Podcast: Why Most Mergers Fail and What Leaders Miss About People

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.

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Podcast: What CEO’s Forget During Mergers

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.

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Podcast: Keeping Culture through M&A

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!

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Podcast: Unveiling Women’s Superpowers in M&A

Jennifer & podcast host Natalie Benamou discuss the powerful roles that intuition, empathy, and emotional intelligence play in M&A success.

Jennifer recounts her eye-opening experience interviewing over 60 CEOs and discusses how women can transform the M&A landscape by leveraging their unique skills. Get inspired by real-life stories of female M&A professionals who have become trusted advisors by tapping into their foresight and emotional intelligence. 

Jennifer also offers actionable advice for women aspiring to board roles, emphasizing the importance of human capital management and the often-overlooked process of re-interviewing for jobs post-acquisition.

Explore how women’s intuition, empathy, and foresight can reveal unseen factors, foster open communication, and anticipate future challenges in M&A. Jennifer shares a compelling story about a woman who kept a deal on track by minimizing ego conflicts and discusses the importance of having allies in the boardroom.

Discover the intricate interplay between data-driven decisions and cultural alignment in M&A. Jennifer highlights the often-underappreciated superpowers women bring to the table, such as intuition and emotional intelligence, and provides actionable advice for women seeking board roles. Jennifer also touches on the critical aspect of re-interviewing for jobs post-acquisition and its impact on employee morale.

Podcast: Reframe & Reset Your Career

How can you turn things round if you encounter difficulties when leading a new team? Jennifer & Harsha Boralessa discussed how she dealt with this potentially tricky situation on the Reframe & Reset Your Career podcast.

In this episode, we will learn about potential strategies for navigating the uncertainty, disruption and fear that comes from mergers, acquisitions and other business transformation. 

“What they wanted to know is how was I going to help them in the present moment, right? They hadn’t had a leader in a year and … I worked that much harder to see how can I help this team? What value do I bring to this team? It’s not about what I’ve done in the past, but it’s what I can do now to help them in the future, moving forward. It made me work so much harder … it was about what I could do to contribute to their future.” ~Jennifer J. Fondrevay

Podcast: Virtual Campfire

Embrace change: it’s the key to not just surviving mergers and acquisitions but thriving and showing true leadership. In this episode, Jennifer joins Tony Martignetti to discuss the power of people in Mergers & Acquisitions. Discover the unexpected journey of an accidental entrepreneur, who transforms the daunting topic of M&A into a relatable, engaging conversation. Jennifer shares the human side of mergers and acquisitions, explaining how embracing change becomes the key to not just surviving but thriving in times of transition. She also touches on change management, courageous writing, and more.

See the full transcript here.