. As the M&A function evolves, it increases the chances of deal success and value creation.

M&A integration is usually made up of checklists that outline the step-by-step agendas and milestones to successfully integrate the acquired company. But during integration, things don’t always go as planned, and teams must be able to pivot and adapt to the ever-changing needs of the project.

By prioritizing M&A integration, corporate development teams can reap the benefits of their strategy and quickly grow the organization. However, despite its potential, M&A integration is frequently neglected.

Cultural fit has become increasingly important, as more companies are embracing diversity and inclusion, and acquirers must mitigate cultural differences early on during post-close integration. When two companies fit together, people are more likely to be productive and satisfied with their work.

According to PJ, there has never been more uncertainty in the market than there is today. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a false sense of direction, and the market is currently experiencing a reset, especially in the world of tech. There is a much greater emphasis on quality.

A roll-up is a powerful deal type that involves acquiring multiple smaller companies to combine them into a large entity. When properly carried out, these strategic actions can significantly increase shareholder value and set up companies for record-breaking development.

Acquiring small companies is not easy. Small companies come with their own sets of challenges that make them hard, if not harder, to acquire than large, public deals.

When focusing on people, the most important thing to do is listen. The integration team must understand what's important to the employees if they want any chance of retaining them post-close.

Corporate development teams are responsible for finding attractive targets. However, companies can execute successful mergers and acquisitions without corporate development.

Day one in M&A is a critical juncture for both the acquiring company and the target company. This is the day when the deal is officially closed and the two companies become one entity.

As the business world shifts towards a more environmentally and socially conscious approach, the significance of sustainability in M&A has become increasingly prominent. In light of this, companies are now considering the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives of their target companies before making any acquisitions.

M&A is a game-changing tool that can propel a company's growth several years ahead of schedule. However, for hyper-growth companies, M&A can also be a double-edged sword that leads to attrition and detracts from the core business objectives.

The go-to-market (GTM) integration strategy has a large impact on revenue generation and overall deal success. Integration can be very disruptive to the customers, but if done right, it can enhance the customer experience and acquisition results.

M&A integration in tech has changed quite a bit over the last twenty years. Integration has evolved from integration volunteers, to large teams with detailed tracking, to dedicated teams and Agile approaches.

Acquisitions present unique challenges, but deal lifecycle processes can still be optimized for efficiency. Timeliness is a crucial factor in M&A, and the quicker a deal closes and integration is completed, the faster deal synergies can be achieved.

M&A is a tedious process that has a lot of moving parts. M&A requires attention to detail and communication with different stakeholders in the company. So what do you do when you are the one person in charge of everything?

Establishing strong connections with a target company is essential in M&A. Securing deals can be challenging, but a strategic approach can result in mutually beneficial outcomes.

Acquiring a company is complex and challenging, and in some instances, unnecessary. If buyers only need the people inside of a target company, they can do an acquihire instead of a traditional acquisition.

Before buyers and sellers agree to an LOI, there are many informal conversations that happen in the background. Buyers must carefully approach any informal conversations to avoid turning a buyer off while still securing the deal.

The initial conversations with a potential target should build trust and strengthen the relationship. These conversations allow the buyer and seller to get to know each other and explore possibilities of working together.

M&A is an excellent tool for growing a company. Still, acquirers should consider a variety of strategies before committing to a transaction. Choosing the right growth approach also dictates any integration plans.

Standing up a corporate development function from scratch is a challenging, yet exciting task. And one of the pillars of a successful M&A function is a solid team who can effectively run deals.

Integrating an acquired company is always challenging. Acquirers must execute quickly and efficiently, navigate changes, and preserve the target company's value. 

There needs to be alignment from both sides of a deal to have a smooth integration process. Integration never goes as planned, but there are things that teams can do to make it much easier for everyone involved.

Revenue synergies are one of the hardest things to achieve in any transaction. With proper planning and the right approach, revenue synergies can help teams achieve their deal thesis.

There are different ways to create and grow a business: build up from scratch, acquire another company, or gain strategic alignment with other companies through partnerships. Through a partnership, a business can leverage someone else's technology for faster growth.

Auction processes in M&A are very challenging for strategic buyers and corporate development teams need more than a compelling offer to compete in an auction. Speed can be a differentiator, which can help edge out the competition.

