How to use board meetings to overcome post merger challenges in the first 100 days

After the deal closes, the clock starts ticking. As Brian Johnson, Strategy Consultation at Introlution, puts it, “The first 100 days post-merger integration are as much about psychology as they are about process.” This is where integration is won or lost.

This window shapes the trajectory of the investment. It's where new boards form, leadership teams recalibrate, and operating models start to shift. It’s also where post merger challenges show up fast: misaligned goals, cultural friction, and decision bottlenecks that can quietly erode value.

Board meetings are one of the few high-leverage tools at your disposal . When structured and run with intent, they create the alignment, trust, and pace needed to keep integration on track.

This article shows how to use board meetings to navigate the critical first 100 days, and turn post merger friction into forward motion. Here’s what you’ll uncover:

• Why most post-merger challenges have little to do with strategy

• How simple meeting refinements can instantly improve decision speed

• Insights into the right post-merger meeting cadence

• The 7 meeting best practices that set organisations up for post-merger success

Why are the first 100 days after a merger so important?

The first 100 days shape outcomes more than any integration playbook ever could.

This is the moment when strategy meets reality. Leaders are still settling into new roles. Cultural differences start to surface. Stakeholders are watching closely, and drawing conclusions fast.

The pace you set now, and the clarity you bring, will either unlock momentum or allow uncertainty to take root.

Almost 90% of PE firms now create 100-day plans after an acquisition, recognising how much of the value creation (or destruction) begins immediately. So much of what derails post merger performance shows up early:

• A lack of alignment on strategic priorities
• Confusion over roles and reporting lines
• Mistrust between leadership and investors
• Delays in decision-making that slow integration to a crawl

Left unchecked, these issues compound. But with the right meeting cadence, they can be surfaced, addressed, and resolved before they turn into structural problems.

The goal in the first 100 days isn’t perfection. “The first 100 days of a merger have a disproportionately high impact on the overall success of an integration,” as ”The First 100 Days” guide from Capgemini highlights.

What are the most common post merger challenges?

Post-merger challenges rarely stem from strategy. They come from execution breakdowns, especially when clarity, trust, and ownership aren’t firmly in place. According to a recent piece from M&A Community, the top post-merger integration challenges include cultural differences, technology integration, operational alignment, and communication breakdowns, all of which require early, deliberate attention from the board.

When cultures clash and confidence takes a hit

Every organisation has its own rhythm. How people talk, how decisions get made, what gets said, and what doesn’t. After a merger, these unwritten rules can suddenly collide. Small misunderstandings start to build. Teams hold back. People feel unsure about what’s expected. And gradually, mistrust starts to creep in. Left unchecked, even the simplest processes can feel like wading through mud.

When roles shift but clarity doesn’t follow

Leadership roles tend to get shuffled after a merger. That’s expected. But what’s less common is a clear map of who’s doing what. Reporting lines blur. Priorities shift. And the people meant to lead are left guessing where they stand. This confusion creates gaps, overlaps, and frustration. Not because people lack initiative, but because no one’s sure where the finish line is.

“Successful post-M&A integration requires decisive leadership from the CEO and executive team,” says Niki St. Pierre, M&A Integration Advisor at Catalant. She continues, “Ambiguity in leadership intentions and decisions leads to widespread uncertainty.”

When goals and ownership aren't clear

When goals are not revisited and confirmed post-deal, teams default to their previous mandates. This creates misalignment at the exact moment when unity of purpose is most needed. Without a shared understanding of what matters most, execution drifts. Projects stall. People pull in different directions. If ownership is unclear, no one moves decisively.

When decision-making is disconnected 

Without strong governance in place, critical decisions lose speed. Information remains siloed. Priorities compete. Leaders are unclear on what needs their input and what can move without them. As a result, decisions bounce between teams or stall entirely. The lack of coordination creates a drag on integration and makes it harder to course-correct when needed.

When silence gets in the way of progress

In the early stages of integration, communication often stalls. There can be concerns regarding what’s safe to share, and as a result, leaders often lose visibility into what’s really happening on the ground. Without clear ways to raise concerns or highlight early wins, important signals never reach the top. The board ends up steering without a full view, making it harder to offer the right support at the right moment.

How board meetings can turn friction into forward motion

Meetings are often treated as routine check-ins. Post merger, they become something else entirely. They are the moments where leaders align, decisions gain traction, and pace is set from the top.

Used well, board meetings offer the most efficient way to:

• Identify where integration is slowing down
• Create alignment across fragmented leadership
• Reinforce priorities and set clear expectations
• Address cultural friction before it hardens
• Build trust between investors and operators

These are not abstract benefits. In the first 100 days, the structure and quality of meetings directly affect how fast teams move and how confident they feel. If meetings lack focus, decisions stall. If the board is passive, uncertainty grows. But when the board sets a clear tone, and meetings are used to drive action, teams respond with urgency and clarity.

