Carlos Keener

Carlos is an M&A integration expert. He has over fifteen years of organisational change and project management experience, and has supported integrations across numerous industry sectors and countries.

He advises businesses on corporate and acquisition strategies, design of post-deal operating models, operational performance reviews, and helps deliver programmes of major business restructuring and improvement.

Past clients have spanned most sectors and geographies, and include larger corporations such as GlaxoSmithKline, Tata-Corus, EMI, Marks & Spencer, Colgate Palmolive, and E.On; as well as numerous mid-market and smaller organisations.

Outside his independent practice, Carlos has worked with PwC and Accenture, where he was a Senior Manager within their EMEA Corporate Strategy practice.

“Few things will destroy a client-consulting relationship faster than a perception that the consultancy has evolved from strategic partner to parasite…Focusing on exploring the most pressing business concerns rather than selling services will build the two most important elements of a good business relationship: integrity and trust.”
- Carlos Keener, Harvard Business Review, May 2003
 

Adam Tyner

Adam has ten years of experience in general management and consulting in organisational strategy and design. He has supported M&A integration, cultural alignment and restructuring initiatives across multiple sectors, helping firms such as Pfizer, Wyeth, Morgan Stanley, and Tata-Corus. Prior to Beyond the Deal, Adam was in Accenture's Corporate Strategy and Organisation Strategy practices. As a general manager, he led business units through a variety of situations including start-up, rapid profit improvement, entry into new geographies, turnaround, and restructuring, and he brings this operational and general management perspective to his client work. Adam is a graduate of Harvard University, and holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Andy Stansfield

Andy leads Beyond the Deal’s marketing services support. A Politics graduate from the University of Hull, Andy built a successful sales career in computing before moving to marketing. He has over twenty years’ experience across the marketing mix gained primarily with BT. There, he held a variety of marketing posts working in B2B both in the UK and internationally. He has built on his passion for building lasting business relationships through delivering diverse campaigns from planning through to execution. His expertise covers collateral, events, team and budget management, internal and external communications, PR and analyst relations. He has experience in traditional and digital marketing, client- and agency-side.

For all media and speaker enquiries relating to the Beyond the Deal team, please contact andy.stansfield@beyondthedeal.com.

Barbara Vrdlovec

Barbara is experienced in organisational design and delivery of new business models following acquisition or restructuring. Fluent in English, German, Italian and French, her over 10 years of experience in management consulting and line management has covered most sectors and geographies across the globe, and includes organisations such as Mondi, Toshiba, Nokia Siemens Networks and Erste Bank. A strong advocate of Steven Covey and his focus on an individuals’ contribution to business and personal success, Barbara understands the complex interplay of people, processes, systems, culture, structure and governance; and how to align them post-acquisition to accelerate delivery of acquisition goals and high business performance. Before joining the Beyond the Deal team Barbara worked for Accenture and Austrian Airlines. She holds a degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and a CEMS Master‘s Degree in International Management.

Colin Hopkins

With over 10 years international experience in the IT and Telecoms sector, including as Integration Director at BT, often in highly-complex demanding environments operating across multiple geographies, Colin's strong collaborative style, technical competence and understanding of strategy has consistently delivered enhanced post-merger business performance. For Colin, integration success is strongly linked in being able to cross the divide; from strategy to execution and a clear focus on effective delivery. Before joining the Beyond the Deal team Colin worked for the Royal Air Force and British Telecommunications (BT). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Wales, a Master's degree in Psychology and Computer Science from the University of Sussex, a Master's degree in Business Management from University College London and a Doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Essex.

Divya Modi-Sarda

Divya is a senior business analyst and strategic consultant with over ten years of professional experience in M&A. Alongside her work in strategic development & planning, her analytical skills include commercial due diligence and valuation, shareholder value analysis, market/competitor assessment, and acquisition synergy evaluation. In addition, Divya also supports clients in the structuring, negotiation and financing of acquisitions. Divya has a BSc. in Economics from the London School of Economics, and an MSc. in Development Economics from Oxford University, for which she developed an econometric model for Foreign Direct Investment capital flows. She has worked with executive and board-level clients across multiple sectors in the US, Europe, India, and Russia. Prior to her time with Accenture and the Guardian Media Group, Divya was Marketing and Portfolio Manager of JKM Overseas, and brings this wider commercial perspective to her clients.

