Mergers and Acquisitions Career

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List of Top 4 Mergers and Acquisitions Career

Overview of Merger & Acquisitions

Merger & Acquisition is the consolidation of two companies into one company either by merging the company's assets and liabilities or acquiring the entire equity capital. It is a strategic move by the top management to consolidate the revenues and assets of two companies into one to increase the strength and balance sheet.

  • A merger gives each party an equal shareholding right in the combined entity for executing the transaction. Below mentioned are some of the types of M&A in the industry.
    • Horizontal Merger: A horizontal merger refers to the merger of two companies in the same business.
    • Vertical Merger: Vertical Merger refers to buying the business's main supplier. e.g., a steel trader buys the manufacturer of steel.
    • Conglomerate Merger: Conglomerate Merger refers to the merger of two companies with different business lines.
    • Statutory Merger: Statutory Merger refers to holding the target for a very long time to create synergies.
    • The Merger of Equals: refers to the merger of two companies having a similar size in terms of balance sheets and revenues.
  • M&A deals are financed either by cash, debit, or equity route.
  • Every large organization has an M&A department in its company focusing on merger and acquisition opportunities in the market.
  • M&A professionals also work in sell-side investment banks and advise companies on the M&A strategies and the complete process of executing the transaction.

Since it requires extensive expertise in the field, the company hires M&A experts who have hands-on experience working on complex financial models and structures. Hence M&A profile is one of the most crucial roles in any investment bank or a large corporate house since it helps build synergies.

Mergers and Acquisitions M&A Explained in Video

 

Career #1 - Merger & Acquisition Analyst

Mergers and Acquisition analysts do the ground-level work in the deal process. They mostly work on the companies' due diligence and market and peer group research. An analyst is expected to work long hours on the assignment and present a report on the findings.

Merger & Acquisitions Analyst - Job Description
ResponsibilitiesResponsible for completing the full due diligence in them & a process by conducting client meetings and sharing information.
DesignationM&A Analyst
Actual RoleThe Bureau of Labor Statistics has shared no data in the US.
Top CompaniesAll large corporates & bulge bracket investment banks.
SalaryThe median annual salary for an M&A analyst will be between $80,000 to $1,00,000.
Demand & SupplyHighly demanded profile since it requires extensive modeling skills, experience working on large databases & knowledge about multiple sectors and companies that are active in the Merger & Acquisitions Space.
Education RequirementFA/CPA/MBA/Valuation Expert from Tier -1 Universities with at least 5-10 Yrs of Exp.
Recommended CoursesCPA/MBA/CFP/CFA
Positives 
Chance to work on the M & deal in the due diligence process, which can be a booster to the candidate's career in the future.
NegativesExtensive working on presentations and databases.

Career #2 - Merger & Acquisitions Associate

Merger and Acquisition Associate oversees the work of the junior analyst and guides him in the entire due diligence process with various things like ppt, Excel, etc. He reports to the VP with regards to the day-to-day operations and the deal's status.

Merger & Acquisitions Associate - Job Description
ResponsibilitiesResponsible for mentoring the analyst and making them work in complex financial structures to enhance their research & analytical skills.
DesignationM&A Associate
Actual RoleSupport the vice president in the M & Deal with the right kind of information researched from the market.
Job StatisticsNo data has been shared on the US Bureau of Labor statistics.
Top CompaniesJP Morgan, E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte, PWC, and Rainmaker Group are some of the world's top M&A firms.
SalaryAn M&A associate's median annual salary can be between $2,00,000 to $3,50,000 since it is a professional role.
Demand & SupplyThere is a very high demand for the role since it requires extensive sector experience and exposure to multiple M&A deals.
Education Requirement CFA/CPA/MBA from Tier -1 Universities with at least 7-10 Yrs of Exp.
Recommended CoursesCFA/CPA/MBA
PositivesA team leader's role in managing a team of analysts and assigning them tasks regularly.
NegativesLong working hours researching the market can be a tiring job.

Career #3 - Vice President

The Vice President leads them & a department and is responsible for carrying out the merger in the best possible manner. He reports directly to the partner / CEO of the firm/company about the performance of the team members and the status of the deal periodically.

Vice President - Job Description
ResponsibilitiesResponsible for arranging client meetings and letting them know the synergies of the merger or acquisition.
DesignationDebt syndication manager.
Actual RoleTo build a detailed cash flow plan for the company over the tenure of the debt raised to ensure sufficient funds are always available with the company to satisfy the debt obligations.
Job StatisticsThe Bureau of Labor statistics does not display data on this role.
Top CompaniesJP Morgan, E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte, PWC, and Rainmaker group are some of the world's top M&A firms.
SalaryA general manager's median annual salary can be between $ 3,00,000 – $5,00,000.
Demand & SupplyHighly demanded to profile them & a role is a very niche role in the industry and requires a very high experience person to drive the deal forward.
Education RequirementCFA/CPA/MBA/valuation expert with 20+ yrs of exp in the valuation field.
Recommended CoursesCFA/CPA/MBA
PositivesLeads the department and allocates work to the team members.
NegativesRisky profile to work because, in the case of financial issues, he is the one who will be asked to leave the company because of the higher compensation.

Career #4 - Partner

Partner is in charge of the M&A vertical in an accounting firm. He is in charge of the full department and ensures that the firm keeps on getting new deals from the market through his network.

Partner - Job Description
ResponsibilitiesResponsible for generating M&A deals from the market through relationships and networking skills.
DesignationPartner
Actual RoleBusiness development for the firm as all the team members depend upon the partner.
Job StatisticsThe bureau of labor statistics has displayed no data.
Top CompaniesDeloitte, KPMG, PWC, E&Y, and GT are the world's top 5 big CA firms.
SalaryThe median annual salary for the same can be anywhere between $ 5,00,000 to $10,00,000.
Demand & SupplyIt is a specialized role and requires a high level of experience and skills to achieve it.
Education RequirementCFA/CPA/MBA from tier -1 universities with at least 15-20 yrs of exp.
Recommended CoursesCPA/MBA/CFA
PositivesA chance to take part in the profits of the company.
NegativesHigh responsibility since all the team members depend upon the network and the ability of the partner to bring business to the firm.

Conclusion

Mergers and Acquisitions are among the topmost favored careers in any company/investment bank. M&A models are one of the most complex financial models built in the industry since it analyzes two companies at a time and tries to build synergies among them. This is a very scary profile for the professionals in the industry to display their Analytical & Technical skills and enhance their career opportunities in the future.

Further, this is a great opportunity for any candidate to work since it is the topmost demanded and most favored job in the market amongst finance professionals. To make a Career in Merger & Acquisition, one has to work in a Boutique Investment Bank at his early stages to learn & get a chance to work on the full deal cycle.