Board meetings also play a symbolic role. “PE board members feel like owners themselves,” note Conor Kehoe and Tim Koller from McKinsey. “Boards encourage management to contribute and execute ideas that create long-term value.” These meetings signal what matters, and show how decisions will be made and what behaviours will be rewarded. 

In a period where every signal counts, meetings offer a consistent rhythm that brings people together and moves the integration forward.

What does a great first 100 days meeting cadence look like?

You can’t fix post merger friction in one meeting. But the right cadence creates forward momentum. 

Mastering the rhythm of meetings in the first 100 days balances urgency with reflection. It keeps integration front-of-mind without overloading calendars or slowing operations.

Strategic board meetings

Board meetings are vital anchor points, especially in the early days following a merger , and should be used to make the integration narrative clear, confirm milestones, and align on risks, resources, and the non-negotiables.. Every board member should leave with a clear sense of progress, priorities, and where to step in.

Integration steering committees

This is the working engine of integration. These sessions keep department leads accountable, resolve cross-functional blockers, and maintain visibility across the full integration plan. They ensure day-to-day execution tracks against board-level expectations.

Functional deep-dives

These are the focused, time-bound meetings with specific teams which allow leaders to test assumptions and identify risks early. These meetings give teams a chance to raise issues directly, share progress, and get quick feedback before misalignment spreads.

Regular retrospectives 

No longer reserved for software engineering teams, during post-merger integration, regular retrospectives help to track progress against integration plans, review feedback, and understand how cultural alignment is progressing. Outputs from these retrospectives will help you refine your approach and decide where greater focus is needed.

The cadence doesn’t have to be complex. What matters is consistency, clarity, and follow-through. The rhythm of your meetings sets the rhythm of your integration.

7 meeting practices that make or break post merger success

A strong meeting rhythm is only part of the equation. What happens inside those meetings determines whether integration stays on track or slides off course.

These seven practices help boards and leadership teams keep their meetings focused, fast, and fit for purpose: 

1. Set one clear objective per meeting

A merger brings competing priorities. Setting clear objectives keeps discussion focused and avoids meetings becoming a catch-all for unresolved noise. Clarity here sets the tone for clarity everywhere else. According to Amy Rojik from BDO, “While the Board will not be involved in the day‑to‑day integration execution, they should establish clear integration success criteria at the outset and require regular progress updates. How do we know when integration has been completed?”  

2. Share context-rich pre-reads, early

Pre-reads are not a formality, but an accelerator. But, managed incorrectly, meeting preparation can become a significant blocker. As one anonymous PE executive put it, “The biggest challenge we experience during quarterly board meetings is that we struggle to get to the real, underlying issues and talk openly about opportunities and solutions to problems.” 

Share relevant materials at least 48 hours in advance, and ensure they explain context, not just content. When participants come prepared, meetings move faster and decisions hold more weight.

3. Frame your agenda items as questions

This shifts the tone from reporting to problem-solving. Instead of listing topics, pose questions that invite discussion and drive decisions. For example: “What trade-offs are we willing to make to hit the Q4 integration target?”

4. Assign clear ownership to every decision

Decisions without owners stall. Confirm who is accountable for follow-up actions, and document this before the meeting closes. This creates momentum and reduces the risk of confusion once the meeting ends.

5. Flag friction openly, and fix it fast

Waiting for issues to resolve themselves rarely works. Use board meetings to bring the hard topics forward, especially where cultural tension, unclear roles, or operational delays are showing up. The faster friction is surfaced, the faster it can be addressed.

As BCG highlights, “Post‑merger integration is, of course, a time of great uncertainty, but acquirers can reduce that uncertainty by moving early and decisively.”

6. Keep integration front and centre on the agenda

Integration cannot become a side topic. Dedicate time in each meeting to assess progress, flag risks, and reinforce integration goals. This keeps leadership teams focussed and signals that integration is a top priority.

7. Always leave with clear actions

Every meeting should end with confirmed actions, owners, and deadlines. Make follow-ups easy to track and hard to ignore. 

As Aaron Hall, Attorney and M&A expert, explains, “Board members can establish clear, measurable objectives aligned with organizational [integration] goals… define actionable milestones with specific timelines, fostering accountability through regular assessments of key performance indicators.”

Technology plays a quiet, but crucial, role in integration success

Post merger integration lives and dies in the details. Yet too often, those details are scattered across inboxes, spreadsheets, messaging apps, and personal note files. When the tools are fragmented, the cost is quiet but constant. People lose time, context disappears, and critical information falls through the cracks.

Technology enables good leadership and governance, rather than replacing it, and the right meeting solution will help create the structure you need to move fast, without losing control.

For boards and leadership teams navigating the intensity of early integration, this matters. A reliable platform gives everyone a single source of truth. It removes ambiguity. It helps you spot blockers, surface friction, and keep focus on the work that drives real value.

Sherpany is built for these moments. It gives private equity firms and newly-acquired company boards the tools to run structured, secure, and effective meetings from day one, delivering clarity, pace, and control when it matters most.

Ready to see how Sherpany helps Private Equity firms and newly-acquired company boards align fast post-acquisition? Book a free demo today .