Mergers & Acquisitions

The primary purpose of M&A is not to grow big fast, but for companies to do what they do better. Mergers and acquisitions work is deeply ingrained in Bain. We have worked on thousands of M&A projects serving companies across industries and geographies. We offer clients a disciplined approach to deal making and bring our expertise to all elements of the deal value chain, including:

• Acquisition strategy: The question behind every deal should be: "How will buying this asset make my existing business more valuable, and how will I bring value to the asset I am buying?" We help companies build their M&A programs as a vector of growth strategy. We will work with companies to decide where to invest and where to divest in line with corporate strategy, prioritize growth opportunities and develop tailored M&A programs based on a client’s previous experience.

• Acquisition screening: We help clients develop an investment thesis that is aligned with strategy and growth opportunities. We work to enhance deal flow by screening targets based on criteria set in the M&A acquisition strategy process and develop a road map to approach targets.

• Strategic due diligence: We collaborate seamlessly with client teams to help companies make better investment decisions. We generated insights through world-class diligence to prove or disprove the deal thesis, realistically assess synergies and chart the course of integration early. Experience matters: we are three times larger than our nearest competitor in conducting strategic due diligence for global clients.

• Merger integration: To make a deal pay off, you have to nail a short list of critical actions. But merging two companies also requires rigorous follow-through on a long list of integration tasks. Doing both is hard. Bain is the best positioned consultancy to help companies strike that balance. We bring a unique approach that is highly tailored to the specifics of a deal to capture value from day one. Drawing on our accumulated experience, we also bring time-tested process management skills to assure the to-do list gets completed. Historically, Bain-supported integrations have generated 20 percent higher excess shareholder returns.

• Joint ventures and alliances: Bain assists clients throughout the joint venture process: strategy development, partner selection and operating implementation. We have found that alliances go wrong most frequently due to neglect of the first stage–strategy development. Therefore, we focus disproportionately on ensuring that deals are structured correctly from the outset, with a very clear, shared vision and a solid understanding of mutual economics.

• Divestitures: To maximize a business's exit value, divestiture programs must be carefully orchestrated. We help companies maximize exit value in all phases: evaluating value-enhancing divestiture options as part of corporate strategy and preparing businesses for sale, which includes building the exit story and providing transaction support during the sale process.