S2 - E13: M&A Stories in the Small and Medium-size Integrations with Aaron Whiting

This is a podcast on M&A Stories in the Small and Medium-size Integrations with Aaron Whiting  

Show Notes: 

Integrations in the SME and mid-market are quite different from large-scale mergers and integrations. Learn how integrations are managed in this space especially owned by private equities or venture capital. In this episode, Aaron discusses integrations of companies where the revenue ratio is about 1:5 or greater i.e. where the acquiring company is greater than or equal to five times the size of the company that is being acquired.  

Two ways to design integration in this space.  

• Default is the GM model which is a hold it and turnover model. In this case, there is a General Manager who is assigned the integration. The GM eventually ends up running the business post the integration stage. The integration is a 90-180 day project run. It is primarily run as a tuck-in type, standalone. There is matrix management. 
• The second one is the day-one cutover. It follows integration-transformation-optimization model. And this model is followed by small companies especially those which do not have a deep functionalized organizational structure. Integrating small companies becomes a challenge as most employees do not have functionalized job responsibilities. 

On people questions, Aaron mentioned that most of the time questions asked by employees on day-one tend to be: 

• Do I still have a job? 
• Who is my manager? 
• What’s the plan? 

Watch the episode to know more about this type of integration.  

Aaron Whiting is a highly-skilled, target-driven hybrid professional who drives success through building relationships and guiding assembled teams to solve problems. Over a decade of scoping, designing, and quarterbacking the delivery of solutions to the end-user through various roles and focuses. Though passionate about streamlining the business process through the use of technology, he focuses on the end-user experience and seeks to fully understand the end-user problem before designing and prescribing a solution. .   

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronjwhiting/

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The hosts of the interview are: 

• Anirvan Sen, CEO Fifth Chrome: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirvansen/
• Marcella Hall, HR M&A Expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallmarcella/

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This interview is part of a series run by Fifth Chrome (https://www.fifthchrome.com), a firm that enables experienced professionals to build "Future Capabilities for Business to thrive". 

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Books mentioned: 

• The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0470941529/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_XK5RKBXK2FZHDBMD6W5V