Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is typically made up of two to seven senior executives from both companies. Members serve in an oversight role for the entire M&A integration by providing sponsorship, making key strategic decisions, and approving integration plans.
Integration Manager
The Integration Management Office (IMO) is led by the Integration Manager, a senior executive in the acquiring firm. The Integration Manager is responsible for facilitating the work of the Integration Management Office, providing guidance and direction to the Work Streams, and reporting status to the Steering Committee. The Integration Manager will spend 80- 100% of their time in this role.
Integration Management Office Team Members
The Integration Management Office is made up of several operational, financial, and administrative executives who serve in a coordination and project management role during integration planning and execution. Typically, they perform such functions as balancing efforts, prioritizing and coordinating work, and managing dependencies between teams.
Work Stream Leader
Work Stream Leaders are typically senior and mid-level managers from both organizations. Work Stream leaders are responsible for facilitating the work of their Work Stream, providing guidance and direction to Work Stream members, coordinating activities with other Work Streams, and reporting status to the IMO.
Work Stream Team Members
Typically, there are two to ten people assigned to each team. Work Streams plan for the integration in their area or process, such as Finance, Manufacturing, Human Resources, Information Systems, Customer Service, or Sales. Work Streams do the majority of the work in an integration.
Work Stream Sub-Teams
In large integration projects, a Work Stream may require sub-teams to develop more detailed plans. For example, an Information Technology Work Stream might consist of the CIOs from both companies and four managers. This Work Stream might charter sub-teams for specific areas such as systems architecture, business applications, and connectivity.