Aaron Whiting, Chief of Staff at Crownpeak Value creation in any acquisition relies heavily on how well the M&A integration goes. By focusing on integration, buyers can increase their chances of success in obtaining and realizing their intended synergies. But how well can it go if the company’s integration lead is a first-timer?  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Learn the basics of M&A integration execution, with Aaron Whiting, Chief of Staff at Crownpeak. You will learn: How to coach a first-time integration leader Getting ready for day one Kickoff meeting strategies Challenges during integration Setting alignment for kickoff meetings This episode is sponsored by the M&A Science Academy, DealRoom, and FirmRoom.  To join our growing online community of M&A practitioners, visit  www.mascience.com/academy.  Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at www.dealroom.net. FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to www.firmroom.com Episode Bookmark 00:00 Intro 05:09 Coaching an integration lead 06:33 Involving the Integration Lead 12:42 Integration on Day one 17:49 Getting ready for Day one 22:31 M&A teams to pull in for integration 25:41 Kickoff meeting strategies 31:12 Maintaining regular cadence for good progress 35:53 Umbrella track 37:47 How to track integration activities 42:38 Challenges during integration 47:55 Mechanical things that could go wrong during integration 52:59 Setting alignment for kickoff meetings 56:26 What success looks like through stories 01:01:50 How to know when the integration is complete 01:03:42 Advice for first timers 01:07:48 Craziest thing in M&A