July 13, 2015
The CIO’s Role in Mergers and Acquisitions
The Wall Street Journal, CIO Journal
With the recent announcement of two large acquisitions – Aetna Inc.’s $34 billion purchase of Humana Inc. and ACE Ltd.’s $28 billion deal for Chubb Corp. – the question arises of what a CIO’s role is, or should be, in a complex merger. In today’s environment, a company’s technology is a significant factor in overall value and can determine whether a company is competitive in its field and on the auction block. Expeditious and cost effective integration of the technologies of the two companies can dramatically influence the success of a merger, with overall impact to productivity and shareholder value.