As demand for electric and self-driving cars increasing, traditional automotive makers are starting to take notice. The latest are Fiat Chrysler and Renault who announced yesterday they are considering a “merger of equals” in which shareholders on each side would receive 50 percent of the combined company. The deal would create one of the largest …
Tag: Culture
The Wrong Way to Approach M&A – Singing “We’re in the Money”
By now, many of you have heard the clip of Sainsbury’s CEO caught singing “We’re in the Money” into a hot mic prior to his interview about the merger between Sainsbury and Asda. For all the corporate, flowery language touting the benefits of the merger, this unguarded moment seemed to reveal the truth to the …
5 Ways to Rethink Strategic Growth – #1 Understand Your Own Company
Before you can determine where you want to go as a company, you have to have an understanding of where your business stands today. Who exactly are you as a company? This is easier said than done. Over time, even founders of companies can lose sight of their strategic vision and get caught up in …
How CUSOs and Entrepreneurs Can Build Successful Partnerships – Insights from NACUSO
Credit unions and CUSOs are using their investing powers to be more innovative and entrepreneurial when it comes to technology and new products and services. Many are exploring co-investing with individuals and business founders who are looking for additional capital from credit unions. While these partnerships between credit union investors and individuals generate fresh new …
How to Measure Company Culture
Culture is an important part of an organization, but it can be difficult to define. Unlike other areas, such as finance and operations, which have concrete metrics like revenue, EBITDA, and number of employees, quantitatively measuring culture can be challenging. Leaders often rely on their “gut” to understand another company’s culture, but this leaves an …
M&A Integration: The 100-Day Plan
Whenever I am consulting on an integration program, I introduce a critical component I call the 100-Day Plan. I’ve found that when companies get the 100-Day Plan right, the likelihood for a successful integration is extremely high. But if you don’t implement the 100-Day Plan at the beginning, integration generally doesn’t go well. Why is …
Due Diligence: When Do You Call Off the Deal?
Cultural due diligence is a critical task in the acquisition process. It exposes hidden problems and risks, but also may identify opportunities. However, if you do uncover red flags, you may need to reevaluate the deal. Sometimes you must simply call it off. We have walked away from a transaction when due diligence revealed a …
Are You Neglecting Company Culture in Acquisitions?
Culture can often be neglected simply because it is difficult to measure, especially when compared to hard facts such as number of employees or company revenue. After all, what constitutes a “good” culture? Definitions may vary from company to company and even among members of your own acquisition team. Despite this challenge, company culture should …
Make It or Break It: How You Can Avoid Culture Clashes in Mergers & Acquisitions
Culture clashes can make or break a deal. Just think about a few infamous deals that fell apart, such as the Time Warner-AOL merger in 2001. In Deals from Hell, Robert Bruner analyzes the reasons for failure in depth along, including examples of deals that failed due to cultural issues. In fact, cultural issues are …
What Employees Really Think ─ Conducting HR and Organizational Due Diligence
People are critical to the success of your company, and it’s no different in the business you are acquiring. But how can you go beyond the surface and find out what employees really think? It is doubtful employees will be completely open and honest when asked point blank, “Do you like your job?” One of …
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