Mergers & Acquisitions: A Candid Discussion of This Important Financial Sustainability Strategy

Bill Guerrero - Sacred Heart University

Ricardo Azziz - SPH Consulting Group

In the current environment, major institutional restructuring (aka. "Big Scary Change"), including mergers, acquisitions, and major strategic partnerships, represent not only opportunities for institutions to survive, but also to thrive.

This session, presented by Ricardo Azziz, author of two books, Strategic Mergers in Higher Education and Leading Existential Change, and Bill Guerrero, former CFO of an acquired institution of higher education and trained Columbia University M&A program participant, will discuss their extensive research and experience to address two key questions: (1) Why and how should higher education leaders consider mergers and acquisitions? and (2) What is the role of business leadership in considering, evaluating, and understanding major institutional restructuring?

Learning Objectives

• Understand the opportunities and challenges of mergers and acquisitions.
• Develop tactics to foster consideration of these strategies in higher education.
• Understand the skills needed to lead what we often term "Big Scary Change," and how to develop them.

CPE Available

• 1 Credit: Finance