David Braun
Author's posts
Sharing Successful Acquisitions with the Chief Executives Club
The Chief Executives Club of Rhode Island has invited me to speak at its breakfast meeting on November 7 in Providence, Rhode Island. The club, whose members are senior executives, annually hosts 10 of these meetings, where America’s top business thought leaders and authors share their views on a wide variety of leadership topics. I …
Do You Need a M&A Advisor?
From my perspective of largely successful acquisitions, most acquisitions end in failure because they are missing a third-party advisor. A third-party advisor can play an irreplaceable role on your acquisition team as an ‘‘outside insider’’ who can unearth hidden intelligence, resolve stubborn conflicts, help cooler heads prevail, and maintain a strategic perspective from beginning to …
Successfully Integrating Different Cultures
Cultural alignment while integrating two companies is a hot topic in the M&A world. For instance, CFO.com recently quoted Jonathan Chadwick as saying, “The number-one reason I think deals fail is because there was not an agreement or a matching of cultures.” Should you have any doubts, read about Kidder-Peabody inside of GE. Those cultures …
How Businesses Can Prepare for the Future During the Shutdown
As the U.S. government shutdown continues into its second week, business leaders are becoming more concerned with its effect on the economy. The Wall Street Journal reports limited signs of economic damage, but that a prolonged shutdown may cause more widespread damage. According to economists, a long shutdown risks “restraining key parts of the economy …
How Acquisitions Can Help Small Businesses Grow
Did you know about 97% of acquisitions are small to mid-sized companies? Acquisition is an effective tool that can be used by companies of any size, not just those in the Fortune 500. To see how, watch my interview with Matthew Lesko. When we think of mergers and acquisitions, we often only think of mergers …
Why Do Acquisitions Fail?
Acquisitions fail for reasons that range from lack of compelling strategic rationale to inadequate due diligence to conflicting cultures. I think many would say acquisitions fail because too much was paid for them. While overpaying is certainly a reason for failure, I would not say it is the top reason. In my experience, I have …
How to Increase Success of M&A
A recent Deloitte survey noted frequent misalignment between CFOs and company directors about the strategic rationale of M&A. The study concludes that CFOs and board members should align their M&A strategy for greater success. Naturally, I’m not surprised by these findings. The likelihood of successful acquisition would increase if all parties shared the same strategy. …
Can We Expect More Private Equity Transactions?
Neiman Marcus has been sold by private equity groups TPG and Warburg Pincus for $6 billion to Canadian PE firm Ares Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Group (CPPIB). TPG and Warburg filed for an IPO earlier this summer but kept their options open, Forbes reports. This transaction is not really surprising given the conditions …
When Exiting is the Best Growth Strategy
If your company’s organic growth has hit a plateau or is in decline, leaving the current market may be your best option. If the odds against your success are rising steadily, I strongly encourage you to think about divestment. After seven years, British supermarket chain Tesco is exiting the U.S. market. Tesco is selling its …
Building a Lasting Legacy
I had the opportunity to speak on building a lasting legacy in the September issue of Washington DC SmartCEO Magazine. The article focuses on how business owners and entrepreneurs can build a lasting legacy for their company. As I said during my interview, Capstone is not just about me, it’s so much bigger than that. …
