M&A Business Inspiration

I finally got around to reading a January 2008 Harvard Business Review article called: Giving Great Advice. It is an extract from an interview with Bruce Wasserstein – yes the Big Deal book author.  This article is filled with great comments, advice and statements.  These, from an M&A business point-of-view, particularly inspired me:

• Corporations have to change in order to prosper; inaction isn’t prudent… it is about positioning themselves within a changing landscape rather than buying or selling a company by tomorrow.

• The point of advice is to create value:  start with the CEO’s objective, ask the right questions, marshal the arguments, highlight the risks, and detail the financial and implementation options.

• Winning is about creating opportunities for the future, managing the target well after closing and not being unduly pressured by an inappropriate financing structure.

• And as mentioned in my previous post (Acquisition strategic intent), Bruce states that sometimes winning is not doing the deal at all.

Next time I will share with you a set-up for success framework that I have developed in trying to inspire you in my own way.