John Milne

If you’re navigating mergers and acquisitions in today’s environment, regulatory change isn’t a side concern—it’s at the center of every deal. Governments around the world are tightening oversight, raising antitrust thresholds, and scrutinizing industry consolidation like never before. That means you can’t treat regulation as an afterthought. You need to understand how shifting laws affect deal structure, approval timelines, valuation assumptions, and post-close integration. This article breaks down what those regulatory changes mean in practical terms and how you can position your deal strategy to move forward with confidence. Shifting Regulatory Focus Is Slowing Down M&A Timelines You’ve probably already seen how timelines are stretching. What used to take 90 days might now take 9 months—especially in sectors like tech, finance, and healthcare. Agencies are reviewing more deals and asking more questions. In the U.S., both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Just...

If you’re overseeing mergers or acquisitions today, relying solely on traditional due diligence won't cut it. You’re dealing with fast-moving markets, regulatory complexity, and operational risks that aren’t always visible in standard reports. That’s where big data analytics changes the game. It lets you go beyond assumptions and access patterns that were previously hidden. Whether you're sizing up a target company, identifying integration risks, or trying to predict post-deal performance, big data gives you a sharper edge. In this article, you’ll see how to use analytics to make smarter decisions, reduce surprises, and set your deal up for long-term success. Redefining Due Diligence with Predictive Insights You already know due diligence is more than a checklist—it’s your first real test of whether a deal has legs. Big data lets you move past static spreadsheets and dig into real-time performance indicators. Instead of just comparing quarterly reports, you can analyze sales pa...

Decentralized finance, or DeFi , is rapidly changing how businesses think about capital, liquidity, and financial control. It removes traditional gatekeepers like banks and brokerages and replaces them with blockchain-based platforms, where smart contracts automate transactions and unlock access to capital in entirely new ways. What started as a fringe movement in digital assets is now influencing how companies manage treasury, raise funds, and handle cross-border operations. I work with finance leaders who are reevaluating long-standing strategies as DeFi platforms introduce faster, cheaper, and more transparent alternatives. In this article, I’m going to break down the key ways DeFi is starting to shape corporate finance, where the opportunities lie, and what risks executives need to consider when exploring this space. Blockchain Technology Is Becoming a Corporate Finance Tool At the heart of DeFi is blockchain technology —distributed ledgers that record transactions with full transp...

Mergers and acquisitions are rarely about just signing the deal—bringing two businesses together in a way that actually creates value is the real challenge. Without a well-executed integration plan, even the most promising acquisitions can turn into costly missteps. I've worked on enough deals to know that cultural misalignment, poor communication, and operational inefficiencies can derail an integration before it even begins. Success comes from a structured approach that aligns leadership, employees, and systems under a single, cohesive strategy. These seven steps are essential for ensuring that an acquired company is smoothly integrated and that the combined organization achieves its full potential. 1. Begin Integration Planning Before the Deal Closes One of the biggest mistakes companies make is waiting until after the acquisition is finalized to think about integration. By that point, issues have already started to emerge, and the transition becomes reactive instead of strateg...

When it comes to acquisition valuations , relying solely on EBITDA multiples often provides an incomplete picture. While EBITDA captures a company's operational performance, it overlooks key aspects like financial stability, liquidity, and long-term profitability. To gain a more accurate and holistic understanding of a business’s value, incorporating additional financial ratios is essential. Below, I’ll outline seven critical ratios that go beyond EBITDA multiples , explaining their relevance and how they contribute to more precise valuations. 1. Price-to-Earnings (P/E) Ratio The Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio is one of the most widely recognized valuation metrics. It compares a company’s market price per share to its earnings per share (EPS). This ratio offers insight into how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings, making it a useful tool for assessing market sentiment and growth expectations. A high P/E ratio often indicates that the market expects strong ...

When valuing a business, EBITDA multiples often come into play as a popular and straightforward tool. EBITDA, which stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization, focuses on a company’s core operational performance. By applying a multiple to EBITDA, you can estimate the value of a company while ignoring variables like tax structures, financing decisions, and accounting policies. However, while EBITDA multiples are widely used in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and financial assessments, they are not without their limitations. Over my career, I’ve observed both the strengths and pitfalls of this method, and I’ll explain how it works, when it’s useful, and the risks of relying on it exclusively. What Are EBITDA Multiples? EBITDA multiples are used to estimate a company’s value based on its earnings before deductions for interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. The formula is simple: Business Value = EBITDA × Multiple The multiple ...