My guest today is Bill Casey. Bill is the Vice Chair of the Transaction Advisory Services department of EY (Ernst & Young Global Limited.) He has been an employee of EY for 35 years and has seen many market changes come and go. Bill has an MBA and a background in audit, a solid career choice he believes for anybody wanting to get into the financial sector.
During today’s show, we discuss the 2018 M&A Firepower Report. Bill shares some of the trends emerging in this year’s report. We speculate what that could mean for the economy and how American tax reforms are affecting the trends. Bill also gives some foolproof advice for business owners thinking about selling in 2018. We cover the traits that are making companies attractive to buyers and how a seller can make their company more enticing in this current climate.
You will learn about:
- Bill’s financial industry background.
- The M&A Report basic overview.
- How markets are blending their services to better serve the consumer.
- The benefits of embracing technology in business.
- How to create good synergy to attract a buyer.
- The role data analytics is playing in business planning.
- How to prepare for a seller’s exit.
- The reasons sellers are selling to private equity firms.
- The 3 factors to consider during a sell, other than the price.
- Know what you want to accomplish with your sale.
- Why cash deals are becoming more common.
- How to build a great team to run your company.
- The main thing a seller should focus on when selling.
- How to align your team regarding the future of the company.
- Strategies a seller and a buyer can use to achieve alignment.
- Bill’s advice to future sellers.
Takeaways:
- Bill really stressed the importance of due diligence. Be prepared to sell before you even find a buyer. Doing your homework will build a trust level and professionalism that will make any deal you come to that much smoother.
- Hire the right people for your team. Build a great company culture and you will attract high-quality buyers. Team members should be on the same page as you and be able to carry on the business in a way that would make you proud.
- Know what you want out of a business deal. If you want to stay involved in the company, make sure you know what that would entail for you. If you know what you want to do after the sale, it will make choosing the right buyer easier. You need to know what questions to ask.
Links and Resources:
EY Transaction Advisory Services
Bill Casey on LinkedIn
2018 M&A Firepower Report: Life Sciences Deals and Data
About Bill:
William (Bill) M. Casey is the EY Americas Vice Chair of Transaction Advisory Services (TAS), which helps organizations raise, preserve, invest and optimize their capital. Bill advises clients on capital strategy, mergers and acquisitions, public company spinoffs, IPOs and securities offerings. Bill has led some of the largest client engagements of Ernst & Young LLP, including cross-border transactions for major multinational corporations and leading private equity firms. Over the last decade, he has worked to help double the talent and revenues of TAS practices in EY Americas member firms, which now include more than 3600 professionals based in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. Bill is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and a competitive triathlete. (EY.com)