Deal success begins with the right strategy and transaction goals — whether for acquisition, merger, spin-off or divestiture. But ultimately, realizing financial and operational M&A value comes down to how well the strategy is executed. That means conducting effective due diligence, and identifying and tackling the challenges that inevitably arise in integration and implementation — from struggles to retain key talent, to building an aligned leadership team, to integrating cultures, to helping affected employees cope with uncertainty.

• Have you completed a thorough M&A due diligence on all of the transaction's costs — including those related to retirement, health care and other employee reward programs?
• How will you achieve your talent retention goals?
• How will you build and deploy your leadership team to support change management and communication across the affected populations?
• Are you relying on an HR PMO to organize key activities and goals for the first 100 days in order to optimize M&A value?