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M&A IT Execution: Bridging the Gap Between Contract and Reality

Why most IT separations fail to meet Day-1 targets, and how execution-focused leadership changes the outcome.

M&A Carve-out IT Strategy Execution

The Contract vs. Reality Problem

In every M&A transaction, there’s a moment when the deal team hands over to the execution team. The contract says “IT separation within 12 months.” The reality? A tangled web of shared services, undocumented integrations, and data dependencies that nobody mapped during due diligence.

I’ve seen this pattern repeat across divestitures at Perrigo, program transformations at Moody’s, and ERP implementations at Graphic Packaging. The gap isn’t in strategy — it’s in execution discipline.

Three Principles That Change Outcomes

1. Map Dependencies Before You Promise Timelines

Most TSA (Transitional Service Agreement) timelines are set during deal negotiations, often by people who’ve never executed a carve-out. The first thing I do on any M&A program is build a dependency map that shows:

  • Which systems talk to which
  • Where data flows across entity boundaries
  • What “shared” actually means in practice

This map becomes the truth that challenges optimistic timelines.

2. Protect Business Continuity, Not Project Plans

When Day-1 approaches and the plan is slipping, the instinct is to cut scope. But scope cuts in IT separations often mean business disruption for the carved entity.

Instead, I focus on minimal viable separation: what’s the smallest change that achieves legal compliance while preserving operational continuity? The rest can follow in a post-Day-1 roadmap.

3. Single Point of Execution, Not Governance

Complex programs fail when everyone owns “governance” but nobody owns delivery. I position myself as the execution anchor — the person who absorbs volatility from shifting requirements, translates between business and IT, and keeps the work moving forward even when leadership changes.

The Pattern Across Industries

Whether it’s a pharmaceutical divestiture (Perrigo/HRA), a data provider replacement (Moody’s/FACSET), or a manufacturing ERP rollout (Graphic Packaging/D365), the execution principles remain constant:

  1. Understand the real dependencies, not just the documented ones
  2. Prioritize continuity over plan compliance
  3. Own the execution, not just the governance

The companies that get M&A IT right don’t have better strategies. They have better execution.

Have an M&A program that needs execution leadership? Let’s talk.