What does a merger or acquisition mean for your job role?

2013 saw some big changes in the animal health industry with many large organisations merging or acquiring their competitors. We saw Sogeval acquire Alstoe in February 2014 to then be acquired themselves by Ceva in December 2013, whilst Zoetis become independent from Pfizer – another big turn up for the industry. At the moment, these changes are very common in the marketplace and don’t mean bad news for employees. Although change can generally be unsettling, it can also bring huge opportunity. For many, the expansion of your existing employer will involve growth and the possibility for internal promotion that may not have been available before. So don’t panic.

So if you are facing a merger or corporate acquisition – what should you do?

It is important to properly assess what opportunities there might be internally, before making any decision at all. This includes doing some research into the new organisation – what positions do they have which are similar to yours; what is their culture and ethos – these can be key factors when it comes to deciding your options.

In addition, you need to undertake some external research. Is the merger or acquisition part of a corporate growth strategy, for example? By speaking to someone with proven long term experience in the market, you will get an opportunity to ask some questions and place yourself in a stronger position having done your homework at the outset.

But it is important to remember that many M&A’s come with huge positives and can be a great opportunity for progression within your career. If your company is merging with a larger organisation then there may be opportunity for promotions or even a career change internally.

Mergers also mean the opportunity for more products to be sold. This is a huge positive for anyone in a sales role as this offers a larger market and a larger set of products to start selling.

We all know how stressful and emotionally draining it can be when your employer is merging with another organisation or being acquired by a competitor. But it doesn’t have to be. These changes might initially be seen as a daunting or negative change but in actual fact they often open up the opportunity for more progression. You may even have the chance to take on more responsibility and managerial duties if your team starts to expand.

So look at the positives of the merger and get yourself in a position to take advantage of new opportunities internally or externally. Indeed, you may find yourself opening new doors you didn’t even know were there.