About Master Your Merger

Putting People First

At Master Your Merger (MYM), we’re transforming how organizations approach mergers and acquisitions by putting people first.

While 80% of M&A deals fail to meet their financial objectives, we’re helping companies beat these odds by focusing on what truly drives deal value: people, leadership, and culture.

What began as a simple quest to share knowledge has grown into a global community of M&A practitioners dedicated to doing deals differently.

Through our peer-learning events, practical training programs, and actionable resources, we’re equipping HR and M&A professionals with the tools they need to create successful, sustainable integrations that strengthen organizations and enrich lives.

From Roundtable to Revolution:

How We Help You Win at M&A

2025 - A New Chapter Begins

Master Your Merger podcast and video series launch
Conferences become The People Synergy Summit
Training aligns under Master Your Merger

This journey isn't just ours... it's yours

Everything we offer equips you to lead with clarity, retain your people, and close the Value Gap so your deal delivers on its full promise.

Meet Our Leaders

Today, Klint combines his personal experience with extensive M&A expertise to help organizations create successful integrations that prioritize both people and profits, ensuring that no other family faces the uncertainty he once did while helping companies achieve lasting deal value.

Klint Kendrick, PhD, SPHR

Founder & Chair

Klint’s journey to becoming an M&A thought leader began not in the boardroom, but in the trenches. Early in his career, with an infant and a two-year-old at home, his company was acquired. The acquiring company’s mismanagement of his compensation left him worried about feeding his family. When he brought up these concerns, he was offered just two weeks of severance - take it or leave it.

He left, walking away with a million-dollar book of recurring revenue that the acquiring company couldn’t replace. This experience taught him a crucial lesson: poorly managed mergers don’t just harm employees - they destroy business value. The company that acquired his firm went from being the fourth-largest software company in the world to non-existent because they couldn’t figure out how to integrate their acquisitions effectively.

This firsthand experience ignited Klint’s passion for transforming M&A practices. Over the past decade, he has:

Led over 150 M&A transactions worth billions of dollars

Authored two essential guides for HR M&A practitioners

Helped Fortune 500 companies like Oracle, SC Johnson, and Boeing prioritize people strategies

Taught M&A to the next generation of HR leaders as an adjunct in NYU's Human Capital Management Program

Built a global community of M&A practitions through the HR M&A Roundtable

Brendan McElroy, MA IOP

Executive Director

Brendan’s understanding of M&A’s human impact comes from direct experience. In 2023, as part of a small, collaborative team of four people, his company was acquired by a larger organization. The poor communication left him facing major life decisions in uncertainty - building a new house while unsure if he’d have a job, waiting weeks to know about benefits while needing medical care, and navigating an onboarding process spread across eight different systems.

But the greatest challenge wasn’t operational - it was cultural. His team went from a collaborative, client-focused environment to one driven by internal competition. The misaligned incentive structures turned colleagues into competitors, leading to information hoarding and reduced client service. What looked great on paper - the integration of complementary services - fell apart in practice because the cultural fi t wasn’t there. The experience showcased how misaligned cultures and poor integration practices can unravel even the most strategically sound deals.

As Executive Director, Brendan combines:

A master's degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology

Innovative research expertise in M&A cultural assessment

A passion for improving the employee experience during mergers

A data-driven approach to solving complex integration challenges

This blend of personal experience and academic expertise drives his mission to help organizations create smoother, more successful integrations that preserve what makes each company valuable while building something stronger together.

How We're Different

While others focus solely on financial metrics, our approach to M&A success is uniquely human-centered.

Real-World M&A Experience

We've been on both sides of the deal table.

We've lived M&A as acquired employees, HR leaders, & integration specialists. From experiencing poorly managed acquisitions to leading successful integrations, our perspective helps us create solutions that work in the real world, not just on paper.

Built by Practitioners, for Practitioners

Solutions created with you, not just for you.

We've built our approach around the real needs of M&A professionals. By developing resources based on our community's actual challenges, we ensure everything we create addresses the hurdles you face daily in your integration work.

Practical Tools for Immediate Application

Fortune 500 capabilities without the enterprise price tag.

We design our resources for HR teams of all sizes managing complex mergers. From quick-reference guides for due diligence to comprehensive frameworks for cultural integration, our tools are built for immediate application in your next deal.

Our Community Impact

Since 2017, we've helped

Over 3,000 HR and M&A professionals through our monthly roundtables

Practitioners from across the globe connect and share insights

400+ organizations successfully navigate complex integrations

95% attendee satisfaction rate across all our events

49% of participants are senior-level decision makers (VP/CHRO and Sr. Director level)

Our Approach to

M&A Success

At Master Your Merger, we believe successful integrations require three key elements:

People First. Understanding that employees are the heart of every successful merger, we help organizations prioritize human capital throughout the deal process.

Leadership Alignment. Creating clear communication channels and aligned incentives to ensure leaders at all levels are working toward shared goals.

Cultural Integration. Identifying and bridging cultural gaps early to prevent the clashes that often derail mergers.

Join the People-First M&A Movement

Transforming M&A isn't just our business - it's our calling.

We're building a future where:

Employees feel valued and supported during transitions

Organizations achieve their strategic objectives

Mergers strengthen rather than strain company cultures

Deal value is preserved through effective people management

Whether you're facing your first merger or your 50th, we're here to help you create sustainable integrations that work for everyone involved.

Your Partners in People-First M&A Excellence

Your Path to

M&A Excellence

Monthly HR M&A

Roundtables

For nearly a decade, our roundtables have helped HR and M&A professionals connect with peers, share insights, and solve real-world challenges in our collaborative sessions.

Learn More

People Synergy

Summit

Our premier conference featuring cutting-edge M&A strategies, hands-on workshops, and unmatched networking opportunities with industry experts.

Learn More

Training
Programs

Quarterly sessions designed to enhance your M&A expertise, from cultural integration to talent retention. Get hands-on experience with real-world scenarios.