Christopher Riegg is an investment banking professional with more than three decades of experience advising business owners and executives on strategic and financial matters. A certified public accountant and chartered financial analyst, he has worked across industries including manufacturing, distribution, technology, and services. As a partner and co-founder of Promontory Point Capital, Christopher Riegg has guided over 200 companies through mergers and acquisitions, ownership transitions, and capital strategies. His background in corporate lending and investment banking, with roles at institutions such as US Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and L. William Teweles & Co., positions him as a knowledgeable voice on acquisition planning and integration, particularly for privately held and family-owned businesses seeking sustainable growth.
Important Aspects of Acquisition Planning and Integration
A partner at Promontory Strategy Group, Christopher Riegg, CFA, CPA, is the business mind behind the Riegg Insights Executive Video Series. He designed the educational platform to help executive leaders, business owners, and boards of directors achieve clarity during critical periods of strategic decision-making. The platform launched with a five-part series exploring strategic growth, with a focus on guiding leadership teams through successful mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
To start, businesses preparing for strategic growth through M&A processes must develop a comprehensive acquisition strategy. Acquisition strategies consist of several components, which allow businesses to effectively identify, assess, and either acquire other businesses and assets or move on to more valuable growth opportunities.
Acquisition strategies are large, complex plans, but they should always encourage business leaders to consider the specific value of a potential acquisition, such as enhanced market reach, improved product and service offerings, or strengthened competitive positioning. Competent acquisition planning represents a critical aspect of partner ecosystem management and partner management automation.
Next, business leaders must identify their preferred criteria for acquisitions. One of the most basic elements of criteria is to determine whether an acquisition is the most cost-effective pathway to increased value. If it is, leaders should consider how a potential acquisition would diversify a company's existing portfolio and impact on market share. Different companies will prioritize different advantages when evaluating acquisitions as growth opportunities. For example, while some organizations might value the opportunity to acquire new emerging technologies, other businesses may desire an expansion into foreign markets.
As executive leaders gear up to initiate acquisition processes, they should surround themselves with experienced and knowledgeable advisory teams. Quality advisory teams consist of professionals with extensive transactional experience, ideally in specific industries and markets. Advisory teams should contribute to or at least familiarize themselves with an organization's acquisition criteria and acquisition strategy to ensure that they execute a prospective transaction in a fashion that meets all immediate and long-term business needs. Perhaps most importantly, business leaders should feel confident that advisory teams will always provide honest insights and operate with the company's best interests in mind.
The complexities and potential pitfalls of business acquisitions cannot be overstated. Developing reliable acquisition strategies and criteria and working with a capable acquisition advisory team help business leaders adhere to a disciplined, repeatable process. Straying too far from established standards can lead to costly oversights or transactions that ultimately weaken a company's competitive position.
Finally, businesses must adequately prepare for post-acquisition integration. In the same way leaders assemble an acquisition advisory team, executives should appoint a dedicated integration leader who follows a 100-day plan that establishes immediate objectives and long-term milestones. Important aspects of post-acquisition integration range from assimilating corporate cultures to developing transparent communication channels that help businesses retain valuable talent. Post-acquisition integration efforts should start as early as possible, ideally as part of standard acquisition planning.
“Successful business leaders understand that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” Riegg explained. “My goal with [the Riegg Insights Executive Video Series] is to share insights gained from more than 30 years of serving as a strategic and financial advisor to privately held companies. These frameworks help ownership groups and leadership teams prepare more clearly and execute more confidently.”
Those who are interested can watch the complete video series at riegginsights.com.
About Christopher Riegg
Christopher Riegg is a CPA and CFA with more than 30 years of experience in financial services and investment banking. He co-founded Promontory Point Capital and has advised over 200 companies on mergers and acquisitions, financing strategies, and ownership transitions. His expertise includes family-owned businesses, succession planning, and corporate lending. Riegg previously held leadership roles at US Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and L. William Teweles & Co., and is an active member of the Association for Corporate Growth.
Angela Spearman is a journalist at EzineMark who enjoys writing about the latest trending technology and business news.
