This case study reflects the process taken across more than 25 acquisitions and disposals worldwide and including the USA, Russia, Spain, France, Malaysia, Australia, Tanzania, and South Africa. The common theme asked for support on was the need to be able to assess the style and capability of the leadership team members, the culture of the business; and to develop communications and integration plans.
Once access to the leadership team was possible (normally around the LOI), we would engage with them by scheduling time with them face-to-face. In advance of these meetings, they would be asked to complete personality assessments that gave insights into their natural styles and preferences, giving a data-driven overview. This was then the basis for the face-to-face meetings – facilitated team meetings and one-to-one interviews with each leadership person using a defined approach to elicit insights. Additional data – including employee surveys, succession plans, etc. – were also assessed and discussed with the team.
In this way, an objective picture was formed of the new business in areas that were essential in supporting the financial objectives of the acquisition. The integration plan in regard to talent and communications was then built on the basis of this insight. In one particular organization, the success of selecting the right acquisition targets and leaders resulted in almost all executives remaining with the business after the end of the earnout period and in some cases an acceleration of the earnout to open up larger leadership roles for them.
