Jennifer J Fondrevay – Merger and Acquisition Human Capital Advisor and Keynote speaker
In the rush of mergers and acquisitions, financial projections often take center stage while the human element is overlooked. Jennifer Fondrevay argues that this is where businesses falter.
In this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, Jennifer dives into the hidden pitfalls of post-merger integration, the overconfidence that derails deals, and the often-underestimated importance of culture allies and pre-mortems in ensuring a smooth transition.
Oana Ijdelea, Managing Partner of Ijdelea & Associates and Jennifer Fondervay, Founder of Day1 Ready™, told us during the
Forbes Power Breakfast event what their vision is regarding adapting to uncertain times, the role of the human side in business, but also what the secrets of female leadership are.
Click here to read the full article in Forbes where Jennifer and Oana discuss Jennifer’s Forbes article, “Women Possess a Secret Weapon for Merger and Acquisition Success” and learn about the 5 superpowers women bring to the table.
Jennifer sits down with David Lovejoy to talk about how she supports organizations in building people-first strategies that drive successful integrations.
In this episode, they discussed:
✅ Why the emotional toll of M&A is often underestimated—and how grief, identity loss, and ambiguity impact performance.
✅ How middle managers are the make-or-break force in post-deal success and why they need to be trained, not just informed.
✅ The power of rituals, empathy, and even music in helping teams process change and move forward with clarity and trust.
In this episode of The Turbo Branding Show, Jennifer draws on her experience as a marketing executive during three multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, Jennifer sheds light on the emotional and cultural dynamics that can make or break a successful deal.
To be a ‘lame duck’ is to lose power. Or so the thinking goes. Popularized in politics, the term lame duck refers to an elected official still in office who will soon be succeeded. The official typically experiences diminished influence and authority as they await their successor’s assumption of power. President Joe Biden’s extended lame duck period since withdrawing from the presidential election, is a perfect example of a leader appearing less effective at the end of his term as the public focuses on the newcomer.
Click here to read the full article in Forbes, where Jennifer talks about how ineffective leadership during a transition can undermine M&A deal success. She outlines the three leadership behaviors that can hinder post-deal results, and three strategies for being an effective leader during the transition.
Host Kelsey Thomas, chats with Jennifer Fondrevay, Human Capital Advisor. Jennifer speaks to the importance of the human capital element in M&A as well as her recent article on the superpowers of women in M&A.
Host Dharmendra Singh, CEO of MergerWare, chats with Jennifer Fondrevay, Human Capital Advisor. Jennifer speaks about Corporate Identity, Cultural Sensitivity, and Longterm thinking.
Jennifer shares her journey and expertise on maintaining company culture during mergers and acquisitions. Learn why the people strategy is crucial and how leaders can ensure a successful transition. Don’t miss this insightful conversation!
U.S. Steel has sent mailers to homes in Western Pennsylvania with a more direct appeal: “Tell your elected officials to support the U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel partnership.”
It’s common for companies in takeover talks to notify customers or, for major sales, lobby members of Congress, according to mergers and acquisitions consultant Jennifer Fondrevay.
But this is the first time Fondrevay has seen a company talk directly to voters in this way, which she said is a product of the political climate.
“If you go back and see what the mergers and acquisitions deal ratio is, it has slowed with the current administration,” Fondrevay said. “I think they made it almost a platform, which is why (U.S. Steel) may be going to extreme lengths.”
Read The MonValley Independent full article to read about Jennifer’s insights alongside those of Rep. Chris Deluzio and Kristin Kanthak, a political science professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
As political pundits try to identify Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick, one name leading the dark horse list is former presidential rival, Nikki Haley. Haley surprised the political world when she announced she would vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Her feelings for the former president are no secret. Watching how Haley and Trump have navigated their rivalry, reminded me of numerous merger and acquisition (M&A) deals where rival companies came together. Some successfully, more – not so much.
Valuable lessons can be learned from the challenges rival companies face when partnering and what is required for their alliance to succeed. Who knows? The lessons may even be helpful guidance for politicians, as they consider how to make their partnership successful where it counts: a general election.
Read Jennifer’s full article on Forbes as she looks at lessons from M&A mergers: