2027 Program

Acquiring a business can be one of the fastest ways to accelerate growth – but only if done right. Whether you’re exploring acquisition as a growth strategy or already have deals under your belt, this tactical session will walk you through the essential steps of the acquisition process, from sourcing and evaluating targets to structuring deals and integrating operations. Learn how experienced buyers identify opportunities, minimize risks, and drive value post-acquisition.  

Key Takeaways:  

• • Source the Right Targets: Strategies to find businesses that align with your goals  

• • Evaluate Value and Fit: Key metrics and red flags to assess before making an offer  

• • Structure Smart Deals: Understand financing options, terms, and negotiation tactics  

• • Plan for Integration: Ensure a smooth transition to maximize value and reduce disruption 

You’ve decided to sell, now what? 

Explore the key considerations and tactical steps to ensure a successful transition as you navigate this critical phase of your entrepreneurial journey. Do you hire an advisor or banker, and what are the pros and cons of different approaches? How do you best prepare for the process (e.g., getting a data room set up, gathering information, building a forecast model, preparing a pitch deck, aligning your senior executive etc.)? How do you find potential buyers or create a bidding process? What are the pros and cons of pursuing a strategic buyer versus financial buyer?  

In this session you will learn: 

• Identifying the right buyer 

• Timing 

• Negotiation strategies and deal structuring 

• Transition planning 

The strongest valuations don’t just come from clean financials — they come from businesses where the culture is tangible, the team is high-performing, and leadership doesn’t collapse when the founder steps back. Buyers know this, and they price for it. 

This session explores how the decisions you make about people, culture, and leadership today directly translate into enterprise value tomorrow. What does a buyer actually see when they look under the hood at your organisation? And when two businesses look identical on paper, it’s often the intangibles — culture, team, leadership depth — that determine which one gets the better deal. 

Hear from entrepreneurs and advisors who have built — and sold — businesses where people were the competitive advantage. 

Key Takeaways: 

• • Setting your team up for success post-sale — how to protect the people who got you there when ownership changes hands 

• • What buyers are really evaluating when they assess your team and culture 

• • How founder dependency quietly erodes valuation — and how to fix it 

• • Building a leadership team that adds value, not risk, to a transaction 

• • How the culture you build from the ground up shows up in your valuation at the end