Integration Focused M&A: Why Execution Should Inform Strategy Before You Sign Part 2 with Ciprian Stan

M&A Science · Feb 9, 2026 · 44m

Ciprian Stan, M&A Integration Manager at SALESIANER Gruppe

Tens of thousands of Excel cells. That's what one target counted in the standard integration plan Ciprian Stan sent them, before asking if he expected them to fill in every one. He didn't. He expected them to cut 80 percent of it.

In part two of this conversation, Ciprian, M&A Integration Manager at SALESIANER Gruppe, makes the case for putting a preliminary integration plan inside the business case before signing, with milestones set for every workstream. He also covers when to build plans top-down versus bottom-up, why sellers often…