ExpertActions helps companies improve their odds of successful M&A through an integrated, battle-tested approach that links acquisition strategy, diligence and merger integration.

• Mastering the good breakup - With more CEOs and boards considering spinning off a business, winning strategies are starting to emerge.
• New paths to value creation in pharma - In a changing industry, survival increasingly depends on leading in categories and distinctive business capabilities.
• Why some merging companies become synergy overachievers - Some outperformers justify higher targets because they know how to achieve them.

OUR APPROACH

Based on our analysis and years of experience our mergers and acquisitions experts believe that the key to successful M&A is a repeatable model; one that companies can return to over and over again to reap substantial rewards.

Rollover the graphic below to learn more about the repeatable model for M&A.

The virtuous cycle for M&A begins by building a strong M&A capability that forms the foundation for the success of the model's five key steps:

• Corporate strategy and acquisition strategy: Develop a clearly articulated strategy and an M&A plan that reinforces that strategy.
• Deal thesis: Invest with a thesis. Successful deals are guided by a meaningful deal thesis that is tied to a firm's growth strategy and that spells out how the deal will add value both to the target and acquiring company.
• Strategic due diligence: Ask and answer the big questions. The best acquirers investigate targets with a nose for what's really important, identifying the key sources of ongoing value and sniffing out any "perfumed pigs" buffed up for sale. A frequent acquirer knows exactly where it can add value and is therefore able to set its own price—and to walk away if the price isn't right.
• Merger integration planning: Integrate where it matters. No two integrations are the same, and companies must carefully consider aspects from culture to IT in order to realize the full value of the deal.
• Merger integration execution: Nail the short list of critical actions. Merging two companies requires rigorous follow-through on a long list of integration tasks, large and small. Doing both is hard. Part of the answer lies in a few, powerful guiding principles: tailor the integration thesis to the deal thesis; integrate where it matters; and act with deliberate speed.

ExpertActions's mergers and acquisitions consultants help companies build and execute on their own repeatable models. We also apply our expertise to guide companies and management teams that are deciding where to grow and shed through joint ventures and alliances or divestitures and separations. Our work is continually informed by the latest analyses and insights which ensure that our teams and clients have access to information and conclusions about how the best acquirers succeed.

The primary purpose is not to grow big fast, but for companies to do what they do better. Mergers and acquisitions work is deeply ingrained in ExpertActions. We have worked on thousands of M&A projects serving companies across industries and geographies. We offer clients a disciplined approach to deal making and M&A end-to-end support. We bring our expertise to all elements of the deal value chain, including:

• Acquisition strategy: The question behind every deal should be: "How will buying this asset make my existing business more valuable, and how will I bring value to the asset I am buying?" We help companies build their M&A programs as a vector of growth strategy. We will work with companies to decide where to invest and where to divest in line with corporate strategy, prioritize growth opportunities and develop tailored programs based on a client’s previous experience.
• Acquisition screening: We help clients develop an investment thesis that is aligned with strategy and growth opportunities. We work to enhance deal flow by screening targets based on criteria set in the M&A acquisition strategy process and develop a road map to approach targets.
• Strategic due diligence: We collaborate seamlessly with client teams to help companies make better investment decisions. We generated insights through world-class diligence to prove or disprove the deal thesis, realistically assess synergies and chart the course of integration early. Experience matters: we are three times larger than our nearest competitor in conducting strategic due diligence for global clients.
• Merger integration: To make a deal pay off, you have to nail a short list of critical actions. But merging two companies also requires rigorous follow-through on a long list of integration tasks. Doing both is hard.
• Joint ventures and alliances: ExpertActions assists clients throughout the joint venture process: strategy development, partner selection and operating implementation. We have found that alliances go wrong most frequently due to neglect of the first stage–strategy development. Therefore, we focus disproportionately on ensuring that deals are structured correctly from the outset, with a very clear, shared vision and a solid understanding of mutual economics.
• Divestitures and Separations: ExpertActions works alongside companies to manage their portfolios and decide where to grow and where to shed. Sometimes, by thoughtfully divesting non-core assets or separating organizations, management can better focus its attention on its core business and unlock substantial shareholder value.

We share our clients' ambitions. We work to understand their reality and deliver true results—focusing on strategic decisions and practical actions. And we align our incentives with our clients' objectives, so they know we're in it together.