Case: Acquisition of a major media asset: HR support from diagnosis to integration
Three Stages. Before the deal, during preparation, and after closing. A full HR partnership instead of a one-off request.
CASE | HR SUPPORT AND M&A
DIAGNOSTICS
CEO SEARCH
SUPERVISORY BOARD
HR INTERIM
INTEGRATION
Client Request
Assessment of the Asset’s Top Team
The investor had acquired a startup in an unfamiliar industry. Before closing the deal, the new shareholder needed to understand who they would be working with.
At first glance, it looked like a standard assignment. In reality, there were three systemic issues that had not yet been identified.
01 | Loyalty Challenge
Part of the team would leave after the deal. The question was: who and with what risks?
02 | Quality Challenge
Critical roles were occupied by weak leaders. The new shareholder was unaware of this risk.
03 | Succession Challenge
The previous owner was also the CEO. After the deal, he would leave, with no successor in place.
One Request — Three Hidden Challenges
01 INITIAL SITUATION
Diagnostic Interviews with the Top Team
STAGE 1 | BEFORE THE DEAL
Identified those most likely to leave the company after the deal. Each case included an assessment of role criticality and replacement timeline.
*A series of in-depth interviews with each executive. The goal was not to assess competencies, but to understand the team’s actual state.
Low-Loyalty Leaders
01
Key positions affecting operational stability were held by leaders unable to meet the new scale and requirements.
Weak Leaders in Critical Roles
02
Duplicated functions, loss-making units, and unclear areas of responsibility created additional integration risks.
Organizational Structure Issues
03
Three Parallel Priorities Before Closing
STAGE 2 | DEAL PREPARATION
The owner planned to leave operational management immediately after the deal, and no successor was in place.
Alongside the transaction, we conducted the search and selection of a new CEO ready to step in at the point of transition.
For each leader identified as a potential departure risk, we built a pool of alternative candidates.
By the time the deal closed, replacement options were already in place, eliminating the need for reactive hiring.
The media industry was new to the shareholder.
A supervisory board of experienced industry professionals was assembled to provide strategic guidance and reduce sector-specific risks.
01 CEO Search
02 Succession Pipeline
03 Supervisory Board
Leadership Changes
Low-loyalty leaders were replaced with pre-identified candidates from the succession pipeline—without disruption or operational losses.
CEO and Leadership Integration
Support for the new CEO and leadership team during the first months of transition: team alignment, processes, priorities, culture, and stakeholder management.
HR Strategy
Development of a people strategy aligned with the asset’s updated business strategy.
Реструктуризация
Organizational redesign, creation of new business units, and closure of loss-making operations.
What Changed After the Project
STAGE 3 | AFTER THE DEAL
What Is Not Obvious in M&A
02 AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Financial and legal risks receive significant attention in M&A transactions. People-related risks rarely do. Yet it is the team that ultimately determines whether the deal will be successful a year after closing.
Identifying weak or low-loyalty leaders before closing—and preparing replacements in advance—costs significantly less than dealing with the consequences of operational failures during integration.
An interim CHRO sees things from the inside that an external consultant cannot. This is particularly valuable during the first 6–12 months, when the culture and leadership team are being rebuilt.
The Team Is Both the Greatest Asset and the Greatest Risk
Assessment Before the Deal Is Cheaper Than Replacement After
*Result. The new shareholder gained a functioning leadership team, a new CEO, and a clear HR strategy—without operational disruption during the transition.
M&A is not just a transaction. It is a transformation of people, culture, and the management system. An HR partner from day one reduces the cost of mistakes.