Mergers & Acquisitions

Good morning M&A community!

A recruiter recently asked me what characteristics they should screen for when recruiting effective change management professionals whose roles will include M&A integrations.

Before replying, I thought, what better place to gather the answer than this diverse community of change leaders?

What would you tell my recruiter friend?

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Anthony Casablanca
Co-Founder and President
GriefLeaders LLC
"Changing How Change is Implemented"
www.griefleaders.com
]
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Hi Anthony, 

The two that come immediately to mind for me are empathy and adaptability. Adaptability is inherently important for any change activity, but empathy is even more important for M&A. There is a grief process that colleagues of the acquired, and sometimes even the acquiring company move through. In my experience this weighs heavily into the change management designs. Sometimes it necessitates a longer transition period, or extra support for colleagues. Care for others is a prerequisite to recognize when this is needed so colleagues successfully navigate integration.

Becky

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Becky Persak
Aon
Head of M&A - Leadership, Culture & Change
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Rebecca,

Thanks for your response.  I will pass along your thoughts on empathy and adaptability.  I was intrigued by your connection between M&A and the grief process.  Most don't make that connection choosing instead to treat the symptom which appears as resistance to change.

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Anthony Casablanca
Co-Founder and President
GriefLeaders LLC
"Changing How Change is Implemented"
www.griefleaders.com
]
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Original Message:
Sent: 2024-04-26 12:22
From: Rebecca Mox-Persak
Subject: Recruiting Change Management Professionals For The M&A World

Hi Anthony, 

The two that come immediately to mind for me are empathy and adaptability. Adaptability is inherently important for any change activity, but empathy is even more important for M&A. There is a grief process that colleagues of the acquired, and sometimes even the acquiring company move through. In my experience this weighs heavily into the change management designs. Sometimes it necessitates a longer transition period, or extra support for colleagues. Care for others is a prerequisite to recognize when this is needed so colleagues successfully navigate integration.

Becky

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Becky Persak
Aon
Head of M&A - Leadership, Culture & Change
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Hello Anthony.

Great question.

A characteristic that I thought about is a candidate with a strong background and expertise in change management methodologies, frameworks, and best practices. They should have a deep understanding of how to effectively manage organizational change, including communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, and resistance management.

Another characteristic could be effective communication and influencing skills which are crucial for change management professionals in M&A integrations. They should be able to articulate the vision, rationale, and benefits of the integration, engage stakeholders at all levels, and inspire commitment and support for change initiatives.

Hope this helps.

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Angela
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Angela,

Thanks for your responses.

I really like the competencies communication and leading through influence.  No doubt both of those are critical and will help with the other skills you listed in the first paragraph of your response.

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Anthony Casablanca
Co-Founder and President
GriefLeaders LLC
"Changing How Change is Implemented"
www.griefleaders.com
]
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Original Message:
Sent: 2024-04-26 15:15
From: angela middleton
Subject: Recruiting Change Management Professionals For The M&A World

Hello Anthony.

Great question.

A characteristic that I thought about is a candidate with a strong background and expertise in change management methodologies, frameworks, and best practices. They should have a deep understanding of how to effectively manage organizational change, including communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, and resistance management.

Another characteristic could be effective communication and influencing skills which are crucial for change management professionals in M&A integrations. They should be able to articulate the vision, rationale, and benefits of the integration, engage stakeholders at all levels, and inspire commitment and support for change initiatives.

Hope this helps.

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Angela
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