[Andy Aguiluz]

Employees from the acquired company seem to go from 1 full-time job to 3 on their first day. In many cases they have to go through extensive onboarding/training, continue their day-to-day, and conduct integration activities as well. Employees from the acquiring company also add integration activities to their (often already) packed days. Rarely do either of them have m&a knowledge or experience. What would you prioritize in the first 100 days?

[Liwei Wang]

Keep business as usual as possible as can – the purpose of the acquisition is to deliver the business. The priority would be 1). Compliance (legal, tax, finance) 2). Culture shift 3). lower hanging fruit of the synergies. If you have defined the re-org, try to make it as soon as possible; If you haven’t define the org-structure during DD, then keep it as it is before you really understand the acquired business.

[Paige Buffkin]

In the first 100 days we also keep business as normal as possible while introducing trainings and features to help ease an otherwise potentially stressful process. I think its important to introduce the changes slowly while reassuring the acquired employees that they are valued. While culture and reporting structure will likely change I have found that as long as their are defined outlets and plenty of resources available they tend to work smoothly.

[Bianca Chance]

Absolutely agree—this is one of the most common and overlooked challenges in M&A integration. Both acquired and acquiring employees are often expected to juggle their existing responsibilities while absorbing new systems, processes, and cultural expectations, all without formal M&A experience.

In the first 100 days, I would prioritize:

Role Clarity and Workload Assessment
Clearly define what’s expected from each team and individual. Identify critical roles at risk of overload and adjust responsibilities or timelines accordingly.

Integration Governance and Communication
Establish a central integration team or PMO to coordinate efforts, reduce duplication, and serve as a go-to resource. Communicate frequently and transparently to manage expectations and reduce uncertainty.

Targeted Onboarding and Just-in-Time Training
Focus onboarding on what’s essential for day-to-day operations and integration success. Provide short, role-specific M&A primers to build confidence and reduce friction.

Quick Wins and Cultural Touchpoints
Identify and deliver a few early wins to build momentum. At the same time, create space for informal connection and cultural exchange to ease the human side of integration.

Feedback Loops and Flexibility
Set up regular check-ins and feedback channels. Be ready to pivot based on what’s working and what’s not.

The goal is to reduce noise, protect capacity, and build trust—so people can focus on what matters most.

[Didrik Moe]

In a recent PMI, the first 100 days was mainly about cultural alignment rather than heavy integration. We ran a series of workshops with equivalent teams to build relationships and understand how each side works — what processes are different, and what’s genuinely good in both companies.

We also created a shared project delivery plan, so everyone could see priorities and timelines clearly. The key was to move forward together without hurting the ongoing growth of each business. Integration shouldn’t slow down what already works.

So for me, the focus in the first 100 days is people, trust, and clarity.
The first 100 days will never be the same in any PMI project as it depends so much on the deal thesis and what the goal of the merger is.

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