The Challenge of Merger and Acquisition Integration

With M&A activity so pronounced in Europe over the past two years following a decline in the early part of the decade, the spotlight has fallen once again on the need to conduct post-deal integration quickly and effectively, and to demonstrate a protection and enhancement of business and shareholder value. A significant difference between the current and forecasted M&A market and the ‘M&A bubble’ of the late 90s is the performance of the capital markets: in the past, a bullish global market all but guaranteed a rise in shareholder value, in many ways disguising how effectively integration served to build a strong underlying foundation for the business. This is no longer true - and the market is more aware than ever of M&A that does not deliver value.