MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS, AND SALES: HOW INTERNAL AUDIT ADDS VALUE AND EFFECTIVENESS

Few strategic initiatives bring greater risks and opportunities to modern organisations than business mergers, acquisitions, and sales (MA&S) transactions. Internal auditors can provide critical insights and perspectives that can make the difference between success and failure for these vitally important business transactions; yet too often, auditors do not have the specialised knowledge they need to provide effective, value-added services for MA&S activities.

In this book, you will learn how internal auditors can add value throughout the MA&S process, from the earliest planning stages to the final reviews after a transaction is complete. Written by a veteran MA&S auditor, the book is packed with practical examples, sample calculations, checklists, and other helpful tools designed to help assure the success of your organisation’s mergers and acquisitions. It explains key concepts, best practices, and controls for each step of MA&S processes, providing important guidance on topics such as due diligence, business valuation, and risks associated with mergers and acquisitions.

Written specifically for internal audit professionals, Mergers, Acquisitions, and Sales: How Internal Audit Adds Value and Effectiveness provides clear-cut, flexible solutions that can be applied to all MA&S transactions. It is an ideal reference source, both for experienced practitioners and for those new to MA&S auditing.

Carl Pitchford has more than 20 years’ experience in the international furniture industry including operations and export management, as well as strategic and management consulting. In 2003, he set-up CAPRICORN CONSULTING with the main aim of providing a broad range of strategic services to the global furniture industry. Although born and raised in the United Kingdom, Carl has lived and worked in continental Europe for the past 27 years and speaks fluent French and Spanish.

He works mainly with privately-held companies which are facing critical issues including industry consolidation, distribution channel changes, sales and margin erosion, asset re-deployment, global competition, strategic challenges and succession issues. Carl has carried out and coordinated over 350 diagnostic reviews, operational and due diligence audits. A major part of his consulting work also involves providing advisory services in merger, acquisition and sale transactions within the furniture industry. He is an expert M&A advisor with Corporate Finance in Europe.

He holds the French professional qualification in internal auditing (Dpai) and is currently completing an Executive Doctor of Business Administration thesis with a research focus on the strategic and financial issues faced by the furniture industry.