Towers Watson

As the pressure escalates to prove quickly the worth of a merger, M&A deals now give more scrutiny to liabilities associated with pension plans and other benefits.

And once past the initial deal hurdles, organisations face the task of integrating quickly and efficiently so the two businesses can begin acting as one.

That means focusing on melding cultures, retaining top talent, succession planning and reconciling pay and benefits — a job made more complex when the organisations have multinational operations.