Morning seminar for companies with an acquisition strategy

Caveat emptor! Avoiding integration failure in acquisitions due to identity mismatches

Identifying the right targets and successfully executing acquisitions is a complex process that requires a broad outlook and deep expertise. When the ink is dry on the paper, everyone is relieved, except those responsible for the next step of the journey – the integration. 

“75% of acquires still struggle with cultural integration issues that require serious interventions”, states Bains M&A Report, 2023. Soft factors like culture, company identity and branding still do not get the attention they deserve in the integration process, resulting in irritations, lost human capital and a post-M&A performance below expectations. Being aware of this already while assessing the acquisition targets can improve the end results – and aid the integration significantly.

Alantra – international investment bank for mid-market companies and financial institutions, and IDna Group – identity-driven business consultancy & advisory – invite you to reflect on how to improve the integration process in the future.  

Time & place

Date: 25^th May 2023
Time: 8:30 – 10.00 am
Place: Nybrogade 12, 1203 Copenhagen K.

Agenda 

8:15 Breakfast, coffee and networking
8:30 – 8:40 Welcome – Sebastian Hougaard, Alantra
8:40- 9:00 Reflecting on the role of identity and culture in integrating two companies, Betina Nygaard, prev. CEO of Scanmarket
9:05- 9:25 Identity as a tool to identify the common fault lines in integrating a target company, Beate Kornfeld, IDna Group
9:30 – 9:50 Using identity as a tool to manage the integration process of UAS Labs, Linda Neckmar, Senior Vice President, Human Health at Chr. Hansen 
10:00 Open networking 

Access to the event is by invitation only. 
If you are interested, please contact Charlotte Steentoft at cs@idnagroup.com.

About the speakers 

Linda Neckmar – Chr. Hansen
As Senior Vice President, Human Health at Chr. Hansen, Linda was responsible for managing the brand track and integration of the US-based company UAS Labs, acquired for USD 530 million in 2020, into the Human Health business unit of Chr. Hansen. Now, 2 years later, Linda reflects on the integration process. She shares her view on how working with identity, and the mantra of “creating the best of both worlds” has guided the process.

Betina Nygaard – MA360.dk
As the previous CEO and owner of Scanmarket, Betina has sold her company not just once but twice. In between, she bought other companies and integrated them into Scanmarket. In her keynote, she shares her own experiences within M&A areflects on the PMI (Post Merger Integration) process and the role identity and culture played in them. 

Sebastian Hougaard – Alantra
As head of Alantra’s Danish subsidiary, Sebastian advises on M&A transactions with a root in the Nordic markets, and often with an international aspect. Among these transactions, Sebastian advised Chr. Hansen on their acquisition of UAS Labs, where the identity played an important role already before completion of the transaction.

Beate Kornfeld – IDna Group
Supporting Chr. Hansen in the integration process of UAS Labs, Beate started to dive deep into the role identity can play in PMI processes. Bringing together experiences from advising companies, current scientific research and surveys among managers, Beate will add a broader perspective on identity as the forgotten factor in M&A processes. She will introduce identity as a tool to identify the common fault lines for a smoother PMI process in the future. 

About the hosts

Alantra is an international Investment Banking and Asset Management firm with more than 550 employees across 25 offices in 22 countries in Europe, the US, Latin America and Asia. Within investment banking, Alantra focuses on M&A advisory services in the global mid-market within a range of focus sectors. Alantra advises on both sell- and buy-side transactions, and often assists on cross-border transactions, where the cultural fit is as important as the strategic and financial fit.

IDna Group is an identity-driven business consultancy & advisory. We believe that identity innovates business, and we are driven by the desire to help companies, organisations, and brands capture and activate the power of this often-underestimated business asset – the identity.