Deal-making in 2022 may not have outperformed 2021, but it still exceeded expectations — matching pre-pandemic levels, according to McKinsey. That's because despite facing tougher regulations, soaring inflation, and geopolitical tensions, M&A still remained a viable solution for business leaders to gain a competitive advantage and transform operations. 

While the economy still looks uncertain, the outlook for 2023 remains optimistic for M&A. Recent research from PwC revealed that 35% of business executives are gearing up for an M&A in the next 12-18 months. According to the report, the key to success will be in understanding which transformative deals will enable businesses to "leapfrog forward and quickly generate value."

If this sounds like you, you may wonder how you can gain the expertise needed to navigate the market in the new year. You could always consider the traditional approach, like working with a consulting firm, but there is another way: on-demand talent acquisition. 

How On-Demand Talent Acquisition Can Be Your M&A Ace

Time is of the essence when you're looking to gain a strategic advantage. The same principle applies to M&As. Fail to move quickly while market conditions are ripe, and you can quickly see your market share diminish as a result. 

So while onboarding a consulting firm can help you structure your transaction to drive optimal results, the time to find, vet, and onboard them can cut into time better used to conduct due diligence and market research. This is where onboarding an independent M&A consultant with prior Big Four and MBB experience can help. 

Not only is it much easier and faster to find and obtain this level of expertise by leveraging an on-demand talent acquisition platform like Graphite, but it's also much more cost-effective. Better yet, these individuals come from reputable educational institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and more, so you can rest assured that you have the right expertise to meet your goals.

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3 Examples of Companies Using Independent M&A Talent

M&A advisory firms equipped with the expertise for structuring deals have been leveraging on-demand talent to quickly address the uptick for their services. We saw this play out on Graphite in 2021 when transactions reached an all-time high. 

Part of the reason for the dependence on independent talent is that the demand for M&A talent far exceeds the supply of qualified talent on the market. And as the expertise for areas like environment, social, and governance (ESG) increases, the likelihood of talent adept in them decreases — increasing the competition for those that do fit that criteria. 

So what are some examples of companies leveraging independent talent? And what can you learn by taking a page out of their playbook? Here are three examples to explore. 

Addressing  M&A Demand with Former Big Four Consultant 

When a technology client needed help completing an acquisition, it turned to this Big Four consulting firm for support. But due to increased demand for its M&A services, the firm had a bandwidth gap. 

So rather than stressing its team by undertaking another project, the firm decided to look for an independent consultant to alleviate the pressure and scale the team. Through Graphite, the firm onboarded a former EY consultant with over 20 years of experience in growth strategy, M&A, and enterprise optimization. 

Because of the independent consultants' proficiency in developing cost takeout strategies, financial modeling, and real estate optimization, the firm decided to retain the consultant after completing the technology client’s transaction. 

Keeping Up with Transaction Pace 

This boutique investment company had a good problem. Clients looking to take advantage of favorable market conditions were clamoring for its M&A services. But to keep up with the demand, it needed the help of an ongoing analyst to support its private equity clients and sell-side M&A transactions. 

Because finding a full-time hire would take too long, the company decided to explore onboarding an independent subject matter expert on Graphite. Within 47 hours of engaging an Account Executive (AE), a curated list of four candidates out of 120 highly vetted experts on the platform was presented to the company. 

After carefully reviewing each candidate using Graphite's in-app messaging features, the company hired an independent consultant with over 25 years of experience. Not only did the company win in finding someone with a strong financial background, it also gained a reliable resource to work with on upcoming M&A deals. 

Advising IT Clients at Scale 

The M&A advisory team of this leading professional services firm was under pressure to service a growing number of IT clients. Rather than turn away business or look for a full-time hire, the firm decided to explore on-demand talent instead. 

Through Graphite, the team was able to alleviate demand and add additional capacity by onboarding an independent consultant with over 10 years of experience. The selected expert was adept in performing business process analysis, mapping, and design for M&A projects focused on IT workstreams. 

Onboarding an M&A Expert 

Despite market uncertainty, deal-making will remain a viable solution for obtaining business transformation, capturing growth opportunities, and building portfolio resilience and security. Having the right expertise on hand will ensure you make the right choices. 

While you can always rely on traditional sources for support, it might be worthwhile to consider an alternative approach. Doing so can enable you to attain the strategic advantage you seek more cost-effectively and without the red tape. If you're interested in learning how our experts can help, connect with one of our Account Executives today to explore the possibilities.