What You Need to Know About Integration When Selling Your Business

About the Episode

Amira elAdawi joins us to talk about the integration process. She is the founder of Amira & Co., a global management consulting firm that specializes in M&A integrations and organization optimization. Her track record of success spans multiple industries and corporate environments, including hospitality, retail, and consumer products. We talk about what the essence of integration is, how culture impacts integration, the frameworks that can be used to facilitate the process, and what the most difficult areas are with integration. Join us to learn more about the intricacies of the integration process.

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In this Episode

4:15 What are the most common reasons an externally prepared integration plan might not work?
6:00 What is the essence of integration?
9:55 Are there differences in terms of integration based on industry or size?
11:25 Why is culture more important in some industries than others?
13:00 Who typically engages you?
13:20 Why do PE firms have a stronger incentive to finish the integration process quickly and do it right?
16:00 Achieving synergies vs. integration
18:00 Culture eats strategy for breakfast
19:30 Do you build a relationship with the target?
22:35 What frameworks do you use to facilitate the integration process?
30:40 How long does the integration process typically take?
33:00 Sometimes the target has more efficient processes than the purchaser and reverse integration may occur
39:05 What is remote integration?
44:30 Is there a point in time where you realize the integration may not be successful?
45:10 Is there a difference between how private equity and strategic investors complete integration?
46:30 Why do PE firms retain you to help with integration if they are experienced acquirers?
51:15 Example of integration processes gone wrong
53:00 How much does integration cost?
54:20 When does the integration process begin?
57:00 Do you recommend using any frameworks for assessing the culture of a company during the diligence process?
59:45 How do you build trust with the employees of the company you are acquiring?
1:03:05 What are the most difficult areas of integration?
1:12:10 When should you start the integration process?

Highlights

  • Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
  • There is always a drop in productivity after an acquisition due to the integration process.
  • The integration process usually costs 10% to 15% of the entire transaction size.

Meet Our Guest

Amira elAdawi

Amira elAdawi

Founder and Managing Partner of Amira & Co.

Amira elAdawi is the Founder and Managing Partner of Amira & Co. Combining deep domain expertise in mergers and acquisitions, with a relentless sense of intellectual curiosity, Amira founded Amira & Co. to provide a decidedly unique and industry-agnostic approach to meeting the strategic needs of any organization conducting large, complex, high-value transactions. An External Advisor to Bain & Company, and a former Senior Principal at Booz & Company, Amira has guided projects across the globe for a diverse range of clients in North and South America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. She has extensive expertise in M&A integration as well as enterprise optimization and turnarounds for clients in the tourism and leisure sectors such as hospitality, health and wellness, retail, and entertainment, as well as the consumer products sector. Amira has also served as Director of Corporate Development at Orascom Construction Industries and senior Finance Group Manager at Procter & Gamble. Amira holds a double-major BA in economics and international relations (magna cum laude), an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a master’s certificate in hospitality management from Cornell.

Location Location: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

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