Combining strategy, M&A, and integration under a single leader provides a full lifecycle, enterprise-wide view. This structure breaks down silos and creates a "closed-loop system" where post-deal integration performance and lessons learned directly feed back into future strategy and deal theses, refining success metrics beyond financials.

To maintain momentum, Cisco makes critical integration decisions—like site strategy or system consolidation—during diligence, not after close. These decisions are embedded into the final deal commitment materials, preventing post-close paralysis and emotional debates, allowing teams to execute immediately.

To avoid a broken handoff, embed key business and integration experts into the core deal team from the start. These members view diligence through an integration lens, validating synergy assumptions and timelines in real-time. This prevents post-signing surprises and ensures the deal model is operationally achievable, creating a seamless transition from deal-making to execution.

Many M&A teams focus solely on closing the deal, a critical execution task. The best acquirers succeed by designing a parallel process where integration planning and value creation strategies are developed simultaneously with due diligence, ensuring post-close success.

By the time a strategic acquirer enters due diligence, the desire to do the deal is already high. The process's primary purpose is not to hunt for deal-breakers but to confirm key assumptions and, more importantly, to gather the necessary data to build a robust and successful integration plan.

Deals fail post-close when teams confuse systems integration (IT, HR processes) with value creation (hitting business case targets). The integration plan must be explicitly driven by the value creation thesis—like hiring 10 reps to drive cross-sell—not a generic checklist.

Framing M&A like a marriage, rather than a transaction, fosters a long-term perspective. Sourcing is dating to find value alignment, the Letter of Intent is the engagement, and post-close integration is the marriage itself—the phase where the real, hard work of building a successful union begins.

To avoid post-close surprises and knowledge loss, marry diligence and integration leads before an LOI is even signed. This ensures real-world operational experience informs diligence from the start. The goal is to have a drafted integration thesis by LOI and a near-complete plan by signing, not after closing.

Early M&A deals are often reactive, seller-led, and prone to post-acquisition chaos. By the tenth deal, teams mature, developing a clear strategy and a proactive, buyer-led process that controls the narrative and ensures integration success from the start.