Business Driver

Our Client, an $8 billion global provider of risk management, insurance/reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services, acquired one of the largest independent surety and construction insurance brokerage firms in the United States. Understanding that time is of the essence for capturing M&A synergies, the CIO asked Trexin to help drive the planned cost savings through the posthaste operational consolidation and integration of facilities, technology systems, and personnel while maintaining all acquired customers and accomplishing the transition activities as quickly as possible to minimize disruption to staff.

Approach

Trexin deployed a small, elite tiger team of operational and technological specialists who could quickly traverse vertically and horizontally across both organizations, able to address nearly any issue and skillfully marshal the vast resources of the enterprise when needed. Armed with numerous program management artifacts from Trexin’s Template Library that have been proven to be effective in M&A consolidation engagements, Trexin was able to hit the ground running and immediately begin directing activities. Critical success factors included:

• Accurate baselining
• Early solutioning
• Distinct financial management

Interim solutions and scaffolding, though requiring increased and ongoing IT support, proved to be highly effective accelerants and valuable investments by providing the ability to consolidate employees much faster than originally anticipated. Initial financial estimates, despite very limited vetting time, were also found to be quite accurate and useful in planning.

Results

All internal stakeholders and employees of the merging organizations were fully transitioned in seven months, far in advance of the original target timeline. Over the course of the transition, our Client was able to materially consolidate operations of the combined organizations by closing twelve offices and combining operations in two additional offices, resulting in M&A cost-saving synergies exceeding $10 million while suffering no business disruptions or loss of customers.