M&A Capability Building

Unlocking Growth
Through Systematic M&A

North Hollow Advisors works with CEOs, founders, boards, and private equity firms to build the acquisition capabilities that deliver long-term value — not just individual transactions.

75+ Transactions Completed
$17B+ Combined Deal Value
30+ Years of Experience

Former Head of Corporate
Development. Now Your Advisor.

After leading corporate development for two public technology companies and completing over 25 acquisitions — from strategic tuck-ins and divestitures to multi-billion-dollar transformational combinations — Glover Lawrence founded North Hollow Advisors to help companies avoid the common pitfalls that turn promising deals into costly failures.

The difference between deals that succeed and those that don't is rarely about valuation mechanics. It is almost always about strategic clarity, operational preparation, and the quality of judgment applied throughout the process.

AspenTech: Led 18 transactions that tripled revenue to $1.1B and expanded market cap from $4B to $15B.

Avid Technologies: Restructured through 7 transactions, generating $80M in annual savings and 20% headcount reduction.

15 years as M&A investment banker at Morgan Stanley, Hambrecht & Quist, and McNamee Lawrence.

25+

Acquisitions led as head of corporate development at two public companies

$17B

Combined value of transactions spanning US, Canada, UK, Europe, Israel, Australia

Market cap expansion achieved at AspenTech through systematic M&A program

75+

Total M&As, divestitures, and strategic transactions over 30-year career

Glover Lawrence

Founder, North Hollow Advisors

M.B.A. Stanford University B.A. Yale University

Four Ways We
Deliver Value

Whether you're building your acquisition capability from scratch, navigating a live deal, or trying to capture more value from a recent integration, North Hollow Advisors brings the experience and tools to help you succeed.

01

Develop M&A Capabilities

Build the infrastructure of a repeatable acquisition program — before the next deal arrives, not during it. Companies that acquire well treat M&A as a capability, not a transaction.

Custom M&A Playbook Governance frameworks & roles Diligence & integration templates Board deck structure
02

Prepare for Acquisitions

Guide teams through strategic alignment, target identification, and due diligence best practices. Develop a pipeline of targets — not just a single candidate — to preserve your ability to walk away.

Investment thesis development Target screening & pipeline Diligence design & execution Commercial & cultural analysis
03

Advise or Lead Transactions

Partner with your existing team — or lead where needed — to develop and execute acquisition plans across every stage of the deal, from LOI through close.

Deal structuring & negotiation Valuation & financial modeling Advisor coordination Transaction governance
04

Improve Post-Acquisition Performance

Integration is where most deals succeed or fail. Provide guidance, change management, and synergy capture support — with accountability for business outcomes, not just functional milestones.

Integration planning & execution Functional charter development Change management Post-acquisition review

The 7 Mistakes That
Predictably Destroy Deals

After 25+ acquisitions and $17B in transactions, the same failure patterns appear repeatedly. They are not exotic. They are predictable — and preventable.

Companies that build the infrastructure to avoid them don't just execute better deals. They become the kind of acquirer that targets want to be acquired by.

The gap between companies that acquire well and those that don't is almost always about organizational readiness — not deal access or financial sophistication.

01 Unclear or incomplete strategic rationale for the deal
02 Incorrect or limited diligence — especially on commercial and cultural dimensions
03 Neglecting detailed integration planning before the deal closes
04 Underestimating the true costs of integration
05 Ignoring cultural differences between acquirer and target
06 Failing to communicate with all stakeholders, clearly and early
07 Improvising the acquisition process — treating every deal as a one-off

Insights From
Experience

White Paper

Avoiding 7 Common Acquisition Mistakes

And What AI Changes — and Doesn't

By Glover Lawrence  |  North Hollow Advisors

What the paper covers

Strategic rationale & investment thesis Where AI earns its place in M&A Commercial & cultural diligence Where AI creates false confidence Integration planning & cost realities Building a repeatable M&A program
"The difference between deals that succeed and those that fail is rarely about financial engineering. It is almost always about strategic clarity, operational preparation, and the quality of judgment applied throughout the process."

A Structured Process,
Adapted to Your Needs

Step 01

Evaluate

Understand acquisition history, lessons learned, and current capabilities. Identify gaps and opportunities.

Step 02

Clarify

Review M&A strategy with leadership. Build executive alignment and define the investment rationale.

Step 03

Build

Create playbooks, templates, and tools. Develop internal capabilities for repeatable success.

Step 04

Execute

Manage or guide deal process using proven frameworks — valuation, diligence, negotiation, legal.

Step 05

Integrate

Drive integration by investment thesis. Evaluate results and refine the process for next time.

Ready to Build Your
Acquisition Capability?

Whether you're navigating a deal or thinking about building your acquisition muscle — I'm open to a conversation.

glover@northhollowadvisors.com