Global PMI Partners’ Scott Whitaker on M&A East’s speaking panel – an annual conference hosted by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), a leading network for middle market M&A professionals.

The following is an excerpt from acg.org/philadelphia:

Approaching 100-Day Planning

Firms should start thinking about their 100-day plan early in the acquisition process.  Scott Whitaker, Partner, Global PMI Partners, believes firms should start planning at the LOI stage and determine what the key deliverables are, whether it’s day one, the first 30 days, or year one and beyond.

It is important for acquirers to understand the company in terms of talent, business model, and expectations.  To Christopher Clark, Partner, Edison Partners, the 100-day plan is a way to seek out and align realities between management and the acquirer about where things will go over the next few years.  Not having the early successes can cause business to go down and affect employee morale.

John Broderick, Operating Partner, Argosy Private Equity, believes that integration is easier if you understand the levers of the business model, capabilities of human capital, opportunities for growth and culture of the organization and management team.  Building a solid strategic plan with the organization can provide a roadmap of how to get people engaged, productive and truly committed after the transaction.  It’s important to put a team together early in the process and to develop an early rhythm and rapport with the CEO.

Read the full article: acg.org/philadelphia/