We may be a long way from a true M&A boom, but deal volume is trending upward. Which got us wondering whether corporate acquirers are hiring M&A executives. As we reported in our feature on
corporate development careers in July, corporate M&A executives and staffers have been downsized as their organizations pivoted from growth to survival strategies.
Now it seems a few are beginning to rebuild those staffs and others are planning to early next year, says Randy Gulian, founder and president of executive recruiter Allegis/InSearch Worldwide Corp., which provides recruitment process outsourcing services to large corporate clients.
"Wrapped up in some of the RPO jobs I'm doing, I'm seeing some bits and pieces of corporate development, strategy and M&A roles on their books for the first quarter of next year."
Right now, companies are focused on rebuilding their finance, risk management and marketing departments, says Gulian, who adds he's signing on about one new client a week. He attributes the boom to two factors: the severe downsizing of in-house recruitment teams and the need for companies to get their marketing and control issues "locked up tight" as their businesses begin to grow.
Does that mean that restaffing corporate development departments will follow? For some companies, the answer is yes. "One follows the other but [the hiring] must be accompanied by the sentiment that companies are once again confident in their own business plans," says Guilian. "Hence their ability to acquire companies that will enhance their greater strategic objectives."
That's not to say there aren't corporate M&A positions available right now. A quick search of job sites turned up the following jobs:
- Sabre Holdings Corp., operator of Travelocity and other travel information service providers, is hiring a corp dev manager
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a medical equipment and software supplier, is hiring a corp dev associate to join its 10-12-person CD team
- Flextronics International Ltd. (NASDAQ:FLEX), an electronics manufacturing services provider, is hiring a senior director of corp dev
- InterContinental Hotels Group, a global hotel operator, is hiring a director of strategy and corp dev
- New York Life Insurance Co. is hiring a senior analyst for corp dev
- Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ), the computer and IT services provider, is hiring a director of strategy and corp dev.
Hopeful signs for corporate dealmakers who are in the job market. -
Suzanne Stevens
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