In the current M&A climate an increasing number of organizations within private equity and venture capital are investing in the ‘soft’ skills as a point of difference during the acquisition process. We, at Thompson Dunn have a package of services designed specifically with this focus, which can be incorporated effectively into commercial proceedings.
Our experience in private equity and acquired companies gives us the ability to make speedy recommendations in support of your decision- making.
| Management Due Diligence | Critically evaluate management team ability to deliver to plan |
| Team audit | Develop and build critical relationships |
| Key Management Development | Retention and support of key people e.g. Board members, Succession plans |
| Recruitment | Assessment and selection of key individuals e.g. non-exec or skill strength to the top team |
| Change facilitation | Whole system or groups |
| Culture Audit | Values, beliefs, leadership style |
To employees, M&A can actually stand for either “Misery & Angst” or “Move and Avoid”. Thompson Dunn helps you to develop a people strategy where this does not happen. We believe that job satisfaction, people growth and company growth belong together, and when considered in that way, achieve greater success.
Due diligence is no longer purely a legal and financial exercise….’can we or can’t we buy?’, where people can often be viewed as a commodity, a unit of cash. Equally success is no longer guaranteed simply by choosing the ‘right CEO’. The engagement, retention and where appropriate recruitment of all staff facilitates the timely achievement of value creation.
At Thompson Dunn we believe in positively influencing companies to invest in people. Peter Linthwaite of the British Venture Capital Association, wrote on the 26th January 2006,
“If you are creating value, you have to leave a company in a way that makes it attractive to sell or float. You won’t achieve that by not investing in people.”
Thompson Dunn help you limit the risks to your business of people issues going wrong. We want to be involved from the start of the process for maximum effectiveness.
We know that there is a critical period , between 18 and 30 months after an acquisition or merger where issues that were previously hidden, start to surface. If we have already developed trust within the organisation we can be much more powerful in preventing or minimising these issues. Whilst we have considerable expertise in dealing with complex people problems our approach is that prevention is better than cure.
We have expertise in change….not large scale process re-engineering but the human interaction with larger scale, often mechanistic change. This requires subtle people focused initiatives to support your process.
We support the organisation as it goes through a major shift by offering psychological insight and deep knowledge and experience of the issues involved. Our insight and ability enable us cut through to the critical problems you face and help you deal with the ‘pain points’ and their resolution.
