This book is intended to lay
out, in a clear and intuitive as well as comprehensive way, what we know - or think we
know - about mergers and acquisitions in the financial services sector. It evaluates their
underlying drivers, factual evidence as to whether or not the basic economic concepts and
strategic precepts are correct. It looks closely at the managerial dimensions in terms of
the efficacy of merger implementation, notably the merger integration process. The focus
is on enhancing shareholder value creation and the execution of strategies for the
successful management of mergers. It also has a strong public-policy component in this
"special" industry where successes can pay dividends and failures can cause
serious problems that reach well beyond the financial services industry itself. The
financial services sector is about halfway through one of the most dramatic periods of
restructuring ever undergone by a major global industry.
The impact of the
restructuring has carried well beyond shareholders of the firms and involved into the
domain of regulation and public policy as well as global competitive performance and
economic growth. Financial services are a center of gravity of economic restructuring
activity. M&A transactions in the financial sector comprise a surprisingly large share
of the value of merger activity worldwide including only deals valued in excess of
$100 million, during the period 1985-2000 there were approximately 233,700 M&A
transactions worldwide in all industries, for a total volume of $15.8 trillion. Of this
total, there were 166,200 mergers in the financial services industry (49.7%), valued at
$8.5 trillion (54%). In all of restructuring frenzy, the financial sector has probably had
far more than its share of strategic transactions that have failed or performed far below
potential because of mistakes in basic strategy or mistakes in post-merger integration. It
has also had its share of rousing successes.
This book considers the key
managerial issues, focusing on M&A transactions as a key tool of business strategy
"doing the right thing" to augment shareholder value. But in addition,
the degree of integration required and the historic development of integration
capabilities on the part of the acquiring firm, disruptions in human resources and firm
leadership, cultural issues, timeliness of decision-making and interface management have
co-equal importance "doing it right."
304 pages