Aligning HRs role in deal making

Host

Jeff Black

Global M&A Advisory Services Leader, Mercer
Guest speaker

Scott Gardiner

Senior Principal, HR M&A & Transformation Advisory

The “Delivering the Deal” spotlight series is where Mercer’s leading experts discuss the most pressing issues facing business leaders and deal professionals in M&A today.

In this episode, Scott Gardiner shares his 20+ years of deal experience to highlight his observations about the M&A landscape and the importance of aligning HR for successful deal-making.

Interesting moments from the podcast:

Challenges

"You see a lot of deal decisions are made at the business unit level and often times HR as an afterthought and hasn't traditionally been brought in as an early thought partner, and this is often problematic. People that often work on the front end of the deal are not as well versed in the hurdles and pitfalls that human capital can present."
Diligence

"I firmly believe that M&A and integration is a learnt skill, and downstream ramifications and unintended consequences can be significant if things are overlooked."
Expertise

"It's important to ensure that your organisation has the expertise, time, and focus to navigate the complexities that arise in most deals. I also think that's probably one of the more critical things I’ve seen a shift in on having HR play a more prominent role in deals over the last decade."

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