Cambridge Business Association
Intelligent M&A
Book

Intelligent M&A

Navigating the Mergers and Acquisitions Minefield

Scott Moeller and Chris Brady
Wiley, 2007
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Scott Moeller and Chris Brady provide an insightful guide on how to be smarter about M&A. Not only do they remind you of everything that should be involved in the process, they help you think through your situation and determine how to avoid stepping on all the lurking landmines. Most mergers and acquisitions do not live up to expectations, and some actually destroy both companies. This happens when the urge to make the deal overcomes good sense and short circuits the use of sensible information. This book helps you ensure that you are pursuing the right deals. The authors provide sound advice on how to gather intelligence, how to use it to evaluate and negotiate the best deals, and how to learn from every deal – whether you close it or not. getAbstract finds their book thoughtful, easy to read and wonderfully concise.

Summary

How Intelligence Makes for Better M&A

Every business publication has articles about mergers and acquisitions (M&A), from rumors of new deals to optimism about those just closed and regrets about combinations gone sour. Some M&A transactions do succeed, but a surprising number fail to justify their business purposes or meet their early hopes, often because the buyers got hooked on closing the deal and failed to verify whether their ambitions were based in reality or fantasy. Instead, use the available tools of business intelligence to identify good ideas and determine when to walk away from bad ones.

The reason to pursue mergers and acquisitions is because they promote growth, lower costs and enable you to compete better in your market. M&A is not an exact science and outcomes are far from certain, but you can take steps to improve your chances of making sound, successful decisions. The risks are real, and mistakes can be costly for both the bidding company and the target. Move through the M&A process as if you are working your way through a minefield, using every available resource to avoid disaster and reach your objective.

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About the Authors

Scott Moeller runs Cass Business School’s executive education program. He worked in academia and industry, and headed a venture capital fund. Chris Brady, dean of Bournemouth University’s business school, completed his postgraduate studies in the Royal Navy.

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