When executing M&A, having a structured approach to validating the acquisition plan is crucial. The worst thing any acquirer can do is to buy a business that doesn’t bring value to the parent company.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds, shares the meticulous 6-step process his company uses to validate their acquisition plan.
Things you will learn:
• Surveying Customers
• Industry Trend Analysis
• Partner vs Build Analysis
• Formulating the strategic rationale
• In-depth Company Analysis and Product Demos
• Drafting a detailed memo
This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom
Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://www.dealroom.net
00:00 Intro
08:45 Approaching M&A
18:20 Surveying Customers
23:47 Industry Trend Analysis
28:13 Partner vs Build Analysis
34:12 Formulating the strategic rationale
36:50 In-depth Company Analysis and Product Demos
41:18 Drafting a detailed memo
44:15 Pitching M&A to the board
44:54 Craziest thing in M&A
Seema Nimmagadda, Head of M&A Integration for North America at Woven by Toyota.
A lot of times, M&A integration is considered only after closing the deal. It is often treated as an afterthought, and this approach is where many deal failures stem from. If we want to improve our M&A process and get better results from deals, we have to start updating our practices to the most efficient way of doing things.
In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Seema Nimmagadda, Head of M&A Integration for North America at Woven by Toyota, discusses how to master M&A integration.
Things you will learn in this episode:
• The Ideal Integration Process
• M&A Integration planning pre-LOI
• Setting up an early version of the IMO
• Detailing the M&A Integration Strategy
• Aligning deal goals with integration strategy
This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com
00:00 Intro
04:00 Toyota’s Woven Business Unit
05:00 The Ideal Integration Process
06:53 The Importance of Integration Capabilities
08:52 Integration planning pre-LOI
11:50 Ensuring Adequate Resources and Capabilities during M&A Integrations
13:27 Avoiding early pitfalls for integration
14:40 Key integration milestones from LOI to Close
18:53 Aligning the IMO and Corporate Development
21:49 Adapting mature M&A teams to change
23:28 Setting up an early version of the IMO
25:04 Key people in forming an early IMO
26:16 Detailing the Integration Strategy
29:09 Balancing team autonomy in integration planning
31:56 Maintaining collaboration and progress in integration
34:24 Managing cross-functional dependencies
35:16 Tech stack diversity
36:41 M&A execution checkpoints
38:04 Information gathering challenges pre-close
39:08 Managing vendor dependencies and ensuring transparency
40:12 Balancing functional plans with the master integration strategy
42:04 Securing stakeholder buy-in
43:04 Risks of overlooking integration
44:03 Aligning deal goals with integration strategy
44:36 Identifying when an M&A integration is complete
46:25 Best practices for smooth post-close integrations
46:59 Craziest thing in M&A
Brent Baxter, Chief Executive Officer at Association for Corporate Growth, and Jeff Giles, VP, Corporate Development at Core & Main (NYSE: CNM)
In a highly competitive market, speed is crucial for companies wanting to do M&A. Especially with all the economic and market changes that’s happening, professionals must use M&A best practices to get better deals.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Brent Baxter, Chief Executive Officer at Association for Corporate Growth, and Jeff Giles, VP, Corporate Development at Core & Main, share their strategies and experiences when executing successful M&A.
Things you will learn:
• Target outreach
• Best practices when building relationships
• Challenges of working with private sellers
• Executing agile and efficient Diligence
• Role of technology in the M&A process
This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.
Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net
00:00 Intro
07:12 Getting deals faster
10:35 Target outreach
15:54 Best practices when building relationships
19:47 How to best optimize ACG
22:46 M&A challenges
25:20 Challenges of working with private sellers
29:39 Executing agile and efficient Diligence
34:53 Executing deals during COVID
39:59 Role of technology in the M&A process
42:06 Role of technology in the future
46:47 Craziest thing in M&A
Amy M. Weck, VP, M&A and integrations at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, LLC
It's common to see due diligence and integration as separate stages, but combining them can make the M&A process much smoother and more effective. But how exactly can we weave these two critical phases together effectively?
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Amy M. Weck, VP, M&A and integrations at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, offers practical strategies to align integration and diligence for optimal outcomes.
Things you will learn in the episode:
• Merging separate integration departments
• How to connect diligence and integration
• Fostering a ‘One Team’ Mindset
• Maintaining Team Rhythm in High-Volume Acquisitions
This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com.
