Saizen Case Studies
Helping a flower scaleup bloom
“Having done post-merger integration in a large corporation before, it was really interesting
to lead the PMI in a fast-growing scaleup. It brought up a set of new challenges and
opportunities that were fascinating to me.”
– Tristan Pelloux,
Business Strategy & Finance Advisor
Title
The drivers of post-merger integration success
Challenge
The challenge was complex as international
acquisitions add complexity and founder-led
high-growth businesses move very fast. Tristan,
an Outvise PMI expert, had his work cut out for
him. He had to successfully integrate the
companies without losing any key employees
and deliver the identified synergies, which were
mostly revenue-based and facilitated through
the growth of the business plans.
The company had recently acquired two
businesses, one of which had a presence in a
market where the organisation did not
operate. The company needed a professional
with extensive post-merger integration
experience to lead the simultaneous
integration of these two companies in two
different countries.
The Method
Tristan followed a classic integration approach
consisting of three steps:
1. Outlining the post-integration vision.
2. Devise 100-day plans and prepare for day 1.
3. Execute the plan.
The plans were Objectives and Key Results
(OKR)-based to enable continuous measure-
ment of progress across a range of works-
treams from technology to people, including
legal and compliance, and more.
The primary objective was to enable the acqui-
red companies’ management to build relations-
hips within the organisation. Soft skills were
essential to fulfilling this objective, as Tristan
had to act as a conduit between the key players
to ensure healthy lines of communication.
Summary of approach
· Outlining and executing the integration approach.
· Measuring progress via quantifiable means.
· Deploying soft skills to ensure open lines of communication.
The results
The integration synergies were delivered as
planned, despite challenges.
At the end of the
100 days, over 90% of the integration targets
had been successfully delivered without any
major delays or mishaps. As such, the company
could grow in its existing market and thrive in
new territory.
In conclusion, by following a structured and
well-planned approach, Tristan was able to
deliver a successful post-merger integration
plan, ensuring that the company could leverage
the benefits of the acquisition and continue to
grow its business in the flower industry.
Summary of achievements
· Successful integration of the companies.
· No key employees lost.
· Synergies delivered, mostly revenue-based through the growth of the business plans.
· Over 90% of the integration plans were realised smoothly.
Expertise Demonstrated by Saizen Acuity’s Team Member
Tristan Pelloux is a freelance finance and strategy expert who set up his consultancy after more than five years in Corporate
Strategy & Finance at Virgin Money. He also lends his hand to journalism and industry analysis at Fintech Review. He was called in by a flower industry e-commerce and marketplace business to manage their recent integration.