Welcome and Opening Remarks:
We kick off the A/E/C M&A Summit with an event overview and high-level look at the current deal market for architecture and engineering firms.
Karl Wohler, PSMJ Resources, Inc.
Welcome and Opening Remarks:
We kick off the A/E/C M&A Summit with an event overview and high-level look at the current deal market for architecture and engineering firms.
Karl Wohler, PSMJ Resources, Inc.
For most AEC firms, remote and hybrid work arrangements are now essential for retaining scarce talent. But with our new reality comes a myriad of engagement challenges, and AEC HR professionals find themselves caught between top leaders concerned about productivity and employees demanding flexibility. Is there a way to bring everyone together? In our opening keynote address, you will hear from two AEC firm talent management experts who, like you, are facing issues of employee mental health, post-pandemic burnout, return-to-office challenges, and the impact of the Great Resignation on staffing needs. They will help you identify why you may be struggling to maintain communication, collaboration, and recognition within remote teams and what you can consider doing about it. They will also share what the latest employee feedback data is telling us about what our employees really want and what we should do about it.
It's been a busy year for A/E/C merger and acquisition activity... will it stay this hot heading into 2023 and beyond? Hear our first expert panel give their candid opinions on the economic, business, and political changes on the horizon that could drive changes to your strategy.
Bat around what you just heard with your fellow Summit attendees over coffee and refreshments.
How are the most successful M&A dealmakers finding acquisition targets? How can you avoid duds, and weed out those with unreasonable expectations?
Michael Converse, SVP, Strategy & Growth, Trilon Group, formerly Executive Vice President, AECOM
What makes a good capital partner? Acquisition partner? Backed by Alpine Investors, Trilon Group has been very active in the A/E/C space, growing quickly to #65 on the ENR500 list. EVP Michael Converse joins us to reveal his top 10 things PE firms care about that impact your valuation beyond financials, plus the things AEC firms should consider when evaluating potential Private Equity partners. Plenty of opportunity for Q&A after lunch!
Now we dive into the nuts and bolts of putting together an M&A deal that meets the strategic objectives of all parties, with the latest on earnouts, ESOPs, and more.
Women currently make up about half of middle management positions. Yet, women make up less than 5 percent of CEOs for publicly listed companies. We also see headlines from prominent business publications like: “Research: Women Score Higher Than Men in Most Leadership Skills” (Harvard Business Review). Women “outrank” men as reported by their managers. In the United States, we claim to have been working on gender equity in the workplace for decades how. So, why haven’t we closed the gender leadership gap at the top?
In order to advance in an organization, you have to be known for your leadership skills, and this applies to anyone regardless of their gender. By leadership skills, we mean that you have to be recognized for “using the greatness in you to achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes by engaging the greatness in others.” If we think about this as a career success equation, there are 3 parts:
1. Use the greatness in you – your skills, talents, abilities
2. Achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes – reaching an organization’s strategic and financial goals
3. Engaging the greatness in others – creating and cultivating a team that is engaged to work towards those outcomes
While all three of these pieces of the equation are important, they aren’t equally important when it comes advancing to higher levels leadership.
Research shows that the advice given to women (from media, mentors, etc.) is over-indexed in 2 of the 3 areas: using the greatness in you (becoming more confident, being more assertive, etc.), and engaging the greatness in others (team building, managing staff, etc.).
Our research (led by Susan Colantuono) also indicates that the skills required to make it to the highest ranks of any organizations ultimately hinges on number 2, where women receive the least guidance, feedback, and mentorship – achieving and sustaining the organization’s business, strategic, and financial outcomes.
In this talk, we will explore the complete definition of leadership and its three pillars, how and why women receive incomplete advice, and what organizational leaders can do about it.
No two M&A deals are the same, but if you're thinking of selling, here's your chance to hear from those who have recently been there. This candid panel connects you with A/E/C executives at firms that have been acquired by either strategic buyers or PE companies. Hear what went right, what was surprising, and questions they would ask if they had to do it over again.
As generations transfer in and out of the workforce, A/E/C talent leaders must refine traditional engagement methods to align with changing expectations. Today's newest employees have unique needs, desires, and expectations, and we need to evolve our thinking if we, and they, are to succeed. This paradigm shift from a historic employer-driven climate to an employee-driven market demands a mindset shift, one that is proving to be a challenge for many senior executives. Mary Moore, Associate Principal and Human Resources Officer at Pulse Design Group, a healthcare architecture firm in Kansas City, will share solutions, strategies, metrics and data to drive consensus, buy-in, and implementation of a new approach to retaining the newest A/E/C talent. You learn proven strategies for bridging generational gaps and enhancing the employee experience to retain, recruit, contend and win the talent war.
Dan Forguson, Chief Financial Officer, HFW Companies.
After struggling for over 20 years to find an employee review process that matched our desire to help elevate staff in a meaningful way, HBT Architects, LLP developed and adopted an Employee Balanced Scorecard system. The firm spent nearly a year and a half researching the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) system used by businesses around the world. From this education, the firm developed a BSC approach that worked within the firm’s culture, style of gathering and sharing information and the staff’s request to be more involved in the firm’s strategic direction. Developing the right BSC for the firm required a close look at our Strategic Plan Initiatives and then turning those into measurable objectives that could be shared across different staff levels. Teams of staff from all levels were directly involved in the development of each individual BSC so that the card was well considered and appropriate to the individual’s strength and career path. In this session, Trevor Harrison, AIA will share his journey from struggling with the limitations of traditional employee review processes through discovering the Balanced Scorecard system, developing a version that would work for his firm and then implementing the system. Attendees will learn about the structure used in all Balanced Scorecards and how HBT adapted this system to match the needs of one firm. Attendees will also learn how a system such as this can enhance employee engagement by tying daily roles and overall career progression directly to the longer-range strategic goals of the firm.
This quick look at the hottest takeaways from day one sets the stage for another great day of learning and networking with the sharpest minds in A/E/C M&A.
See how Private Equity strategy has changed, and will continue to evolve, to ameliorate seller concerns and drive stronger long-play deals.
Pick a table for small-group discussions and get your specific questions addressed by the experts
Table Moderators are experts from the fields of Private Equity, Buy-Side A/E/C, Sell-side A/E/C, Legal, and Taxes.
Inking the deal is only part of the journey. Life after the transaction is where the real success occurs and where real growth and market penetration and maturity is realized or fails. Selling staff members, existing clients, project clients, and a potential client on the benefits of the new M&A is an art form.
In their closing keynote address, two A/E/C M&A merger veterans introduce standard brand architecture structures, communication approaches, and creative transition campaigns to help you leverage your M&A transaction for growth. Learn the essential role internal communications can have in not only retaining acquired employees, but equipping employees from both firms to be the new joint entity’s most powerful sales tool.
Join Smartegies EVP, Donya Edler, and SSOE’s VP Corporate Development, Betsy Hurner, as they discuss go-to-market strategies to consider when engaging in M&A transactions and share their stories from being on both the buying side and the acquired side of the M&A experience in the AEC industry.
1. What is brand architecture and why establishing yours now matters for future M&A transactions.
2. How to evaluate brand equity, brand reach, and share of voice to determine a transition timeline and necessary steps to position for success post-deal.
3. Things to consider during a brand transition, internally and externally, preannouncement and post-announcement.
4. How to determine proper KPI’s for implementation measurement.
5. How your post-deal internal communications can have a significant impact on not only retention but also recognizing potential revenue synergies.
