M&A Strategy

M&A and Corporate Development Strategy

M&A and corporate development strategy: inorganic growth strategy, deal sourcing, target screening, diligence, integration design, value capture programs.

Schedule a Working Session

60+

M&A Programs

85%

Synergy Capture Rate

$1.5B

Avg Deal Size

4.8/5

CFO NPS

M&A as a Repeatable Engine

Most M&A programs fail to deliver expected synergies because integration is treated as an afterthought. Mature corporate development combines inorganic growth strategy, target screening with disciplined criteria, diligence, integration design, and value capture programs run with executive scorecards. Programmatic acquirers (multiple deals per year) outperform episodic acquirers across cycles.

Capabilities

What this practice delivers.

01.

Inorganic Growth Strategy

Where M&A creates more value than organic build.

02.

Target Screening

Disciplined target criteria, deal pipeline, prioritization.

03.

Diligence

Commercial, operational, financial, technology, cultural diligence.

04.

Integration Design

Target operating model, integration roadmap, synergy capture plan.

05.

Value Capture

Synergy tracking with executive scorecards and quarterly governance.

06.

CorpDev Operating Model

Corporate development team, governance, deal pipeline management.

Deep dives

Specialized articles in this practice.

Programmatic M&A: Building a Repeatable Engine

Programmatic Acquirers Outperform Episodic AcquirersMcKinsey research consistently shows programmatic acquirers (multiple deals per year) outperform episodic acquirers across cycles. The difference is

M&A Diligence: Commercial, Operational, Cultural

Diligence That Actually Tests the Deal ThesisMost diligence is financial and legal. Mature diligence adds commercial (customer interviews, win/loss, retention), operational (capabilities,

Post-Merger Integration: Day 1 to Day 365

Integration Decides Deal OutcomesThe 70 percent of M&A failures usually trace to integration. Mature PMI combines Day 1 readiness, 100-day plan, integration

Carve-Out & Divestment Strategy

Programmatic Divestment Frees Capital for Higher ReturnsMost enterprises hold underperforming businesses too long because divestment is treated as failure. Mature portfolio management

Process

How we deliver.

Phase 1

M&A Strategy

Where M&A makes sense vs organic.

Phase 2

Target Screening

Pipeline build with prioritization.

Phase 3

Diligence

Commercial, operational, financial, cultural diligence.

Phase 4

Integration

Integration design and execution.

Phase 5

Value Capture

Synergy tracking and governance.

Outcomes

Outcomes you can measure.

Higher Synergy Capture

Mature integration captures 85%+ of planned synergies vs 40-60% industry average.

Programmatic M&A

Repeatable engine outperforms episodic acquirers.

Risk Discipline

Disciplined diligence prevents value-destroying deals.

Faster Integration

Pre-built integration playbooks cut integration cycles 30-50%.

FAQ

Common questions, answered.

Build or buy?

Buy for time-to-market and capability access. Build for differentiation. Strategic logic per opportunity.

Integration timeline?

Day 1 readiness: 60-90 days post-close. Full integration: 12-24 months. Synergy capture: 24-36 months.

Cultural diligence real?

Yes. Cultural mismatch is the most common deal-failure cause. Cultural diligence is non-negotiable.

CorpDev team size?

Mid-market: 2-4 FTE. Enterprise: 5-15 FTE plus M&A advisory and PE network.

Discuss this practice with our team.

Bring a real challenge to a working session. Leave with a defensible scope and clear next steps.

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