scott whitaker's Page

One positive result of the tepid M&A environment of the past 12-18 months is that more folks are thinking about integration-as no one can afford to lose any value post acquisition.

A couple of years ago integration focus was an afterthought given the frothy deal market-what a difference between now and then!

We are encouraged that folks are paying more attention to integration details, which is good news for shareholders, stakeholders and anyone else affected by a merger or

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Say the word "Charter" and many folks will understandable roll their eyes. Thoughts of unwelcome bureacracy and red tape will abound. However, for merger integrations, charters can save a lot of time, money and unnecessary turf scraps by getting important decisions and scope details outlined early and agreed upon by all stakeholders.
Here's a very simple integration project charter to use as a starter, and best to keep it to 1-2 pages max. Good luck!


Integration Project Charter:
1. Project Tit… Continue

Communications planning around an integration is often overlooked, or tends to drop off significantly shortly after Day 0. Acquired employees need frequent and meaningful communication to stay engaged and motivated and good Communication Management Plans (CMPs) should always:

• Define what subsidiary employees can expect during the Integration process
• Ensure subsidiary employees understand integration goals and processes
• Provide subsidiary employees an understanding of the acquiring company… Continue

Since the beginning of the year, the conditions that foster deal-making activity have largely improved. The stock markets have rallied and the broad economic recovery has inspired confidence in corporate boards that the worst is over.

Many of the announced deals through Monday, including Kraft’s recent offer for Cadbury, Disney’s $4 billion purchase of Marvel Entertainment and eBay’s sale of a majority stake in its Skype unit, also involved different types of activity, from hostile bids to corp… Continue

Great Deal, Bad Integration…Sound Familiar?


Let’s face it, trying to focus attention on post acquisition integration is difficult when planning a merger or acquisition. Companies often overlook the details of integration planning during the heat of the deal making process, as time and energy is spent on due diligence and getting the deal closed-leaving little time for much else.

But according to a recent study the number one cause of deal failure is due to acquiring companies ignoring integra… Continue