Book Review: Winning at Mergers and Acquisitions

nnThis book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Peak Performance. Though the term "peak performance" could apply to a number of different areas of self improvement, one thing is clear: Peak performance implies that the individual in question is operating at the top of his or her game. Dave Carpenter is the Official Guide to Peak Performance. Over a 25 year career in corporate restructuring, Dave became widely recognized as one of the leaders in this field. As a result, he has long been annually recognized as an honoree in Who’s Who in Law, and Who’s Who in Finance.nnWinning at Mergers and Acquisitions : The Guide to Market Focused Planning and Integration , by Mark N. Clemente and David S. Greenspan, is a valuable resource for people interested in Peak Performance, and it is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.nn

nBook DescriptionnA comprehensive new framework for winning at Mfrom up-front planning to postmerger integrationnnThe challenges of mergers and acquisitions can be daunting-but the opportunities and benefits they offer forward-thinking companies can be tremendous. Winning at Mergers and Acquisitions offers a critical new approach to strategic M&A based on the authors' pioneering concept of marketing due diligenceSM. Covering every stage of market-driven M&A planning and integration, this book shows how to look beyond the quick hit to focus on long-term growth rather than short-term cost-cutting. Featuring dozens of real-life case studies-including both failures and extraordinary successes-plus inside comments from leading M&A specialists, this book contains crucial guidance on:n* Predeal planning-how to identify your strategic needs and pinpoint the merger candidate(s) that will help you meet themn* Sizing up targets for acquisition-how to examine the essential marketing, sales, and product issues that will determine a good company "fit,".strategically and culturallyn* Revenue enhancement planning-how to identify ways to drive top-line growth and develop action plans to generate near- and long-term revenuesn* Filling the pipeline-how to prioritize and actualize the critical steps necessary to drive shareholder valuen* Developing communication programs-how to design and execute communication strategies to garner support for the merger by employees, customers, and other stakeholdersn* Building a comprehensive postmerger integration plan-how to align diverse corporate cultures, develop training and reward programs, and move beyond the turf wars and lack of productivity that hamper the success of mergers and acquisitions.nnLast year more than 7,000 mergers and acquisitions were completed, with a collective price tag estimated at more than $800 billion. And although they are known as highly effective means of achieving corporate growth and strategic advantage, these transactions are fraught with pitfalls: Statistics indicate that a third of these deals will fail and another third will not bear out the expectations of the merger partners. What can businesses looking to undertake strategic mergers and acquisitions do to ensure that they do not fall victim to confusion, multimillion-dollar losses, declining market share and profits, or any number of other negative results of failed transactions?nnThe answers are in Winning at Mergers and Acquisitions, a pioneering step-by-step guide to growth-driven planning and swift, effective post-merger integration. Challenging the conventional emphasis on cost-reduction synergies, this book presents the authors' groundbreaking blueprint for mergers that yield strategic synergies and high returns in meeting long-term growth, increased market share, and revenue generation objectives.nn

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