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Article: New marketing blitz pressures government to OK U.S. Steel sale

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.

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Podcast: Death of a Workaholic | Know Your Worth

Jennifer joined Jenny Lynne to talk about being valued and recognized at work, what is your own personal value, and how serving others is part of her journey. Hear the full podcast here.

Key Takeaways

  • You do have to work hard to achieve success, but you also have to find a balance that works for you.
  • Finding purpose and value in your own work requires a willingness to let go of distractions and noise.
  • If you’re feeling unsure of how to make a change in your life, focus on the mark you want to leave behind. What is your purpose in your work?

Key Moments
{03:51} “I think I just got into my head at that point. You gotta always be working at this, like you can never let up.”

{05:53} “But it came from that really painful moment of realizing I was exhausting myself and no one was caring.”

{10:05} “You become less fixated on holding onto the past because you’re okay with the future, you know your value. So anything that comes your way, you got it. You’re good.”

{21:28} “I remember just saying to my husband,  I don’t want my obituary to say, you know, ‘oh, she was a great chief marketing officer,’ right? I thought, man, if my legacy was about helping businesses do better by their people and to improve the success rate, that could be something I’d be proud of.”

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PODCAST: What Now? How M&A Can Impact Your Zero to Ten Journey

The whole transition process of mergers and acquisitions could really be painstaking, especially for employees who are worried of what’s to come next for them out of the M&A deal. In this scenario, it helps to assume the worst so you can be in line with the mentality of your workforce to get them onboard and motivated.

If you fail to effectively communicate what you really want to do and where you aim to go with your mergers and acquisitions deal, the new setup that you’re going to be dealing with is surely to take its toll on you.

Join host Brett Trainor as he and Jennifer discuss:

  1. Introduction [00:00]
  2. Going through an M&A is a matter of when [04:10]
  3. What CEOs need to prepare for during M&A [06:00]
  4. Power and influence of culture in an M&A [09:59]
  5. Dealing with the new reality of the workforce [11:47]
  6. How to avoid becoming a “former rock star” [15:37]
  7. Being crystal clear when approaching the deal [18:07]
  8. Premortem Exercises – Scenario Planning [20:19]
  9. The challenge of giving up old ways [25:32]
  10. Overcommunication as a key to a successful M&A transition [28:44]
  11. Trends in the new normal set-up of businesses [31:18]
  12. Jennifer’s piece of advice to fellow workaholics [36:33]