00:00 Intro
04:26 Getting into M&A
06:12 Evolving into integration
07:55 Transitioning from deal team to integration team
09:26 Pre-LOI considerations in M&A
10:40 Merging Corp Dev and Integration Team
13:26 The impact of mindset during transition
15:26 Connecting the two functions
18:42 Keeping teams and workflows aligned
22:14 Biggest challenge in the transition
24:05 The challenge of change management
26:11 Managing new hires in key roles
27:29 Key advice for managing the end-to-end M&A process
34:37 Optimizing the M&A function for a roll-up
36:21 Practical Tips for Learning from Past Due Diligence
38:16 Maintaining Team Rhythm in High-Volume Acquisitions
40:05 Key Strategies to Avoid Failing in Your Integrations
42:02 Key Questions to Ask Before the LOI
43:17 Evaluating Cultural Fit and Red Flags
48:15 Ideal candidate for an M&A role
59:44 Advice to first-time M&A practitioners
1:01:02 Craziest thing in M&A
John Blair, Partner M&A Attorney at K&L Gates
In M&A, it’s very common for buyers and sellers to disagree on the value of the business. If both parties cannot agree on the price, the deal could fall apart. However there are certain strategies and tools that both parties can use to compromise and be happy during closing.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, John Blair, Partner M&A Attorney at K&L Gates, shares best practices on how to bridge valuation gaps in M&A.
Things you will learn in this episode:
•Bridging gaps in M&A Valuation
•Earnouts
•Seller Financing
•Equity structure
•Market’s impact on Bridging M&A Valuation Gaps
Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net
00:00 Intro
04:13 When to get involved in the M&A Process
07:50 Negotiations during LOI
09:42 Bridging gaps in M&A Valuation
11:09 Using Holdbacks to Bridge M&A Valuation Gaps
13:20 Seller Financing
15:00 Earnouts
16:43 Earnouts on Intellectual Property
18:45 Key Variables in an Earnout
23:14 Earnout payment structure
25:53 Making Earnouts Successful
29:08 Structures of Seller Financing
36:24 Traditional terms of seller financing
38:20 Equity structure
41:04 Stock options
43:52 Minimizing the cash upfront during a sale
46:34 Contents of Letter of Intent
49:14 Advice for first timers
50:01 Craziest Thing in M&A
In the dynamic world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), creating an effective team is crucial for success. This process can be complex and demanding, but also immensely rewarding. After all, having an internal team means having the capability of acquiring companies in the future, rather than treating M&A as a one-time event.
In this episode, Birgitta Elfversson, Non-Executive Director at Netlight, shares her experience in transforming existing staff into M&A experts.
Things you will learn from this episode:
• Shaping the M&A strategy
• Building an M&A team
• Scaling the M&A Team
• Recruiting competent people
• Managing burnout
Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net
00:00 Intro
10:54 Shaping the M&A strategy
12:46 Key elements of the strategy
14:58 Strategy approval
16:10 Challenges on the first acquisition
18:30 Building an M&A team
22:05 Scaling the M&A Team
25:10 Recruiting competent people
26:44 M&A Aptitude test
32:48 Working with consulting firms during M&A
37:17 Setting the external team up for success
39:08 M&A Team structure
39:48 Managing burnout
43:18 Programmatic M&A
49:09 Start up doing M&A
51:47 Integration execution
53:19 Smart collaboration in the future
55:51 Setting integration up for success
58:20 Craziest thing in M&A
Jake Lin, Head of Corporate Development at Xendit
Navigating cross border M&A is one of the most challenging tasks for deal makers. There are a lot of intricacies involved that are unique to each country, and must be handled delicately.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Jake Lin, Head of Corporate Development at Xendit, shares his best practices when executing cross border M&A, particularly in South East Asia.
Things you will learn:
Biggest challenge in Cross Border M&A
Language barrier during Cross border M&A
Managing Cultural Differences during negotiations
Cross border M&A best practices
Integration approach to cross border M&A
This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.
Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net.
00:00 Intro
05:44 Biggest challenge in Cross Border M&A
08:18 Cross Border M&A without Bankers
09:04 Working with Local Bankers
09:55 Language barrier during Cross border M&A
12:05 Managing Cultural Differences during negotiations
16:01 Managing the Speed of Cross border M&A
17:20 Cultural Differences almost killing the deal
18:48 Countries easiest to work with
21:06 Cross border M&A best practices
22:32 Strategic tips when dealing with Cross border M&A
23:49 Integration approach to cross border M&A
25:37 Negotiating Payment terms
28:59 Computation for stock payments
30:06 Advice for first-timers
30:29 Craziest thing in M&A
In today’s competitive global market, organizations need to leverage every tool in their arsenal to stay ahead of the curve. One of the best ways to do this is strategic M&A. With the right approach, M&A can drive significant growth, unlock fresh opportunities, and expedite the achievement of strategic business goals. In this article, Yoav Zeif, CEO at Stratasys, shares his experience on achieving business growth through strategic M&A.
Things you will learn in this episode:
•The Start of their M&A Journey
•Strategic M&A framework
•Evolution of Strategy
•Working with the corporate development team
•How to ensure positive business outcomes during integration
This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/
00:00 Intro
07:04 Start of M&A Journey
11:56 M&A strategy framework
18:58 Real-life acquisition scenario
20:20 Evolution of Strategy
23:59 Working with the corporate development team
26:29 Corporate development teams pitching deals
30:22 How to ensure positive business outcomes during integration
31:57 Big lessons learned
39:18 Retaining key people
40:26 Other lessons
42:42 Craziest Thing in M&A
This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/