Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Peter Aksel Villadsen (GN Hearing) and Helle Hee (PwC) to unpack the messy middle of post-merger integration: aligning strategy and governance, protecting talent and culture, and getting the operating model right so the deal value actually shows up. From pre-close planning to the first 100 days, they share what works, what fails, and how to keep the integration machine honest.
This is essential listening for any corporate venturer, founder, or investor navigating M&A.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:00 Opening context / why integrations fail more than they should
03:23 Pre-close prep: value thesis, Day-1 readiness, leadership alignment
06:15 Culture & talent: retaining the A-team, incentives, and communication
09:08 Operating model: decision rights, governance, metrics that matter
12:01 Tech & data integration: sequencing, risk, and “don’t touch yet” zones
16:07 First 100 days: what to lock, what to leave alone, what to measure
19:10 CVC’s role post-deal: sponsor, translator, and blocker remover
23:20 Common failure modes and how to spot them early
26:31 Case lessons & playbook tweaks founders would like to know
You can listen to the full session from the EUCVC Summit 2025 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
✍️ Show Notes
Integration Reality
Deals are easy; integrations are hard. Most value is won or lost in the operating model, not the press release.
Design for decisions. Clear decision rights and escalation paths beat “alignment meetings” every time.
Pre-Close to Day 1
Value thesis → workstreams. Translate why we bought this company into 5–7 measurable workstreams with owners.
Day-1 readiness. Comms, access, payroll, customer-facing stability—no drama.
Culture & Talent
Retain the A-team. Lock incentives, define missions, remove blockers.
Communicate like crazy. Cadence reduces rumor; rumor kills velocity.
Operating Model & Governance
Fewer committees, clearer charters. Governance supports, it doesn’t suffocate.
Metrics that matter. Pick 6–8 cross-functional KPIs tied to the deal thesis
Tech, Data & Risk
Sequence the cutovers. Don’t touch revenue-critical systems first.
Create “do-not-break” zones in the first 90 days.
CVC’s Post-Deal Role
Be the sponsor and translator. Protect the original intent; align incentives; escalate fast.
Keep entrepreneurial energy alive. Autonomy where it counts; integration where it pays.
💡 One-liner takeaway: Successful integrations turn a deal thesis into decisions, incentives, and operating cadence—fast—so value shows up in the business, not just the board deck.
