Mergers & Acquisitions

What if the merger falls through?  My experience is that the physical aspects of a merger, particularly infrastructure, need to be in place before the merger is "official".  This is a risk in manufacturing and instances where leases are set to expire to coincide with the timing of the merger.  While it is usually true that some extension can be worked out, there are instances where the premises are already leased to a new tenant who cannot wait. It's a risk and an expensive one at that. Any changes made in anticipation of a successful merger would need to be backed resulting in wasted time and wasted funding.

Another issue is staffing.  Once the merger is discussed or the rumor mill gets the scent, people make plans and leave.  While it's true that those who stay and become redundant, there is some kind of financial package, that is only a band aid.  Experience as a Change Manager has made me cynical on this particular subject.