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

·        Anchoring integration strategy on value creation

·        Engaging Go-To-Market to drive an exciting story

·        Timing and impact of operational disruption, a balancing act

·        Rebranding integration?

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)