Kathryn Smith

Kathy has 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Kathy worked for 26 years at Pfizer; in R&D, Business Development and Strategic Planning, and has extensive knowledge and understanding of Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and the Healthcare Environment.

In her role as Executive Director of the Acquisition Practice Group, she led the R&D acquisition strategy and subsequent integration of acquired R&D companies, securing over $3Bn in assets from more than 9 companies, and establishing Pfizer’s Research presence in Bio-therapeutics and Vaccines. During this time, she and her team built an effective acquisition integration capability.

The last few years, Kathy has been focused on working with smaller Pharma/Biotech companies, assisting them with their strategic planning and business development efforts. She naturally builds partnerships with people and teams and brings a strong focus to getting things accomplished.

Kathy holds a BS in Pharmacology from Leeds University, UK and an MA in Biology from Brown University. Originally from the UK, she has lived in the US for the last 20 years.

Lynda Farmer

Lynda is a specialist in communications, change management, and engagement of leadership teams and employees during integration and restructuring programmes. Her corporate, cross sector, experience includes roles as Head of Internal Communications at Wolseley, Mars, and London Underground; and Global Divisional Director at Motorola. Her work supporting organisations such as British Airways, Barclays, Kimberly-Clark, WHSmith, Halifax, Sainsbury’s and others has revolved around development and management of communications strategies, development of integration best practice, and interim management of communications teams.

Tina Barkley

Tina provides office management, project coordination, and administrative support to the Beyond the Deal team to help us ensure that our people can focus on our clients and their needs. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and her experience in medicine prior to joining Beyond the Deal provides her a unique perspective to team management and administration.

Amit Dass

Amit is a senior M&A specialist with over 10 years of experience in corporate deal structuring and evaluation, more recently involved in deals within the TMT sector across Europe. In addition to his M&A-related work, he also has been involved in business planning, joint venture & partnership reviews,and change management programs to improve firm performance. Amit recently completed an Executive MBA with Cass Business School, achieving a distinction for his dissertation entitled ‘How Can Firms Plan Integration Intelligently to Gain Competitive Advantage?’.

Prior to Beyond the Deal, Amit held strategy and finance positions with firms such as ING Bank, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NetJets) & Orange UK.

Steve Bernard & Connectwell

Steve is a Professional Coach and Organisational Development specialist. In his 20+ years of business experience, Steve has helped numerous organisations realise strategic aims by realising people's potential. He has a strong Customer and Operations Management background from his early career at British Airways.

His ability to create strong, trusting relationships helps him to manage large scale change and organisational development programmes with confidence and authenticity.

Steve has a passion for people development and team effectiveness, where he has a wealth of experience. He has a Social Science and Psychology degree and holds professional qualifications in coaching and other tools such as the MBTI personality system.

After 11 years managing in industry and a further 8 years in consulting, Steve set up Connectwell in 2006. In doing so, Steve saw the deep frustrations of individuals and teams whose efforts, time & money was being wastefully poured into 'change' over many years; many people simply ignored the 'reality' of their situation and so started at the wrong place. The critical relationship between groups and cultural elements of change was so often ignored too. Connectwell aims to redress the situation and re-energise leaders who often lack confidence in the power of their people's individual creativity and the impact that can have.

Beyond the Deal and Connectwell work together when executive teams need additional help (as a group or individuals) as they review the shape of the combined organisation, their engagement in the upcoming integration process, and their role in the business going forward.

Leadership Development – Executive Coaching – Cultural Change – Organisational Diagnostics & Capability Building – Team Dynamics

Clients include; Royal Mail, AstraZeneca, British Gas, Action For Children, Which, AXA, Recruitment and Employment Confederation and Tetley.