Our approach, based on more than 40 years of experience, is to:
- Focus on internal stakeholders as much as external stakeholders
- Take a long-term value creation and reputation enhancement approach
- Regard post merger integration as the most critical part of the transaction
- Understand that media reporting from announcement through to completion impacts regulator, government, employee, investor and relevant community attitudes and actions
Our approach is grounded in the reality that:
- Not getting post announcement change communications right puts value at risk
- Over 60 per cent of mergers destroy shareholder value
- Over 25 per cent of acquisitions are divested
- The acquiring company generally destroys value in the target
- M&A generally negatively impacts share price, market share and reputation
- An added non-traditional input into the due diligence process can reveal serious issues
- On announcement the financial transaction becomes a human transaction
- On announcement the major issue is power and culture
Successful merger & acquisition and restructure projects:
- Global advice on the mergers and dual listings of three large multinationals including government negotiations; global investor, media and employee communications; advice on restructuring of operations
- Reincorporation of a major multinational in the USA
- Project managing global communications with all stakeholders in acquisitions in Asia, US, UK and Europe
- Bank merger and subsequent name and brand change strategy recognised with two international awards
- Strategic communications advice on Australia’s largest takeover by scheme of arrangement including advice on discussions with the target board and management team; media, regulatory, employer, supplier communications including proxy solicitation, advertising and direct mail campaigns