For a business to be successful in the future, integration must be the focus of everyone involved in the deal. The goal is to ensure business continuity while maintaining the target company's integrity and core.

There are many reasons why an owner sells their business. Before talking to an actual buyer, potential sellers need to prepare their business in order to maximize value.

A reverse auction is a process where the buyer broadcasts their interest in acquiring a specific type of company in the market and engages with potential targets. Sellers will then line up to apply in the hopes of getting picked by the buyer for the acquisition.

With proper planning and the right approach, revenue synergies can help teams achieve their deal thesis. The acquired sales operations team knows their customers and products better than anyone, and acquirers should consider their opinion on the go-to-market integration plan.

Often organic growth is not enough to achieve the business strategy, and that's where M&A comes in. Corporate development finds the gap between the current state of the business and its objective to look for inorganic growth opportunities.

Many of the largest companies in the world turn to M&A for inorganic growth. However, first-time acquirers often find it difficult to buy companies due to a lack of experience and reputation.

The sales operation is the cornerstone of every business. Without it, companies would not have revenue. If a company purely relies on inbound sales, it's time to create an outbound pipeline and actively generate demand by using marketing and events.

Selling a business is a difficult task that requires a lot of planning and preparation. However, most entrepreneurs refuse to entertain the idea of a sale until it is too late. The best time to plan an exit is when times are good, not in a desperate situation.

Every company wants to evolve and grow its business, and M&A is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to grow. Without an M&A thesis, acquirers might end up wasting time, money, and opportunities.

Getting alignment early on from all leaders will help increase deal success. Leadership alignment means both leadership teams are aligned on communications, change management components, strategy, and transaction execution.

The finance team holds a huge responsibility in M&A and must conduct diligence effectively. The finance team leads the due diligence process and must be involved as soon as the acquirer gains access to the data room.

Creating a solid strategy requires collaboration between the strategy team, corporate development, business leaders, and executives. If done right, M&A is a powerful tool that can drive business value.

Revenue synergies are one of the most challenging metrics to achieve during integration, but are also the primary reason companies buy businesses. It's safe to say that many transactions fail to realize their intended value.

Ensure the internal team has the latest information throughout the deal’s lifecycle. On the other side, communicate clearly with the target company to build key relationships.

In M&A, time is the enemy. Waiting for closing is one of the most excruciating parts of M&A. The longer a deal takes to close, the more risks it poses for both parties.

Lawyers can heavily influence the transaction’s prioritization. They are the ones that will review the contracts and work with the functional leads to focus on the value drivers of the deal.

Companies are bought to achieve revenue synergies in new markets. Getting the GTM integration just right should be a top priority. The go-to-market is one of the most critical parts of any integration, and knowing the challenges will help.

The biggest challenge when scaling a function is hiring the right people. Hire for potential rather than experience. Look for intelligent people who are culturally fit, then figure the rest out.

Unforeseeable things always happen during integration, and the best thing to do is to pivot, solve the problem, and move on. Ensure that everybody's working to their optimal level and that decisions are made with the best possible information.

You need a comprehensive, well-documented change management plan because the process never runs perfectly. Make sure that everyone understands the message, who is delivering it, when to convey it, and how to deliver it.

Lawyers must have a good grasp of what is for sale. Depending on the nature of the transaction, there are different risks and issues that may arise.

Risabh prefers targeting companies that are not for sale because if there are more interested buyers, valuation goes up, and the success ratio of securing the deal goes down. Furthermore, proprietary deals are much faster than going through an auction.

In this webinar, Adam Coffey, CEO of Advisory Guru, discusses the basics of sell-side M&A.

Any serious acquirer knows that inbound deals are not always the best way to get leads. Proactively sourcing deals is the best way to approach M&A. In this webinar, Jeremy Segal, EVP, Corporate Development at Progress, teaches us how to source deals and build a pipeline.

Reactive M&A leads to unproductive deals and can be costly. If you want to pursue valuable acquisitions, you have to be proactive. So, how do you find target companies?

In this webinar with Tom Horton, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Kaplan, Inc., we discuss about the evolution of M&A strategy in education technology.

