The book describes a valuation approach tailored to brokers and analyses insurance intermediary M&A revealing positive abnormal returns for acquirers. It provides a comprehensive analysis of insurance intermediaries including an up-to-date market perspective, pointing out performance drivers for tied agents.

A guide for mining the imagination to find powerful new ways to succeed. We need imagination now more than ever—to find new opportunities, rethink our businesses, and discover paths to growth. Yet too many companies have lost their ability to imagine. What is this mysterious capacity? How does imagination work? And how can organizations keep it alive and harness it in a systematic way? The Imagination Machine answers these questions and more. Drawing on the experience and insights of CEOs across several industries, as well as lessons from neuroscience, computer science, psychology, and philosophy, Martin Reeves of Boston Consulting Group's Henderson Institute and Jack Fuller, an expert in neuroscience, provide a fascinating look into the mechanics of imagination and lay out a process for creating ideas and bringing them to life: The Seduction: How to open yourself up to surprises The Idea: How to generate new ideas The Collision: How to rethink your idea based on real-world feedback The Epidemic: How to spread an evolving idea to others The New Ordinary: How to turn your novel idea into an accepted reality The Encore: How to repeat the process—again and again. Imagination is one of the least understood but most crucial ingredients of success. It's what makes the difference between an incremental change and the kinds of pivots and paradigm shifts that are essential to transformation—especially during a crisis. The Imagination Machine is the guide you need to demystify and operationalize this powerful human capacity, to inject new life into your company, and to head into unknown territory with the right tools at your disposal.

Valuation: Theories and Concepts provides an understanding on how to value companies that employ non-standard accounting procedures, particularly companies in emerging markets and those that require a wider variety of options than standard texts provide. The book offers a broader, more holistic perspective that is perfectly suited to companies and worldwide markets. By emphasizing cases on valuation, including mergers and acquisition valuation, it responds to the growing expectation that students and professionals must generate comprehensive perspectives based on thorough investigations and a library of valuation theories. Readers will gain a better understanding of the development of complete analyses, including trend analysis of financial parameters, ratio analysis, and differing perspectives on valuation and strategic initiatives. Case studies include stock market performance and synergies and the intrinsic value of the firm are compared with offer price. In addition, full data sets for each chapter are available online. - Provides an understanding on how to value companies that employ non-standard accounting procedures, particularly companies in emerging markets - Gives readers the ability to compare the intrinsic value of the firm with the offer price - Showcases a variety of valuation techniques and provides details about handling each part of the valuation process - Each case has data in excel spreadsheets for all companies, and data sets for each chapter are available online

Praise for VALUE MAPS "Equivocator, Explorer, Experimenter, Exploiter, Extender—Chapter 12 might be well served as mandatory reading for all subject matter experts! SPARC is not a valuation, per se, but rather a separate consulting engagement that might interest a client—especially if that client is preparing for a sale or planning an exit strategy. Miller has taken the good ideas from five disciplines and married them with value enhancement, creating what could become a very good 'add-on' consulting engagement. NACVA recommends, and looks forward to, further dialogue related to this new approach. This book will open your eyes to new opportunities." —Parnell Black, MBA, CPA, CVA, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) "No one illuminates the murky intersection where business strategy and private company value creation meet better than Warren Miller. Now he's focused his extensive professional training and real-world experience to produce this intellectually rich, yet down-to-earth and fun-to-read road map we can all use. Business owners and leaders, financial analysts, management consultants, wealth managers, CPAs, business brokers, private equity investors, business appraisers—no one should plan to increase the value of an enterprise without Value Maps in their passenger seat." —David Foster, CEO, Business Valuation Resources "Private-equity analysts do not often come across scholarly and technical professional reading laced with laugh-out-loud moments! Yet this is exactly what one finds in Value Maps. Warren Miller's advice stems from his career as a finance executive, a CPA, a valuation analyst, and a 'recovering academic.' With pitch-perfect balance, Warren has created both a must-have professional reference guide and a best-practices road map designed to enhance the profitability of your client's business and your own—all in a very readable style with just a 'spoon-full of sugar.' Enjoy the read!" —Gary M. Karlitz, ASA, CPA, Partner-in-Charge, Valuation Services, Forensic Services, and Forensic Accounting, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP "Extremely readable, with numerous real-world examples—valuation specialists who don't read this book will soon be looking for a new profession. Miller takes the term 'valuation' to new levels, suggesting that appraisers can indeed add real value to their clients' businesses. Clients should demand that a valuation professional read this book before he or she will be hired." —Alfred M. King, Vice Chairman, Marshall & Stevens, Inc.