Agenda Day 2, Wednesday, October 8th, 2025: (see Agenda Day 1) (back to Merger Integration Event Summary)
09.00 – Opening Remarks from the Chair
Jana Mercereau, M&A Consulting Lead for Europe, WTW
09.00 - From Serial Acquiror to Serial Value Creator
· Value creation across the full deal lifecycle
· Assets to help our portfolio companies succeed
· People and processes to manage risks and improve outcomes
Jonathan Groll, Head of M&A, Machining Solutions, Sandvik
Marco Medici, M&A Integration Director, Sandvik
09.40 - On The Journey to Becoming a Well-Oiled M&A Machine
· Experiences of acquiring and integrating a company in China, and hurdles to look out for
· How we developed a framework for integration now applied across all AZ company integrations
· Ongoing challenges and next steps in the journey to become a well oiled M&A machine
Emma Barton, Senior Director, Alliance and Integration Management, AstraZeneca
10.20 – Building M&A Capabilities in Mid-Sized Companies
· Driving successful M&A in scale up organisations - harnessing the raw talent you have
· Discover and explaining your Why?
· Protect and enhance culture
· Central control and decentralised action
· Finding an approach that suits your style
Marvin Meyer, SVP Mergers & Acquisitions, Software AG
11.00 – Morning Coffee and Networking
11.30 - Value Creation through Strategic Carve-out Design
· Choosing beween Direct, Two-Step, and Turnkey Carve-out
· Designing the employee transfer in the options: TUPE and "offer and acceptance"
· Deep dive: separation and transfer of pensions
Dr. Eike Houben, Senior Manager M&A, BASF
Anne Isabel Frey, Senior Specialist HR M&A, BASF SE
Lars Joachim Gerbe, Senior Specialist HR M&A, BASF SE
12.00 – M&A IT Integration: Perception and Reality
· Position the IT Due Diligence conclusion as the first IT Integration step
· Maximize synergies with value chain mapping
· Minimize downside risk
· Fine tuning the organization around IT
· Create synergies with M&A Team or business manager to change the IT perception
· Onboard the M&A Team to share the selected global dedicated M&A solution
Fabrice Jourdain, Product Manager Mergers & Acquisitions and Integrations, Roche
12.30 - The Role of HR in Corporate Development
· Building the M&A capability within HR
· Embedding the HR M&A capability within the organisation
· The ability to deliver
· The transaction
Ilse Beerlandt, Head of HR M&A, ABB
13.00 – Lunch Break
14.00 – panel discussion: HR Value Enablers in M&A
· How different organisational models support deal delivery
· Integration considerations and people strategies to support successful outcomes
· Executing PMI in a Highly Decentralized Company
· Defining KPIs for M&A and carveout success with success tracking
Troy D. Leinen, Global Lead – Mergers & Acquisitions, HR, Cargill
Emilia Stoytcheva, M&A Lead, Human Resources, Nokia
14.40 - Defining and Executing a Value Creation Story
Lori Vokes, Director M&A and Portfolio Management, NEOM Investment Fund (NIF)
Claire-Marie Nasr, VP, M&A Integration, Forterro
15.10 – Brief Afternoon Coffee Break
15.30 - Experiences with Tuck-In and Bolt-On Acquisitions
Developing a methodology to swiftly integrate a series of bolt-on acquisitions. Avoid pitfalls and beliefs while securing assets transition into a much larger universe
Louis Pachebat, Integration and M&A Project Leader, Sanofi
16.00 - Bolt-on Acquisitions with a Focus on Synergy Realization
· Integration of Small Tech Companies in a Traditional Industrial Global Company
· Revenue Synergies Plan to Ensure Success
Rene Guncay, Strategic Project Management, ADM (Archer Daniels Midland Company
16.30 – Closing Remarks from the Chair and End of Forum
(see Agenda Day 1) (back to Merger Integration Event Summary)