Lessons Learned From M&A Experiences

Everyone loves to talk about the strategy behind M&A deals. But the thing I’ve learned watching FMCG leaders up close? Deals don’t fail because of bad strategy. They fail because of people. It’s never the financial model that breaks first — it’s leadership misalignment. I see it happen all the time in FMCG — especially in Private Equity backed environments. The model looks perfect on paper: → Acquire a few fast-growing brands → Roll them into a global portfolio → Drive efficiencies, cost synergies, market expansion But then the integration starts — and suddenly things look very different. Because what the spreadsheet doesn’t tell you is: → The founder isn’t used to quarterly board meetings with EBITDA pressure → The CMO is still running a startup playbook in a scaled organization → The CEO doesn’t align with the go-to-market model in a new geography → The commercial leaders can’t navigate two different company cultures merging overnight And this happens more than most will admit. In fact — Bain & Company data shows 70% of M&A deals underperform expectations. And culture is one of the top 3 reasons. In the FMCG space — where brands carry legacy pride and deeply embedded ways of working — leadership integration is no longer “important.” It’s non-negotiable. Great M&A outcomes today don’t just come from smart strategy. They come from: → Leadership teams that trust each other faster than the market moves → Leaders who can flex between entrepreneurial scrappiness and corporate discipline → People who know when to protect brand identity — and when to evolve it And here’s what I tell my clients: If leadership alignment is not your #1 risk mitigation strategy in M&A — you’re not just betting on growth. You’re betting on luck. The smartest investors I work with in FMCG? They’ve learned this the hard way. They’re doing culture diligence as seriously as financial diligence. They’re assessing leadership “integration readiness” before the deal closes. They’re hiring talent not just for operational excellence — but for the ability to navigate ambiguity, pressure, and transformation. Because the future of FMCG M&A won’t be won by the best strategy. It will be won by the best people. Drop me a message — I’m always up for a conversation on building high performing teams. #FMCG #ExecutiveSearch #PrivateEquity #MergersAndAcquisitions #Leadership #CultureIntegration #ConsumerGoods #HiringStrategy

I've led 17 M&A integrations. Here are the 5 critical lessons I've learned: 1. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 Traditional leadership development fails during integration. Why? Because uncertainty demands a different kind of leader. Through these integrations, I learned to identify leaders who: • Thrive in ambiguity • Adapt their style instantly • Read situations before they escalate • Drive change without losing people 2. 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 The true value isn't just in products and revenue. Some of the best discoveries can come from understanding what made the acquired company exceptional in their: • Human resource strategies • Cultural dynamics • Inclusion practices These are often the hidden gems that should reshape the acquiring company, not just the other way around. 3. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 Success isn't just about systems integration. It's about: • Seeing the faces behind the spreadsheets • Understanding transferable skills • Creating meaningful roles that honor expertise • Walking in their shoes through the transition 4. 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 I've watched great managers crumble during integration. And seen unexpected leaders emerge from the chaos. Here’s what differentiates: • Challenge assumptions constructively with market intelligence • Balance short-term wins with long-term strategic goals • Support decision-making with clear risk/benefit analysis • Act as a bridge between acquired and acquiring leadership teams 5. 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 While integration is complex, maintaining business momentum is critical. Focus on: • Preserving customer relationships • Maintaining operational excellence • Protecting revenue streams • Keeping top talent engaged Through these integrations, I've learned that success isn't written in manuals. It's carved out in moments of uncertainty. The best strategies emerge when we dare to look beyond traditional playbooks. And see the full picture: products, people, and possibilities. 👉 To my fellow Corporate Development and M&A experts: What crucial lessons would you add from your integration experiences? Share them below so we can keep learning from each other.

