Russ Hartz, VP of Corporate Development at Ansys, and Carey Pugh, Director of Corporate Integrations at Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS)

The fastest way to sabotage an M&A deal is to let the deal team and integration team work in silos. Too often, companies nail the transaction only to fumble on execution because the people closing the deal and those delivering the value aren’t aligned. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Russ Hartz, VP of Corporate Development at Ansys, and Carey Pugh, Director of Corporate Integrations at Ansys, unpack how keeping deal and integration teams synchronized can make or break an M&A deal's outcomes.

Things you will learn:

• The positive business outcomes of early integration

• Managing integration planning milestones

• Kickoff meeting structure

• Adapting integration approaches to cultural differences

• Building a strong partnership between deal and integration teams

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This episode is sponsored by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Find insight at every data point with the enhanced S&P Capital IQ Pro platform. It’s the leading data solution for strategics and investors alike. Visit spglobal.com/proinsights.

DealRoom AI also sponsors this episode. DealRoom AI accelerates the due diligence process by automating the extraction and analysis of key information from M&A documents, reducing contract analysis time by up to 80%. Trusted by leading M&A practitioners, this tool streamlines reviews, minimizes risk, and saves legal costs significantly. For more details, visit the DealRoom AI page today.

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Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

04:49 Integration planning starts early

07:55 The positive business outcomes of early integration

15:22 Balancing strategy with practicality in early integration planning

21:50 Proactive integration planning

23:58 Managing integration planning milestones

25:11 Kickoff meeting structure

33:07 Adapting integration approaches to cultural differences

30:29 Key factors considered during diligence

44:31 Building a strong partnership between deal and integration teams

46:50 Key traits to look for in an integration partner

49:36 Aligning the deal and integration teams

52:18 Best practices for synchronizing the deal team and integration team

58:52 The power of buyer-led M&A -  When you get to the point 

1:04:23 Creating a seamless people experience in buyer-led M&A

1:06:43 Craziest thing in M&A