The “Delivering the Deal” spotlight series is where Mercer’s leading experts discuss the most pressing issues facing business leaders and deal professionals in M&A today.

While defined contribution plans are the primary source of retirement benefits in the US, 75% of large employers (i.e. 1000+ employees) have DB pension plans with the majority closed to new employees. In this episode, Scott Jarboe, Mercer Wealth’s Defined Benefit Segment Leader for the US and Alla Iagniatinskaia a Senior Principal in Mercer’s  M&A Advisory Services Team share ideas to properly manage retirement plans in a transaction so they do not disrupt your deal.
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Interesting moments:

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    "Buyers who recognise that pensions are long-term commitments and remain focused on pension risk management after the transaction is closed are ultimately the ones who are able to achieve their desired outcome from the deal."

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    "You want to make sure that all material DB plans globally are reported in the company’s financial statements, that they are evaluated adequately, that you have a complete description of the plan offered,  who is eligible for  it, and how it is measured.  This is critical to avoid any surprise discoveries later. "

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    "In US, the 401k plan are now the primary source of the retirement benefits. But they do present their own set of risks and challenges for the buyers. There have been a number of ERISA class action lawsuits filed in connection with retirement plans with the top ten settlements for 2021 alone of over $800 million."

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More episodes in this series

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    Creating effective change management during M&A deals

    November 21, 2022 | Episode 13 | 09:40
    In this episode, we are speaking with Jason Jaross, a Partner in Mercer’s M&A Advisory Services Business. Given that we view effective change management as one of the keys to delivering on your deal thesis, we wanted him to share some of his experiences and lessons that may help your next deal.
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    Aligning HRs role in deal making

    October 04, 2022 | Episode 12 | 09:46
    In this episode, Scott Gardiner shares his 20+ years of deal experience to highlight his observations about the M&A landscape and the importance of aligning HR for successful deal-making.
  • People in M&A

    Talent retention strategy during an M&A

    August 30, 2022 | Episode 11 | 17:00
    What is the focus area on deal professionals minds? Retention in deals. We discuss how to plan for retention during a deal and how to execute effectively to retain critical talent and protect their deal thesis.
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    Driving deal value in the auto industry

    May 23, 2022 | Episode 9 | 11:40
    A shift to electric and autonomous vehicles creates new talent challenges for the auto industry, and they're only amplified by accelerating M&A activity. Explore how leaders can manage these challenges in our latest episode.

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