John Milne

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...