Everyone LOVES to start projects. Consultants, managers, ALL of them. But guess what? TOO MANY PROJECTS = TOTAL CHAOS. No focus, no leadership, NOTHING gets done.

I’ve SEEN it. I’ve FIXED it. Big companies, big DEALS. They were drowning in projects. Nobody knew what mattered. NO VALUE was being created.

What did I do? SIMPLE:
👉 I put ALL the projects into ONE GREAT PROGRAM – best ever.
👉 I gave it REAL STRUCTURE, REAL GOVERNANCE, REAL PRIORITIES.
👉 I made C-LEVEL FOCUS on decisions, not orchestrate chaos.

RESULT: FASTER execution. BIGGER VALUE. ROI came EARLY. Tremendous success — everybody said so! Don’t let your projects run the company. MAKE the projects WORK FOR YOU. That’s how you WIN, even if you are not POTUS.

Does your business run multiple “good” projects that don’t add up to real value?

BIGGEST mistake in PMI? Moving TOO SLOW.

Delay means:

❌ TALENT walks away
❌ SYNERGIES vanish
❌ COMPETITORS smell weakness

BAD.

When you move FAST with STRUCTURE and FOCUS:
✅ Synergies hit the P&L SOONER
✅ Management stays in CONTROL
✅ Investors see VALUE created I’ve led integrations where SPEED made the deal.

Execution. Focus. Results. FAST. That’s how you WIN, even if you are not POTUS.

People talk STRATEGY. They talk SYSTEMS. But let me tell you: CULTURE eats STRATEGY for BREAKFAST — and deal value for LUNCH. I’ve SEEN it. Big integrations, smart people, beautiful plans — all DESTROYED by cultural friction. TOTAL DISASTER.

Here’s how you WIN:
1️⃣ Know the REAL culture you’re dealing with (not the slides, the truth).
2️⃣ Create the target culture. STRONG. CLEAR. WINNING.
3️⃣ Get employees on board — you need BUY-IN, not resistance.
4️⃣ LEAD IT. Walk the talk. Don’t just TALK. SHOW IT.
5️⃣ BE PATIENT. Culture moves SLOW. Slower than systems.

💡 Here’s the secret: CULTURAL ALIGNMENT = VALUE CREATION. If you ignore it, your synergies will VANISH. If you get it RIGHT, you WIN BIG, even if you are not POTUS.

Have YOU seen CULTURE make or break a deal?

Anybody can SIGN a deal. EASY. But INTEGRATION? That’s the REAL TEST. That’s where you WIN — or you LOSE VALUE. BIG VALUE.

Too many put “available” people on it. WRONG! You need the BEST. You need WINNERS.

Here’s what works:
🔹 STRONG GOVERNANCE — clear ownership, no confusion.
🔹 SYNERGY PLANS — EARLY, TRACKED, DELIVERED.
🔹 CULTURE — built IN, not some “side project.”
🔹 EXPERIENCED PEOPLE — people who have DONE IT before.

PE folks know this: if you MISS the synergy plan, you DESTROY VALUE. But if you HIT IT — you MULTIPLY it. TREMENDOUS results, even if you are not POTUS.

What’s HARDEST in your deals? SYSTEMS? CULTURE? SPEED? Connect with me, and let me hear it.

Everybody talks about PMI. Few know how to WIN it.

I’ve SEEN the big mistakes:
❌ Companies think Day 1 is the END — WRONG.
❌ They staff with whoever is “available” — DISASTER.
❌ They IGNORE culture — deal value gone.
❌ They move TOO SLOW — competitors LOVE that.
❌ They start TOO MANY PROJECTS — BAD.

PMI is where DEAL VALUE is WON or LOST.
And I KNOW how to WIN. I’ve DONE IT. Many times. BEAUTIFUL.

Over the next days I’ll share 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗠𝗜 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞: short, powerful lessons from integrations I’ve led. No theory. No fluff. Just WHAT WORKS, even if you are not POTUS. Stay tuned. This will be STRONG.

The deal is signed. Day 1 is coming.What now?

Integration doesn’t start after Day 1 — it starts the moment you realize value isn’t created by signing a contract, but by making two businesses work together.

Here’s how to approach the critical first 100 days.

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1. Focus on what matters most first

Not everything at once. Prioritize:

• Functional (not systems) integration: Finance, HR, IT
• Stabilizing key operations
• Customer continuity
• Leadership alignment

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2. Assign a Program Lead who has actual authority

Post-merger integration is not a side project. It needs:

• A dedicated leader
• With C-level backing
• And the time to do the job

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3. Design your governance up front

Set up:

• A steering committee
• Decision forums
• Escalation logic
• Reporting cadence

…and stick to it.

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4. Communication beats speculation

People hate uncertainty. Tell them what’s changing, what’s not, and when more info is coming.

Silence creates fear.
Structure creates trust.

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5. Track and deliver early wins

Confidence builds when people see results.

Pick 1–2 visible improvements and make them real in the first 100 days.
It buys you credibility and momentum.

I’ve just wrapped up another business transformation project, delivering tangible improvements for my client:

• Redesigned and transformed the contract management process
• Clarified key tasks and roles in Procurement
• Overhauled the entire systems landscape, including ERP implementation and multiple peripheral systems
• Prepared the business for a carve-out and integration

This project has had a lasting impact on my client’s business, enhancing both performance and resilience. Key takeaways:

🔹 Sustainable change requires a collaborative approach – success comes from working together.
🔹 Building trust through direct engagement is crucial for project success.
🔹 Scope changes are a sign of progress – they reflect the effectiveness of the work done.

To unlock the secret success factors of post-merger integration, download my free guide right here.

On 19 pages total, I have pulled together best-practice approaches on setting up and running a post-merger integration project: Not overwhelming in terms of detail and process, but sufficient to give Management an initial handle. There is only nine rules to abide by. Following them will increase your odds for PMI success dramatically.

Join the community and build your own PMI expert know-how. Please reach out for a free consultation – confidential, non-binding, and no obligations:

Email:  info@de-mcs.de

Phone:  +49 1577 194 1164

Following an acquisition, integration is no cakewalk. It is, in fact, much harder than signing the deal.

Unless you are a frequent acquirer, and have (successfully) completed a number of integrations, there is a high probability of being unsuccessful in realizing your strategic and financial acquisition goals: 50-70% of failed acquisitions (depending on who you ask) speak for themselves.

If you want to win a 10.000 meter-race, the keys to success lie in practice and creating the right conditions to excel. The same applies to acquisition and post-merger integration: A coach, training and repetition of the exercise increase the likelihood of a win tremendously.

If you are planning an acquisition, and view inorganic growth as an integral part of your strategy, internal capabilities will warrant a prosperous and rewarding program implementation. I will work with your M&A team to develop the right post-merger integration approach, and will train your team for future projects:

• Development of the target operating model
• Building and leading a strong team
• Implement project governance and transparency
• Drive cultural fit
• Advise on internal and external communication
• Identify the right KPIs for Controlling
• Manage the timeline

Even if your project seems off track already, it is not too late to fix it: Doing nothing is usually not the best option.

I have successfully completed multiple PMI projects and can help you to get to the finish-line, too.

Based out of Germany, Diethard Engel is an independent consultant and interim manager, focused on Business Transformation, Post-merger Integration / Carve-out and Executive Finance. He has run multiple post-merger integration/carve-out projects for international businesses.