Events
People Synergy Summit Fall 2026
Where post-close execution meets real world results. Two days, twelve speakers and panelists, one hackathon.
Join leaders across HR, corporate development, private equity, family offices, and integration who are turning people, leadership, and culture into engines of post-close value creation on every deal.
Two full days built around the core M&A challenges you face: total rewards harmonization, integration debt, earnout structures, real deal moments, and a team-based hackathon to apply it all.
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10:00 – 11:00 AM CTOpening Keynote
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11:30 AM – 12:30 PM CTBeyond Lift and Shift: Harmonizing Total Rewards After a MergerScott Hoffhines
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1:00 – 1:30 PM CTHuman Capital in M&A: Executive Research BriefingGreg Schlimm
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1:30 – 2:00 PM CTBeyond the Purchase Price: How Earnouts and Holdbacks Shape HR DecisionsMichael Skarda
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2:30 – 3:30 PM CTM&A ConfidentialModerator: Dr. Susan Hanold | Panelists: Andrea Miguelez, Tom Langemo, and Naveen Nagpal
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10:00 – 11:00 AM CTIntegration Debt: The Hidden Cost of Misdirected IntegrationModerator: Jennifer Fondrevay | Panelists: Eiron Roffey and Megan Mansfield
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11:30 AM – 12:15 PM CTClosing KeynoteDr. Mary Cianni
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12:30 – 3:30 PM CTAI + M&A Deal HackathonTeam-based competition | Apply what you've learned
Fall Member Mastermind: Org Design in Integration
Most integration plans fail in the same place: unclear structure, unclear decisions, and leaders trying to execute change with no operating model.
In this live, members-only mastermind, we'll run a decision clinic on org design in integration — using real member scenarios to work through operating model choices, decision rights, manager load, governance, and role clarity.
The goal is simple: help you make the org design decisions that keep execution moving and protect the value the deal was meant to create.
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10:00 – 11:30 AM CT | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM ETLive Decision Clinic: Org Design in Integration
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11:30 AM – 12:00 PM CT | 12:30 – 1:00 PM ETOptional Networking
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Operating model choices in post-close integration
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Decision rights — who owns what and how to make it stick
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Manager load and span of control in a restructuring
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Governance structures that keep execution moving
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Role clarity — how to resolve ambiguity before it creates risk
Building Playbooks That Work: How HR Teams Operationalize M&A Success
Every great integration starts with a plan, but many teams still struggle to create a playbook that works in real life. Whether you're building one for the first time or trying to breathe new life into a tired template, this roundtable will help you turn good intentions into practical tools that drive results.
- How to create your first playbook without overcomplicating it
- Smart ways to keep playbooks relevant across multiple deals
- How HR can lead the charge in bringing clarity and structure to integration work
- What separates playbooks that collect dust from those that truly guide decisions when pressure is on
- Real examples from integration leaders and practical frameworks you can use immediately
- HR M&A leaders
- Integration managers
- Private equity talent partners
- Corporate development leaders
- M&A consultants and advisors
- Anyone designing or refining integration playbooks
Whether you're building your first playbook or fixing one that's not working, this roundtable has something for everyone.
- Date & TimeOctober 13, 2026 · 10:00 AM Central Time
- FormatInteractive Virtual Roundtable
- AccessSecure virtual meeting link provided after registration
Beyond Bonuses: Non-Cash Tactics for Retaining Top Talent in M&A
You structured the bonus. You hit the retention number. And six months later, your best people are gone anyway. That's what happens when retention design stops at cash. This session gets into the non-cash side, the commitments around role, autonomy, recognition, and purpose that determine whether someone stays engaged or just stays on payroll.
- A framework for diagnosing why your best people are actually leaving
- How role clarity, autonomy, and decision rights impact retention independently of cash
- Recognition and purpose tactics that work in post-close environments
- A practical playbook for matching retention strategies to flight risk profiles
- Real examples from integration leaders who got it right (and wrong)
- HR M&A leaders
- Integration managers
- Private equity talent partners
- Corporate development leaders
- M&A consultants and advisors
- Those who support HR M&A with tools, tech, or expertise
Whether you're designing retention strategy for the first time or revamping what's already on the shelf, there's something for everyone to learn at this roundtable!
- Date & TimeDecember 8, 2026 · 10:00 AM Central Time
- FormatInteractive Virtual Roundtable
- AccessSecure virtual meeting link provided after registration
Speaker Application
We’re always seeking speakers with real M&A experience and practical insights. If that’s you, apply below!
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