Mastering M&A: Strategy, Integration, and Effectiveness

The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast

Welcome to another episode of The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast! Today, we’re diving into a pivotal topic for strategy leaders: how to approach mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to accelerate your company’s strategic goals.

Joining us are two Outthinker CSOs with extensive Strategy and M&A experience. Kevin Ilcisin, has a fascinating career in high tech, most recently as SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development for NI, formerly known as National Instruments, which was recently acquired by Emerson Electric in 2023. Kevin brings a scientific approach and holds a phD in Astrophysical Sciences with a focus on Plasma Physics. Alok Agrawal is the Chief Strategy Officer at Celestica, a $7B multinational leader in the design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions industries. Alok started his career as a management consultant with Kearney serving industrial clients before taking strategy and M&A executive leadership roles for industry leaders like Johnson Controls, Meritor, and Tenneco. In this episode, Kevin and Alok share their insights and practical experience in the art and science of successful deal-making and integration.

In this episode, we explore:

• The critical distinction between strategy and M&A. (hint- M&A isn’t a strategy- it's a tool to realize your strategy) —What people miss about this and why that matters.
• How to identify the right acquisition targets and develop relationships with key players like investment banks.
• Practical tips for building and managing a robust M&A pipeline
• Insights on navigating cultural integration and realizing post-merger synergies effectively.
• The unique role a Chief Strategy Officer plays in orchestrating and guiding the M&A process- and advice they have for CSOs and M&A leaders early in their career about what they wish they knew early on and mistakes to avoid

Whether you’re new to M&A or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with practical advice and lessons learned from two seasoned leaders. Tune in for actionable takeaways to become masterful at using M&A to accelerate your strategy and execution.

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