Developing People, Organisations and HR Strategy

Registration and coffee

Chair's opening remarks

Paul Secher, Head of JSB's Employment Law Faculty

How to overcome the employment law challenges of a merger: Understanding due diligence, TUPE, and cross-border transactions

Jonathan Fenn, Partner, Slaughter and May

• Understanding the due diligence and deal process and how HR can be involved

• Informing and consulting under TUPE and the Information and Consultation Regulations

• Using warranties and indemnities and understanding their limitations

• Dealing with problems pre and post completion

• Cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions: What issues arise for HR?

Establishing a framework for success: Analysing HR strategies and integration planning pre-acquisition

• Wendy Drinkwater, HR Director Waterstones

• How should HR plan for an acquisition: What are the applicable HR policies, procedures and practices?

• Organisational structure, HR operations and employee consultation

• Realising business objectives and putting strategies in place to achieve these

• Combining individual business strengths successfully to create a new organisation

• Developing the best blue print for M&A integration to enhance long-term business success

A unique acquisition story: Managing a takeover by a smaller company and developing a continuing plan for integration

Tor Farquhar, HR Director, Corus Group

• Developing an execution plan: Having a clear idea of the objectives, visions and values

• Integration through a progressive alignment process while delivering enhanced business results from day one

• Providing support throughout the integration process to ensure business value

• The importance of managing and minimising employee anxiety and reassuring an uncertain workforce in this critical stage

• Preventing common pitfalls and ensuring a strategy for success

Learn how HR can lead from the top: Practical tips on how to lead an organisation through a merger successfully

Keith Smith, HR Programmes Director, LogicaCMG

• Getting involved: Identifying the company’s top leaders and defining respective roles and responsibilities

• How to rebrand the company and create a common identity and principles on which to lead

• Managing the communication process and avoiding staff fall out

• Building an understanding of team roles and relationships: Helping the new organisation to cope with change whilst still continuing to deliver business performance

Analysing employee benefits and harmonising terms and conditions of employment

Andrew Taggart, Partner, Herbert Smith

• Analysing the existing benefit structure and creating a new one to help drive the company forward

• Reviewing the different employment terms and conditions in each business and the process of harmonisation

• What is the position on tricky issues such as redundancy, bonuses, share option schemes and restrictive covenants?

• What are the international difficulties in this area and how can HR overcome these?

Identifying and addressing the people and cultural aspects: How to exercise best people management and build a new common culture and identity

Maria Pilfold, Group HR Director, Taylor Wimpey

• What are the main cultural and people challenges for HR during a merger?

• How to avoid a cultural clash: Carrying out an assessment of cultural values, management and leadership styles and performance management

• Ensuring sensitivity towards the old or less dominant culture whilst managing to develop a fresh set of values for the new company

• Integrating the different cultures into a successful enterprise: How to manage relationships between the two existing cultures and build upon this positively to drive the company forward

Q&A interactive panel session: Discussing the issues that arose on day one and understanding how to apply best practice in your organisation

Tor Farquhar, Corus Group

Keith Smith, LogicaCMG

Jonathan Fenn, Slaughter and May

Maria Pilfold, Taylor Wimpey

Wendy Drinkwater, Waterstones

End of day one