In an era of digital transformation, disruptive innovation, transient competitive advantage, and industry convergence, mergers and acquisitions have become more complex than ever. Through an actionable end-to-end process model this book presents practical knowledge and tools to help readers successfully complete each stage of the M&A process.

The new M&A bible. Few actions can change the value of a company—and its competitive future—as quickly and dramatically as an acquisition. Yet most companies fail to create shareholder value from these deals, and in many cases they destroy it. It doesn't have to be this way. In The Synergy Solution, Deloitte's Mark Sirower and Jeff Weirens show acquirers how to develop and execute an M&A strategy—end to end—that not only avoids the pitfalls that so many companies fall into but also creates real, long-term shareholder value. This strategy includes how to: Become a prepared "always on" acquirer Test the investment thesis and DCF valuation of a deal Plan for a successful Announcement Day, and properly communicate synergy promises to investors and other stakeholders Realize those promised synergies through integration planning and post-close execution Manage change and build a new, combined organization Sirower and Weirens provide invaluable background to those considering M&A, laying out the issues they have to consider, how to analyze them, and how to plan and execute the deal effectively. They also show those who have already started the process of M&A how to maximize their chances of success. There's an art and a science to getting mergers and acquisitions right, and this powerful book provides the insights and strategies acquirers need to find success at every stage of an often complex and perilous process.

In an era of digital transformation, disruptive innovation, transient competitive advantage, and industry convergence, mergers and acquisitions have become more complex than ever. Winning at the Acquisition Game presents the best materials, insights, tools, and templates which comprise the comprehensive, cross-disciplinary Mergers and Acquisitions course taught in the MBA and Executive MBA programs at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Each chapter connects traditionally distinct "siloed" functional expertise and provides readers with practical knowledge and tools to help them understand the entire M&A process; from pre-deal strategy and due diligence, through transaction valuation, negotiations, and consummation, to post-deal implementation, workforce motivation, innovation for revenue growth, and results measurement and reporting. Case examples illustrate how each stage of the process has been implemented by companies across various industries, while discussion questions and self-assessments enable readers to determine their organization's current level of M&A capability. Through an actionable, end-to-end process model this book shows both practitioners and students of M&A how to successfully mobilize and integrate organizational capability and avoid management missteps to gain a unique advantage and truly "win" at the acquisition game.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) experts Tim Galpin and Mark Herndon present an updated and expanded guide to planning and managing the M&A process. This comprehensive book is unique in providing the tools to address both the human and operational sides of integration. Based on the authors' consulting experience with numerous Fortune 500 companies, this resource will help organizations capture deal synergies more quickly and effectively. Augmenting their step-by-step advice with helpful templates, checklists, graphs and tools, Galpin and Herndon provide sound guidance for successfully integrating different processes, organizations, and cultures. The authors also address pre-deal do’s and don’ts, people dynamics, common mistakes, communications strategies, and specific actions you can take to create measurable positive results throughout the integration process. The revised edition not only updates case studies and presents recent integration research, but it also adds new tools.

Explains how companies must pinpoint business strategies to a few critically important choices, identifying common blunders while outlining simple exercises and questions that can guide day-to-day and long-term decisions.

With acquisition activity running into the trillions of dollars, it continues to be a favorite for corporate growth strategy, but creating shareholder value remains the most elusive outcome of these corporate strategies—after decades of research and billions of dollars paid in advisory fees, why do these major decisions continue to destroy value? Building on his groundbreaking research first cited in Business Week, Mark L. Sirower explains how companies often pay too much—and predictably never realize the promises of increased performance and competitiveness—in their quest to acquire other companies. Armed with extensive evidence, Sirower destroys the popular notion that the acquisition premium represents potential value. He provides the first formal and functional definition for synergy -- the specific increases in performance beyond those already expected for companies to achieve independently. Sirower's refreshing nuts-and-bolts analysis of the fundamentals behind acquisition performance cuts sharply through the existing folklore surrounding failed acquisitions, such as lack of "strategic fit" or corporate culture problems, and gives managers the tools to avoid predictable losses in acquisition decisions. Using several detailed examples of recent major acquisitions and through his masterful integration and extension of techniques from finance and business strategy, Sirower reveals: -The unique business gamble that acquisitions represent -The managerial challenges already embedded in current stock prices -The competitive conditions that must be met and the organizational cornerstones that must be in place for any possibility of synergy -The precise Required Performance Improvements (RPIs) implicitly embedded in acquisition premiums and the reasons why these RPIs normally dwarf realistic performance gains -The seductiveness and danger of sophisticated valuation models so often used by advisers The Synergy Trap is the first exposé of its kind to prove that the tendency of managers to succumb to the "up the ante" philosophy in acquisitions often leads to disastrous ends for their shareholders. Sirower shows that companies must meticulously plan—and account for huge uncertainties—before deciding to enter the acquisition game. To date, Sirower's work is the most comprehensive and rigorous, yet practical, analysis of the drivers of acquisition performance. This definitive book will become required reading for managers, corporate directors, consultants, investors, bankers, and academics involved in the mergers and acquisitions arena.

The legal, financial, and business primer to the M&A process Mergers and Acquisitions offers accessible step-by-step guidance through the M&A process to provide the legal and financial background required to navigate these deals successfully. From the initial engagement letter to the final acquisition agreement, this book delves into the mechanics of the process from beginning to end, favoring practical advice and actionable steps over theoretical concepts. Coverage includes deal structure, corporate structuring considerations, tax issues, public companies, leveraged buyouts, troubled businesses and more, with a uniquely solution-oriented approach to the M&A process. This updated second edition features new discussion on cross-border transactions and "pseudo" M&A deals, and the companion websites provides checklists and sample forms to facilitate organization and follow-through. Mergers and acquisitions are complex, and problems can present themselves at each stage of the process; even if the deal doesn't fall through, you may still come out with less than you bargained for. This book is a multi-disciplinary primer for anyone navigating an M&A, providing the legal, financial, and business advice that helps you swing the deal your way. Understand the legal mechanics of an M&A deal Navigate the process with step-by-step guidance Compare M&A structures, and the rationale behind each Solve common issues and avoid transactional missteps Do you know what action to take when you receive an engagement letter, confidentiality agreement, or letter of intent? Do you know when to get the banker involved, and how? Simply assuming the everything will work out well guarantees that it will—for the other side. Don't leave your M&A to chance; get the information and tools you need to get it done right. Mergers and Acquisitions guides you through the process step-by-step with expert insight and real-world advice.