M&A Operations

8 guides for the decisions and work in this part of corporate development.

Building a Corporate Development Function

A 90-day plan, function charter, capacity model, and executive compact for corporate development leaders

M&A Operations Overview

Design the operating system that connects portfolio strategy, investment decisions, transaction execution, and accountable value delivery.

Sourcing Cadence & Pipeline Management

Translate portfolio priorities into a target universe, differentiated relationships, evidence-based qualification, and a pipeline the business can act on.

Meeting Cadence & Governance

Build decision-focused M&A forums with clear mandates, useful pre-reads, explicit escalation, and a durable decision record.

Approval Gates & Investment Process

Use seven explicit decision stages to control commitments, document risk acceptance, and carry investment conditions through closing and review.

Roles & Responsibilities in M&A

Assign decision rights, business sponsorship, functional commitments, and post-close accountability without gaps between teams.

M&A Reporting & Metrics

Build decision-ready M&A reporting with defined pipeline cohorts, locked underwriting baselines, validated benefits, and defensible investment returns.

Board Reporting for M&A

Give directors timely investment choices, clear approval boundaries, credible downside analysis, and transparent post-close accountability.