CPA Trendlines and Capstone Marketing are conducting a study of mergers and acquisitions in the accounting profession and are looking for firms to participate.
“We are examining the thought process behind mergers and acquisitions, along with how M&A candidates are evaluated, the deal breakers, and the execution of the M&A process,” said Rick Telberg, CEO of Bay Street Group LLC and publisher of CPA Trendlines, in a statement. “The study results will provide important information for the profession as well as for firms that utilize M&A as part of its growth strategy.”
Interested firms can take the 10-minute survey
Among the preliminary results of the survey thus far:
- Financial performance is the top consideration in evaluating candidates, with culture a close second.
- Incompatible cultures are the top deal-breaker for 75 percent of respondents, yet culture assessments are ranked last among the services that respondents would hire an outside consultant for.
"Fifty-seven percent of survey respondents who have merger experience indicate that M&A activity will increase moderately or significantly in the next 12 to 18 months,” said Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing, in a statement. “With this level of activity, it is important to look beyond the legal, financial, and tax risk concerns to the concepts of people and organizational design that enable a business to properly function. It is equally important to assess the cultural and organizational fit between two firms and their key people.”