I once closed 6 M&A deals in a single day as in-house counsel. By midnight, I couldn't even form a coherent email. Here's what this experience taught me about the real nature of high-performance legal work... When you're running multiple deals simultaneously, the pace isn't consistent. It's a marathon with intense sprints at the end. For those 6 deals, I spent weeks meticulously tracking every document, signature, and deliverable. The military taught me that organization isn't optional—it's survival. Those final 72 hours before closing day? Pure adrenaline. My inbox exploded with last-minute changes. Each deal had its own universe of complications: • Missing signatures • Last-minute tax issues • Funding delays • Nervous sellers I remember thinking, "I cannot be the one who holds up closing." That became my mantra. By the time we closed the final deal late that evening, I was running on fumes. My brain felt like it was wrapped in cotton. The crash afterward was inevitable. I slept for what felt like days. But here's what I learned: 1. Success in high-pressure situations doesn't come from heroic all-nighters. It comes from methodical preparation weeks before. 2. Your value isn't in working yourself to exhaustion. It's in creating systems that prevent chaos. 3. The ability to close multiple deals isn't about being superhuman—it's about having military-grade organization. I don't share this to glorify overwork. That kind of intensity isn't sustainable. But I do believe that occasionally proving to yourself what you're capable of under pressure can be transformative. It showed me that with the right systems and mindset, I could handle far more complexity than I thought possible. And that confidence stays with you, long after you've recovered from the exhaustion. Follow for more insights on bringing military efficiency to legal practice.

Real Talk: What Leaders Wish They Knew Before Post-M&A Integration    During my tenure as a leader at GE, I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of initiating integration planning before a deal's closure.    Recently, I sat down with my friends John J. Lewis and Steve Senneff to discuss the critical topic of integration planning. We all agreed that the due diligence stage, which occurs before the deal is closed, is often underutilized.    While the excitement of acquiring a new company can be thrilling, due diligence involves more than just crunching numbers.    It's about identifying differences in strategy, culture, processes, and leadership styles. For example, it means looking beyond surface impressions—such as thinking someone "seems like a good person"—to uncover deeper cultural differences.    Recognizing these differences as potential risks and implementing plans to address them should be a crucial part of due diligence. Conversely, waiting until after the deal closes to face these differences or deciding, "This is too hard; let's wait a year," can lead to disaster.   Effective planning isn't a solo effort; while it's essential to appoint an integration leader, it's also vital to engage others in the planning process. Involving cross-functional teams before closing the deal fosters unity and provides diverse perspectives that can pinpoint potential challenges.    Additionally, bringing in a third-party consultant during this stage can help uncover blind spots that internal teams may miss. By offering an objective perspective, these consultants can help organizations confront cultural discrepancies directly, fostering a more inclusive environment.    Effective integration planning before the deal is done is essential and can prevent potential challenges later.   #PostMergerIntegration #MergersAndAcquisitions #LeadershipLessons #IntegrationPlanning #DueDiligence __ Hey, I'm Sangeeta! If this resonated, follow along as I share real stories and lessons on how companies unlock results.

Leadership Under Pressure: Insights from the Trading Floor This month I'd like to unpack: Navigating Post M&A Integrations Growth through a merger and/or acquisition is an exciting time. New possibilities, stronger organization, new capabilities, diverse perspectives. And yet, how many times do we see leaders tiptoe around integration??! There are plenty of reasons to be cautious: 🔹 Tech stacks take time to audit and rationalize 🔹 Product synergies take time to flesh out 🔹 Customer retention strategies take time to execute 🔹 Potential redundancies take time to evaluate Yes… it all takes careful consideration and TIME. Having led numerous large scale integrations many things became second nature: audit of assets, rate and rank, fit to mission, organizational design. We were disciplined, we had experience and developed a playbook. And yet, not all of them went smoothly – there was money and time wasted. Why? The courage to recognize when its time to rip off the Band-Aid! Integrations aren’t just about synergy. It’s emotional. Someone feels like a winner, someone a loser. And if you try too hard to make everyone a winner, you may lose the battle. One of the biggest inhibitors to a successful integration is appeasement that is routed in fear. Fear of disrupting, offending, damaging ego … the list goes on. So what happens? Beyond the waste of time and money; it is increasingly more painful to get a positive result. 1+1 should equal 3 or 4. Yes, there are difficult conversations, but a lack of transparency and communication only makes it worse. Leading to hypothesis, disengagement and even rumor. Instead, if you are transparent and communicative from the beginning it lays the groundwork. There will be change, change will make us stronger and we all need to embrace it. Be transparent, be honest and don’t get mired in the drama. Lay the groundwork early: ✔ Be transparent—Don’t sugarcoat. Change is coming. ✔ Be decisive—Delays create uncertainty and erode trust. ✔ Be bold—Culture integration is just as important as systems. What’s worse in an M&A—moving too fast or too slow? 📸 Midjourney