Overview

The Transaction Advisors Institute is an independent source for in-depth information and perspective on the key issues impacting complex transactions. 

Our sole aim is to help our members improve their M&A process and deal performance. 

We don't advise on deals, arrange capital, or provide other services. 

Members

Our membership is largely from public companies, in particular corporate development teams, in-house M&A counsel, strategy heads, finance managers, and others with specific responsibility for M&A activities. 

We also have a few participants from large private equity firms.

Nearly all have a basic level of M&A experience.

Most are based in the U.S.

M&A Master Classes

We offer a series of one-day classes that are designed to provide very practical guidance to help our members improve their M&A process and deal performance.

Our faculty are typically associated with leading law and business schools. They often draw on their real-world deals experience and current research. Most currently spend significant time working with senior practitioners in their teaching/consulting/research or were practitioners at some point in their careers.

Unlike other executive education programs, our M&A Master Classes aim to be:

• practical with a focus on specific techniques
• detailed, not general or conceptual
• designed for clients, not advisors
  
  
  

Curriculum 

Please refer to the advertised curriculum for your M&A Master Class. Our members are expecting you will cover each topic.

If you have recommended updates for the curriculum, please let us know as soon as possible so we can make any necessary changes.

Modality

Our M&A Master Classes are always taught live online. Participants join through the website and then connect to a Zoom meeting in our course player.

All of our M&A Master Classes are 6 hours with a 30-minute lunch break. Each runs from 10 am - 4:30 pm (Central Time). The classes are structured around three 2-hour sections with specific subtopics in each section.

As our Master Classes are taught on an online platform, please encourage member engagement. We recommend that at least once per hour you use an structured engagement technique - i.e. online polls, breakout rooms, or other means.

Course Materials (Due one week before class)

• Slides - Please use the Institute's Slide_Master_Transaction_Advisors_Institute.pptx. If you need assistance applying the slide master, please let us know.

• Reference materials - Please share any reference materials (papers, exercises, articles, case studies, etc.) so they can be posted to the M&A Master Class page for participant access. We can assign pre-work.

• Polls - Please share any polls you plan to launch during class so we can add them to Zoom. We will also post a survey before the class adjourns. 

• Breakout rooms - Please let us know if you plan to use breakout rooms so we can determine the best plan for splitting the participants.
  
  

A few days prior

• If you are not familiar with our learning platform or our implementation of Zoom, please set up a call with us to work through technical issues in advance of the class day.
• We will circulate the class registration list to give you an indication of the number of students, as well as industries, locations, and companies represented.
• We will inform and remind those registered about pre-readings and/or pre-work (if any).
  
  
  

Day of

Please join via TransactionAdvisors.com ~20 minutes before class (9:40 am Central Time) so we can head off any technical issues. 

To join

1. Sign in to TransactionAdvisors.com (your credentials have be sent via email)
2. Click on My Programs to access your M&A Master Class
3. Click Log-in to the Live M&A Master Class (Zoom)
   
   

To start

• The Institute will welcome participants and cover some basics (keep cameras on, invite questions and chat, how to get CLE / certificate upon completion, etc.)
• Please provide a 5-minute (max) introduction and be sure to reference your M&A experience
• Clarify your plan for breaks (typically every hour) and for lunch (30 minutes)
• Provide guidance on participation; camera should be on if possible, questions are encouraged, any comments made by participants should be treated as confidential, etc.
• Please ask the participants to introduce themselves when they ask a question
  • You might need to remind everyone, especially at the start
    
    

To engage

• After each section; ask the participants what they do and what can be added to the list of best practices. 
  • Wait a full 5 seconds before continuing
• Ask participants if they use a particular playbook, technique, or tool and what they recommend.  
  • Wait a full 5 seconds before continuing
• When you receive a question, invite others to provide additional answers after you share your view.
  • Wait a full 5 seconds before continuing
• Try sending questions through the chat to engage participants who don't like to talk.  
  • Wait a full 5 seconds before continuing
• Remind the participants to turn on their cameras on and ask questions throughout the day, certainly at the start of each of the three sections. 
  
  
  

To close

• Please save time for a 15-minute closing / wrap-up at the end of the day to remind the participants of the material you covered (pointing to the advertised curriculum)
• Participants may stay after class for ~15 minutes (until 4:45 pm central time) for continued discussion, questions, and follow-up
• Remind participants to complete the survey, which is the final step in the course that's required to receive their certificate 
• The Institute will provide guidance on how the participants will receive their tombstone, CLE / CLE credit, and course certification
• We will also mention a few upcoming and related programs before adjourning for the day
  
  

A few days after

• We will schedule a debrief call to provide feedback from our members, share ideas about execution and future sessions, and ask for your input on how the Institute can better support the teaching faculty.

Questions?
Greg Schlimm can help with course materials
[email protected]
+1 (202) 492-8440 (mobile)

Elizabeth Nassar can help with the learning platform and participating members
[email protected]
+1 (312) 342.5045 (mobile)