My experience in Post Merger Integration (PMI) ranges from small (10 FTE) to more than 50,000 FTE organizations primarily in service businesses and automotive industries. Each situation is individual with its own specialties; be it a share deal with identical product portfolio in the same country or an asset deal leading to a carve-out situation with a complementing service offering in another country.
Some integrations follow a standardized approach with given processes, organizational blueprints and governance; esp. when following a buy & build strategy. I witnessed integrations with a very standardized approach while being open to experience new best practices from the target company. Sometimes the reasonable platform for a buy & build strategy needs to be formed out of a merger. Last but not least, a successful Post Merger Integration starts before the deal is closed, in times even before the deal is signed or the process even started; that’s exit preparation.
I had the chance to perform Post Merger Integration and transformation processes from very different roles; as external consultant leading the integration office, from an executive position being responsible for the operations, even as a Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) handling all the project related issues while the CEO could focus on the daily business.
Even though every Post Merger Integration situation is very individual bearing special challenges, there is always this positive momentum within the teams that should be leveraged and directed into the intended strategy.