Cross-border M&A transactions: project management issues

<p align="center">Abstract of the master&rsquo;s thesis</p><p align="center">&ldquo;Cross-border M&amp;A transactions: project management issues&rdquo;</p><p align="center">by Natalia Rudenko</p><p align="center">Research adviser, Professor ​​​​V. M. Anshin</p><p align="center">&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The aim of this research is to identify the possibility of using a project approach in cross-border mergers and acquisitions.</p><p>The main objectives include:</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Identify the main characteristics of the acquisition project;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Determine the parameters of assessing the quality of the project;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Identify a set of project management tools recommended to use in such projects;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Identify key indicators of the buyer&#39;s choice;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Examine whether professionals in the field of mergers and acquisitions consider such transactions&nbsp; as a projects;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Determine what project management techniques applicable to these transactions;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Identify possible ways to improve implementation of M&amp;A projects;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Formulate recommendations for managing an M&amp;A project at every stage.</p><p>Research Methodology includes interviewing CFO sold the company, and a questionnaire survey of professionals involved in mergers and acquisitions (through social networking service Linkedin).</p><p>Key research results are the following:</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A study of project management approach during the selling of the Russian division of the insurance company &quot;Aviva&quot; structures of state pension funds &quot;BLAGOSOSTOYANIE&quot; which is under the control of a government monopoly , &quot; Russian Railways&quot;</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The study revealed that the use of project management approach to mergers and acquisitions increases their efficiency, and there was defined a set of project management tools recommended to use in projects of this type</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It was recommended to divide the M&amp;A project into five main phases: a preparation phase, the first phase of the transaction, the second phase of the transaction, the final negotiations and integration of the companies. At each phase of the transaction key works were identified.</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Improvements of the project management tools for mergers and acquisitions were proposed: a template for creating a project schedule, responsibility matrix template, the structure of stakeholders and analysis of alternative transaction results.</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The project management procedures were recommended during the transaction life cycle</p><p>&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A set of tools for managing post-merger integration was proposed.</p>