Cross-Border Acquisitions: The Back-Office Work Nobody Budgets For
Jennifer Lipshultz, Senior Director of M&A Integration at ECI Software Solutions, discusses the complexities of cross-border acquisitions, focusing on the often-overlooked back-office and people integration challenges. She shares practical strategies for navigating language barriers, diverse legal and financial regulations, and cultural nuances to ensure successful integration and build trust with acquired teams.
- Cross-border back-office compliance, such as new electronic invoicing requirements in Norway and Sweden, demanded ECI Software Solutions acquire additional software modules and third-party services, incurring material and opportunity costs post-close. Read →
- ECI Software Solutions made a strategic pivot about two years before Jennifer Lipshultz joined, moving from a holding company model to a 'full absorption' M&A approach, centralizing all acquired data into a single ERP and HRES system. Read →
- Jennifer Lipshultz, Senior Director of M&A Integration at ECI Software Solutions, prioritizes engaging acquired company leaders first, running "change engagement sessions" because, as she puts it, "most people take their cues from their managers." Read →
- Acquiring an India entity often requires a full legal entity reset: an "amalgamation" process to dissolve the target's existing structure and establish a new one, a prerequisite for basic functions like opening local bank accounts. Read →
- A 2025 German acquisition at ECI Software Solutions exposed a hidden integration burden: an extensive "language lift" required for fully interconnected systems. Read →
- ECI Software Solutions' Jennifer Lipshultz warns against assuming prior M&A experiences in existing operational geographies will hold for new acquisitions, citing variations in language skills and benefits harmonization. Read →