[Sílvia Duarte]

At what point in an M&A process should the acquirer start making integration decisions, and what are the risks of starting too early versus too late?

[Georgina QUIROZ]

I do believe that integration planning should begin in the early stages, perhaps at a high level during due diligence, and then evolve as the acquirer gains a deeper understanding of the target. Some elements can even be co-created to build trust between teams. However, real execution can only begin once the deal has closed. Starting too early can lead to misalignment or decisions based on incomplete information, while starting too late can create confusion, slow momentum and make relationship building more difficult.

The best approach is to outline the plan early on, refining it as the deal progresses, while also beginning to foster connections between teams, so that integration feels natural by the time it is needed.

[Kendra Kelly]

I think it’s important here to delineate between integration planning and execution. In many industries (I come from the banking sector which is highly regulated) there can be serious consequences for sharing competitively sensitive information before the deal closes. While a lot can be shared (often in the confines of clean rooms), there is so much that cant be shared. Making too many key integration decisions leading up to close without necessarily having a clear picture of the target is a risky move. I highly support as thorough as possible integration planning, but decision execution should really wait until close.

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