Traditionally, corporate development professionals come from banking roles. And while nothing is wrong with that, it is always fascinating to hear other ways that professionals start their M&A careers. Sharing his career development in M&A is Caleb Shafer, Corporate Development Associate at RS Group plc.

It doesn’t matter if you buy the best company in the world, if integration is not done properly, the value will be lost. In this webinar, Jim Buckley, Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions Integration at VMware, talks about how to run an integration-led confirmatory diligence process.

M&A is a fascinating career path, and traditionally there are only few entry points. Banking roles are the most common entry point to M&A, but recently, we have seen an increase in practitioners coming from different backgrounds. Kayla Davis, Vice President, Head of M&A at ABM Industries, went from accounting to M&A, and in this webinar, she shares her journey and key lessons learned along the way.

M&A is not a strategy, it’s a tool used to achieve corporate strategy. But if you already know your true north, having an M&A strategy is just as important.

The importance of integration has never been more prevalent. And standing up a dedicated function to oversee integration is becoming more of a necessity as a company grows more prominent. In this webinar, Ian Burk, EVP of integration at Upland Software, talks about how to stand up an IMO.

From zero revenue to a billion-dollar market capitalization, Upland Software has exponentially grown its business through acquisitions. How did Upland Software do it? In this webinar, Austin Woody, explains how to grow purely on acquisitions.

To be a strategic acquirer, it’s important to have your own proprietary source of deals. There are certain considerations to look at so that the target matches the overall strategy. Learn more in this webinar with Scott Hile.

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Sreepathy Viswanathan, Chief Corporate Development Officer, HGS Healthcare, who has 25 years of experience in corporate development, talks about how to build a thorough M&A strategy.

In this webinar, Larry Forman, Senior Manager at Deloitte, helps us understand how to approach M&A negotiations to increase deal success.

In this webinar, Kerry Perez, Head of Diligence and Integration Management Office (M&A) at AMN Healthcare talks about the benefits of standing up a centralized M&A function.

We all know that M&A deals don't end at closing and integration can take a long time. One key to success is having the right people oversee the deal post-close. Tomer Stavitsky, Corporate Development, M&A Lead at Intuitive Surgical, talks about creating the right governance structure in an M&A deal.

In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Tim Wentworth, shares his experiences as CEO when Cigna bought Express Scripts for $67 Billion, and how leadership and culture made the transaction successful.

Selling your business isn’t easy and many complexities come with the process. In this interview, Noah Waisberg, Co-Founder & CEO of Zuva, talks about his selling experience and the challenges the deal presented..

According to Charles, there are three types of people in the M&A industry: industry experts, deal experts, and integration experts. When you are standing up your M&A function and hiring your head of corporate development, the acquisition strategy needs to dictate your hiring.

The first step to creating a better people experience is understanding the target company’s culture and your own. In this week's podcast interview, Klint Kendrick, Chair of the HR M&A Round Table, talks about how empathy, strategy, and integration can all contribute to a better people experience in M&A.

When building your GTM plan, you have to start with your baseline deliverables. What are the things that need to happen for the functions to be fully integrated? In this interview, Gwen Pope, Head of Global Product M&A at eBay, talks about how to create a successful M&A GTM plan.

On this episode of M&A Science, Jim Buckley, Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions Integration at VMware, talks about why you should keep integration as simple as possible.

In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Kison interviews Jim Buckley, Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions Integration at VMware as he talks about how to create a successful integration plan.

In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Kison interviews Ken Bond, Head of Corporate Development at Cetera Financial Group on how he structures teams approaching diligence.

In this interview with Cameron Weiner, VP of Strategic Development, Head of M&A at Shopko Optical, he shares to decide whether to buy or build a business.

In this episode, Sabeeh Khan, Director, Corporate Strategy & Development at Syniti, and Aaron Whiting, M&A Strategic Programs at ContinuumCloud, talk about how to manage an entire M&A deal, from sourcing, diligence, and integration.

On this episode of M&A Science, Trish Mosconi, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Corporate Development at Synchrony discusses how to stay true to culture during a deal. In the interview, she talks about how her team walked away from an almost perfect deal due to cultural differences.

