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NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's corporate development environment, people factors—from integrating corporate cultures to maintaining engagement and retaining key talent after a deal—have emerged as the definitive divide between mergers and acquisitions that succeed and those that fall short. At the HR M&A Conference—coming November 19–20 to the Westin New York at Times Square—The Conference Board is bringing together organizations that have led the way in imbuing HR thinking throughout their M&A strategies to exchange practical advice, share real-world solutions, and advance new thinking in a burgeoning field.

In partnership with lead sponsor Mercer, The Conference Board has assembled an unmatched agenda of speakers and panels to examine the many intersections of modern deal-making with human capital priorities, including culture, talent, and HR risk. HR M&A Conference highlights include:

• People: The X Factor in Deal Value Capture and Creation
  Jeff Black, Partner, M&A Advisory Services at Mercer, reveals why—and how—companies pursuing deals need to bring the same discipline and rigor to addressing people issues as they do to managing balance-sheet risk and other key operational aspects.
• Meet the Customer of the Future
  Keynote speaker Dan Clay, Partner at Lippincott, introduces their new research on six fundamental shifts shaping the customer of the future.
• Due Diligence: Uncovering the HR Insights
  Take an in-depth look at the people areas that can make or break a deal with Lisa Blackburn, VP, Global Human Resources Business Development at IBM.
• An Agile M&A Playbook: A Catalyst for HR Readiness and Deal Success
  HR M&A teams need to adapt rapidly to the accelerated pace and unique needs of today's deals—from retirement and pension plans to corporate cultures and talent retention. Paul Kibbe, Principal at Mercer, leads a panel of experts from Ferguson, HCL Technologies, and Bristol Meyers Squibb.
• Culture in M&A: What the C-Suite Needs to Know
  From productivity loss to customer disruption and flight of key talent, culture is the "silent deal killer." Hear how leaders from Cisco, TZP Group, and Northwell Health have inoculated deals against this risk in a panel moderated by Brent Helsop, Partner at Mercer.
• The Art and Science of Retaining Talent in M&A
  Identifying talent worth acquiring is only half the challenge. Pragya Sharma, Senior Director, HR Acquisitions and Divestitures at Johnson & Johnson, lays out emerging trends and effective strategies for keeping talent retained and engaged after the transaction.  
• The Truth About Divestitures
  Corporate spin-offs, split-ups, and stand-ups have become key strategies for generating value but can backfire in the loss of key talent, productivity, and cultural cohesion. Executives from CIT, GE, Jabil, and Caterpillar share what they've learned in a panel led by Elizabeth Bryant, Partner at Mercer.
• Startup Founder Panel: Selling Your Dream
  Founders invest blood, sweat, and tears into startups—and often look on their workforce as family. How can they maintain a talent and culture edge under new ownership? Panelists from Thomsons, WorkMarket, Alice, Alpha, and NDCapital share their stories with Barb Marder, Partner at Mercer.

To review the full agenda and register to attend, visit the HR M&A Conference homepage. Designed for executives across a range of business areas—including Human Resources, Mergers & Acquisitions, HR M&A, Corporate Development, M&A Integration, Joint Ventures, Strategic Alliances, and more—attendees can earn continuing education recertification credits from CPE, HRCI, and SHRM. 

About The Conference Board
The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what's ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org.

SOURCE The Conference Board