NIS Global hosted a Panel Discussion on International M&A at Rocketspace in San Francisco last week.
Global expansion is a hot topic of discussion these days and growth through overseas acquisition is high on the list for many US technology and life sciences companies. Currently, cross-border activity accounts for 36% of US M&A transactions and $130.7 billion of investments, with the majority of US international transactions occurring in Europe (Data Source: MarketIQ, as of October 16th, 2014).
Panellists from Left to right: Sebastian Blaschke, David Wittencamp, Lyal Avery, Josh Duclos, Tony LeiNIS Global hosted a Panel Discussion on International M&A at Rocketspace in San Francisco last week.
The event was kicked-off by Pete Doyle CEO of NIS Global with short presentations made by Ian Bussey, Managing Director, Corporate Finance at Nortons UK and Sebastian Blaschke, Director of Corporate Finance at Optegra Germany ( both members of NIS Global).
Ian then moderated an interactive panel discussion covering the practical aspects of international deals.The panelists included Tony Lei, Director of International Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management at Bank of America; Josh Duclos, International M&A attorney, Cooley; Lyal Avery, CEO, Playerize; and David Wittenkamp, CFO, User Testing.
The panel covered the key nuances and the common pitfalls of cross-border mergers and acquisitions which, often times, can unravel deals. As for the “pearls of wisdom” shared by the presenters during the sessions:
- Don’t underestimate the importance of country culture, as well as the culture within companies (e.g. start-ups);
- Seek advice early-on from professional advisors while remaining closely involved in all aspects of the acquisition throughout; and,
- Don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal, if you suspect that it’s not the right fit for you after all.
International M&A Panel, RocketSpace, San Francisco
The presenters also discussed the acquisition process from blueprint to due diligence to, the often overlooked and critical, integration process after a deal is done. Of particular interest were the candid stories shared by both company executives and professional advisors on their own deals and the valuable lessons learned along the way.
On behalf of NIS Global, a special thank you to our dynamic team of panellists along with our co-sponsors RocketSpace, BABC and GABA for a job well done and for contributing to the tremendous success of this event.
Should you have any questions on expanding internationally or acquiring overseas businesses, please don’t hesitate to contact Pete Doyle at p.doyle@nisglobal.com
Until next time,
Doreen