Cisco is one of the largest and most successful acquirers in the world. On this week's episode of the podcast, Karen Ashley, VP of Corporate Development Integration at Cisco, shares how to fully commit to integration from start to finish. Karen shares their process at Cisco, how to have commitment and acquisition strategy alignment meetings, and the success metrics they use very early in the process.

On the episode of M&A Science, Duncan Painter, CEO of Ascential, talks about what a transformative deal means to their organization and how they achieve deal success.

On this episode of M&A Science, Kison interviews Jay Dettling, CEO of Ansira, about how to preserve value in M&A. Learn how Jay creates value during integration, retains value when being acquired, and the importance of communication.

On this episode of M&A Science, Kison interviewed Jeff Bender, CEO at Harris Computer Systems, about how to manage M&A on a high scale. Learn how Harris is operated, what kind of deals Jeff works on, and his approach to valuation.

In this interview with Jay Jester, Partner at Plexus Capital, LLC we explore the world of private equity, and how his team sources deals.

As head of corporate development you need to know how to effectively manage your internal team and dynamics. In this episode of M&A Science Live, Randy Tinsley, Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development at Synopsys, breaks down how to get internal alignment, build your team, and set them up for success.

What does it take to successfully manage M&A with a one person team? We're going to find out as Jason Lippert, CEO of LCI Industries (NYSE: LCII), shares how he manages M&A with a small team

In this interview, Darren Lampert, CEO at GrowGeneration Corp, discusses transitioning from a private to a public company.

How’s Your M&A Readiness? Join us at the next Women in M&A Roundtable for a lively, pragmatic discussion on M&A Readiness and other important topics with other women M&A leaders and practitioners. The roundtable will be co-hosted by Elizabeth Buck, VP-Services at M&A Science, and Karen Williams, VP of Corporate Development at Progress. Please join us on September 13, 2023, at 2 PM ET.

Join us for our next virtual Head of Corporate Development Roundtable on September 7, 2023, at 3 PM CT to discuss Customer Migration post M&A. Co-hosting this session is Matt Arsenault, VP of Corporate Development at JAMF. The roundtable aims to open a dialogue among the best in M&A. We want to dismantle the black-box approach to deals and encourage shared lessons learned and best practices.

Join us for a unique opportunity as we host an intimate discussion with Wipfli’s top talent - Nicole Markowski, Manager, Corporate Development. In this exclusive event, they will be giving us a behind-the-scenes look into how Wipfli has revamped their M&A process using DealRoom. Learn firsthand from these industry experts on how they’ve utilized our platform to optimize, streamline, and scale their deal-making strategy to unprecedented heights.

Join us on June 24 for Corp Dev Market Landscapes Training! The course will be taught live, virtually by Tomer Stavitsky. The market landscape course will teach participants about the different types of corporate development landscapes, as well as the involved parties, duration, and goals of each. Participants will gain exposure to the differences between corporate development market landscapes and investment banking landscapes.

During this DealRoom Office Hours session, Chris Russell, Head of Corporate Development at the AZEK Company will discuss how his corporate development team uses DealRoom to manage their deals from pre LOI through closing.

Our roundtables provide a space for practitioners to share stories, discuss industry trends, lessons learned and form new connections. Each roundtable is for in-house corporate development practitioners.

Our roundtables provide a space for practitioners to share stories, discuss industry trends, lessons learned and form new connections.

Join us for the M&A Science Spring Summit of March 08, 2023! Come and learn new M&A tips and techniques that will leave you feeling like you just found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!

Join us for the M&A Science Fall Summit on October 20 for sessions covering Agile M&A, valuation trends, selling sub-scale subsidiaries, integrating capabilities, and more.

The cold and long winter is officially behind us and it’s time to spring clean your M&A habits! We are here to help you reflect on your techniques and workflows, achieve a fresh start for the new season, and blossom novel ideas. Join us on May 19 for the M&A Science Spring Summit!

Haunted from inefficiencies during due diligence? Does failure to achieve post merger synergies leave you feeling aghast with regret? Is your team dreading adding another frightful deal into the pipeline? When M&A is conducted effectively it should be a treat, not a trick. Join us for the M&A Science Fall Summit on October 27 for sessions covering modern approaches to deal execution.

