Mercer brings HR professionals up to speed on M&A fundamentals

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has accelerated significantly over the past six months. Mindful of the high number of well-documented and sometimes very public failed transactions, organizations are looking to improve their chances for success.

Given that mishandling of people issues is often cited as the reason for failure, many companies are demanding that those individuals involved in the M&A deals be better trained to plan and execute due diligence and integration efforts. In response to this demand, Mercer Human Resource Consulting will offer its highly regarded two-day M&A Ready intensive training program in Chicago (May 3-4); New York (May 12-13); Dallas (May 17-18); and San Francisco (June 7-8).

ìConducting the due diligence, getting the deal done, and effectively integrating the parties often ends up costing more money, taking more time, and placing tremendous demands on business functions than it should,î says Bob Bundy, US leader for Mercerís M&A consulting business. ìThere are critical steps that can be taken to prepare for a transaction, including understanding the tools, processes, and techniques that can facilitate dealing with the people issues and mitigating the risks inherent in any deal.î

Participants in the training will gain a deeper knowledge of M&A fundamentals and tools, and will delve into each phase of the transaction and the processes involved. The sessions will be highly interactive, taking participants through the pace of a realistic transaction to illustrate and simulate the M&A principles presented. Since the training techniques encourage participation, ìgraduatesî of the program will find the relationships they develop with other participants helpful for future networking.

Who should attend
This session is appropriate for managerial-level professionals in human resources and other functions responsible for some aspect of the people-related activities in an M&A deal. Instructors for the session are the lead consultants in Mercerís M&A Consulting Services business and face the challenges of business transactions every day.

Participants can obtain additional information and register for an upcoming Mercer M&A Ready training session by logging on to www.mercerhr.com/maready or by contacting Shere Yellin (212 345 7259 or e-mailing her at shere.yellin@mercer.com). Please note there is a maximum number of participants accepted per session.

Mercer Human Resource Consulting is the global leader for trusted HR and related financial advice, products, and services, with more than 14,000 employees serving clients in 145 cities and 41 countries and territories worldwide. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York, Chicago, Pacific, and London stock exchanges.

Source: HRmarketer.com