The Art of M&A Strategy: A Guide to Building Your Company's Future through Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures

CHAPTER 12M&A as a Core Competence

The more I practice the luckier I get.

—Arnold Palmer

Mergers and acquisitions, once a realm dominated by conglomerates and corporate raiders, are now relevant for most corporations. As a result of fundamental changes in technology, deregulation, and globalization, most industries are restructuring and, therefore, most companies will be either buyers or sellers, or both. In fact, while historically major deals were a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most companies, today, most companies and executives will experience many deals.

In Part I of this book, we outlined how, in this context of restructuring industries, M&A can create value in different types of portfolio companies, in consolidation plays, in revenue ...