2006 was a record year for M&A’s with worldwide deals totaling $3.79 trillion in which firms sought to extend capabilities and add value. Although the second half of 2007 brought a dampening of M&A activity, corporate business development remains a vital part of company strategy.  Understanding the drivers of merger and acquisition activity as well as structuring deals associated with acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures, licensing and corporate investments traditionally have been the responsibility of corporate finance and business development executives.  However, by understanding the strategic analysis framework, reasons for success and failure of these ventures and where synergies lie, HR executives can be more effective in their leadership roles to enhance decision making and implementation of initiatives related to these ventures. 

This HARRT Round Table will use a strategic analysis framework developed by Professor George Geis to analyze dynamic competitive markets to understand the sources of change (often referred to as “shocks”) in various industries, the sources of gains in M&A’s and the dimensions of integration strategy that can contribute to a successful venture.  Professor David Lewin will focus on HR talent and cultural due diligence to highlight aspects of cultural and workforce integration that contribute to successful implementation. As a result we will learn how integration thinking can be applied during each of the four phases of merger integration as it guides the business strategy, decision-making processes, organizational structure and blending of cultures in merger integration.