Strength in Integration: Building Resilient Industrial Portfolios

Client Overview

Our client is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management, capital markets, and insurance solutions. Founded in 1976, the firm sponsors investment funds across private equity, credit, and real assets, and partners with management teams to drive operational improvements and strategic growth initiatives. With a disciplined approach to investing and a strong presence in industries such as infrastructure, industrials, and manufacturing, they work to create value across a wide range of sectors and geographies.

The Challenge / Mandate

After completing a bolt-on acquisition for one of its industrial portfolio companies, our client sought a seasoned Post-Merger Integration (PMI) consultant to oversee and guide the integration process. The primary objective was to ensure realization of the identified synergies and operational alignment between the acquired business and the portfolio company.

The consultant was tasked with:

• Tracking and driving progress across multiple synergy workstreams, ensuring alignment with the deal thesis.
• Providing thought partnership to the portfolio company CEO and PE sponsor on critical decisions, including the optimal level of integration between teams and functional areas. 
• Leading talent assessments to identify key leadership roles, integrate teams, and align organizational structures.
• Supporting quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate integration options and inform decision-making.
• Facilitating collaboration across functions to build an actionable roadmap for short- and long-term integration milestones.
• Ensuring effective communication and change management strategies to engage employees at all levels during the integration process.

The role required a hands-on leader adept at navigating the complexity of industrial operations, with a focus on delivering value rapidly and sustainably.

Search Strategy

We targeted candidates with deep expertise in PMI gained through top-tier management consulting experience (McKinsey, Bain, or BCG) and a strong track record of driving successful integrations in industrial or manufacturing environments. Key qualifications included:

• 2.5+ years of post-MBA experience at a top-tier consulting firm.
• Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional integration programs with measurable synergy capture.
• Strong operational acumen and familiarity with industrial business models.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills to align C-level executives and PE sponsors on integration priorities.
• Ability to blend strategic insight with pragmatic execution in high-stakes environments.
• Experience in organizational design and change management to ensure long-term success post-integration.

The Placement

We placed a senior PMI consultant and operations transformation expert with over 20 years of experience delivering rapid value creation for industrial companies. A former MBB consultant and founding principal of a fast-growing business consultancy, he brought extensive expertise in post-merger planning, synergy realization, and operational restructuring. His industry experience spanned chemicals, steel, renewable energy, and engineered products, positioning him perfectly to address the complex dynamics of the portfolio company.

The Outcome

The consultant directed eleven cross-functional integration teams to deliver ahead of schedule and at the top end of pre-deal value estimates. Key achievements included:

• Realigning the sales force and resetting revenue enhancement metrics to drive commercial synergies.
• Reorganizing executive leadership to strengthen governance and accelerate decision-making.
• Reconfiguring the manufacturing footprint to optimize capacity and reduce costs.
• Enhancing IT systems and services to enable seamless operational integration.
• Reducing SG&A expenses through procurement savings and functional support reconfiguration.
• Building a disciplined PMI framework that allowed the company to sustain improvements and continue creating value post-integration.