M&A is part art and part science, and sellers and buyers can benefit from considering the view from the other side of the negotiating table. Andrew Morbitzer goes into detail about where the art and science lie in M&A transactions. He discusses the concept of proactive vs. reactive M&A strategies, what to learn from past failed acquisitions, the lifecycle of an acquisition – from strategy to alignment, to commitment, to integration – and how to transfer this science to successful transactions.
“Develop and refine a living M&A strategy. Constantly refine your own rules to acquire by – this will dramatically change the M&A success trajectory.”
Andrew Morbitzer
In this Episode
2:51 Details on Andrew Morbitzer’s background in M&A on the buy side.
9:46 What percentage of corporate development teams embrace a philosophy of making M&A a science rather than an art?
13:35 What is a “reactive approach” to M&A? What does it look like to buyers vs. sellers?
20:56 What is the lifecycle of an M&A transaction, from the first step of developing a strategy to the final step of integration?
28:50 How did Andrew’s more scientific approach to M&A develop?
32:41 Why is it important to have a tax advisor involved during the M&A process?
37:57 What can buyers and sellers learn from past failed acquisitions that can lead to successful acquisitions in the future?
42:49 From a buyer’s perspective, what are the differences between dealing with a seller directly vs. working with an experienced M&A advisor representing the seller?
48:35 What is the most important takeaway point?
To suggest guests, topics, or questions for future podcast episodes
Corp Dev: Corporate Development – the planning and executing strategies that companies use to meet their organizational objectives.
EQ: Emotional Intelligence – the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and handle emotions.
CRM: Customer Relationship Management – the combination of practices, strategies, and technologies companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.
Q of E: Quality of Earnings – an analysis of a company’s financial records to verify stated EBITDA, examine projected financial performance, and assess to what extent revenue and earnings are sustainable. The main purpose of a QoE analysis is to facilitate an M&A transaction.
Meet Our Guest
Andrew Morbitzer
Corporate Development and Strategic Partnership | United States
M&A is part art and part science, and sellers and buyers can benefit from considering the view from the other side of the negotiating table. Andrew Morbitzer goes into detail about where the art and science lie in M&A transactions. He discusses the concept of proactive vs. reactive M&A strategies, what to learn from past failed acquisitions, the lifecycle of an acquisition – from strategy to alignment, to commitment, to integration – and how to transfer this science to successful transactions.