TOKYO — On March 14th and 15th, Shizenkan University held an online open class on Global Strategy and M&A presented by Professor Tetsuya Shiokawa.

“M&As enter the public spotlight the moment they are reported in the press, but little is said about their subsequent trends, successes or failures. In the midst of globalization, it is important to consider M&A as one of the global strategies and examine the changing role of M&A.” Prof. Shiokawa highlighted.

In addition to analytical methods such as CAGE (Culture, Administration, Geography, Economy) and I-R framework (Integration- Responsiveness framework), the purpose and merits of M&A, and the cases of success and failure in recent years were presented in the open class. While 70-90% of M&As fail, “thorough due diligence is the key to success,” Prof. Shiokawa pointed out. “You have to become the acquirer of choice. In post-Covid pandemic M&As, it is especially important to identify issues related to culture and to assign personalities as integration leaders who are fully committed,” stressed Prof. Shiokawa.

During the Q&A session, one particular question was asked, “Is the success or failure of an M&A transaction immediately obvious?” with which Prof. Shiokawa replied, “The key to success is to proceed in a systematic, level-headed, process-oriented manner. First, identify the strategy. Then, prepare a number of acquisition partners that fit the strategy. Then, analyze, compare, and rank them. Determine the approach and identify risks through due diligence. This step-by-step process increases the probability of success.”referring to his own experience.

Shizenkan University develops whole-person management leaders. As the business environment changes globally, there is a need for leaders who can integrate geographically dispersed corporate activities while staying close to the local context of each market. We invite you to experience Shizenkan’s curriculum, where you can learn these skills to be a key-actor on the global stage.

For more event information, please check our upcoming open class schedule here.