It’s the holiday season, and we are looking forward to learning and sharing the cheer. Join us and other M&A professionals for the one-day M&A Science Holiday Virtual Summit. The event includes four sessions covering M&A topics, two networking times, and ends with a virtual happy hour. The event is free, and the more, the merrier!

The best M&A practitioners together.

One of the most underrated aspects of mergers and acquisitions is change management. However, what good acquirers realize is that people are their biggest assets.

This eBook outlines the dynamic relationship between PE firms and portfolio company acquisitions. Learn about different go-to-market strategies, role ownership, deal origination, and more.

This eBook combines the learnings of many M&A Integration practitioners. Learn about different approaches, different roles of integration leaders, structural plans, and more.

Learn How to Approach M&A Negotiations from Larry Foreman, an M&A Practitioner with over twenty years of experience in both acquisitions in divestitures.

In this ebook, get a comprehensive overview of selling your business, looking at both the buyer's and seller's side.

In this ebook, get a comprehensive overview of the process of sourcing a target, signing an LOI, and closing a deal.

In this ebook, learn the basic steps involved in sourcing a target all the way through to getting them to sign an LOI/IOI.

In this ebook, learn what steps to take during the entire M&A process, from the first conversation, all the way through to LOI.

Read how to create an M&A strategy from Matt Arsenault, VP of Corp Dev at Jamf. Matt goes over the differences between corporate strategy and M&A strategy, how to communicate a strategy, and lessons he has learned throughout his career.

Two of the main reasons to source companies that are not for sale include more accurate valuations and avoiding competitive situations. In this ebook, learn from Rishabh Mishra about how to uniquely source deals.

In this ebook, Tomer Stavitsky, Corporate Development, M&A Lead at Intuitive Surgical, talks about creating the proper governance structure in M&A deals.

Two main topics were brought to a roundtable discussion with nine corporate development professionals: how to increase your top-funnel M&A pipeline and how to close deals faster.

While no two deals are alike, there are items that need to be addressed in every transactions. In this ebook, we walk through the main steps of a buy and sell-side transaction.

Learn how to optimize your M&A practice. In this ebook, you will learn how to develop an M&A management methodology and how to align it with your tech stack.

Manage the entire deal lifecycle on one platform. Learn how to use DealRoom's M&A Lifecycle Management Software in this introductory user guide.

Practitioners are breaking away from  traditional M&A. This book is a compilation of knowledge from M&A professionals that have come up with proven techniques to move the industry forward.

A team can make or break a company post-close. In this ebook, learn ways to guide your integration team and set them up for future achievements.

Culture can be directly tied into leadership at all levels. In this ebook, learn how to utilize your strongest leaders to positively influence and define company culture.

Learn about how divestitures add value that impacts both the company procuring the asset & the seller as they both restructure themselves in a variety of ways.

By understanding the big mistakes that can negatively impact the success of an M&A integration you can begin to correct those mistakes, and prevent future ones.

A talent focused acquisition is a services-based acquisition that focuses on acquiring people for their skills. In this ebook, learn the ins and outs of talent focused acquisitions.

Joint ventures have their realities, challenges, processes, perceptions, as well as means of achieving successful results. Gathering the right information about it will reveal all of these and, in this short guide, we will take you through the basics and knowledge you need to have about joint ventures.

Now more than ever M&A teams are relying on tech. In this PDF, you can access the key takeaways from Dr. Karl-Michael Popp's discussion about the future of M&A tech.

During the M&A Science Virtual Summit, M&A practitioners talked about integration alignment challenges and tips. Download this free ebook to read the key takeaways from their discussion.

Making communication happen, especially when two separate entities with their own  cultural DNA are involved, is one of the many monumental challenges of M&A.

In this PDF you’ll learn about how M&A is increasingly shifting toward a transformational model and how Agile practices can be incorporated into deal workflows.

Reliable team workflows are critical during any transaction. Discover the top ten best practices for completing successful M&A transactions, and maintaining that success post-close.

DealRoom’s Agile M&A white paper introduces readers to the principles and benefits of Agile M&A and teaches them how to incorporate the methodology into everyday processes.

In order to have the proper deals in your pipeline, you need to have a well-thought out origination strategy. Learn how to build your own origination process.

Teams are incorporating Agile methodologies into their strategies. Discover actionable techniques to close more efficient and successful M&A transactions.