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GEN7860 Corporate Strategy and M&A: The Head of Corporate Development’s Mastery Program

$198.00
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The Executive Diagnostic and Governance Toolkit

Corporate Strategy and M&A: The Head of Corporate Development’s Mastery Program

Score your own function red, amber or green, find out which part is weakest, and walk into the next budget round able to defend what you want to fix. Built for leaders reviewing Corporate strategy and M&A.

$199 one-time
30-day money-back guarantee Verified against latest insights, updated access provided within 24h

Each order is checked and updated against the latest insights before delivery. That is why access takes up to 24 hours rather than being instant.

What you walk out with
A scored, ranked picture of your own function, and a defensible answer to what to fix first.
1 You stop guessing where you stand.
You finish with a score, not an opinion: every part of your function rated red, amber or green, with the weakest ranked first. Evidence: a Quick Scan for the shape of it, then seven domain assessments of 30 scored questions each, 210 in all, rolled into one scorecard, plus a maturity radar and a current-versus-target gap analysis.
2 You can defend the decision.
You walk into the budget round with the gap named, the owner named and done defined, instead of a case built on instinct. Evidence: project charter, scope statement, RACI, requirements traceability and work breakdown structure, pre-filled in your domain's language.
3 The work actually moves.
The month after the decision is already built, so nothing stalls waiting for someone to design a form. Evidence: more than 60 project templates across all five PMBOK process groups, plus runbooks, SOPs, a KPI framework, audit checklists and a risk matrix. 55 to 65 files in total.
4 You use it the day it lands.
No blank templates to interpret. Every workbook opens with what it is, who uses it, when, how, a 1 to 5 scoring guide, what good looks like, and a worked example you delete and type over.
The Quick Scan is one sitting. You will know your weakest area before the day is out.
Nothing in it is generic project management: the build rejects any file that could belong to another course. Updated after you enrol, so it reflects where the work stands now. The 144-chapter course is included behind it, for the parts you want to go deeper on.
You’re expected to deliver deeper insights faster—but the tools and methods haven’t kept up.

The situation this is built for

The artifacts you rely on—quality of earnings reports, synergy assessments, integration timelines—are taking longer to produce just as expectations for speed and precision rise. Your team is drowning in manual workflows while stakeholders demand real-time updates. The board wants confidence in value creation, but your due diligence process still depends on legacy templates and fragmented data. You’re expected to lead transformation, but you don’t have a clear map of where your function stands—or where it needs to go. The work itself is changing, and if you don’t define what excellence looks like now, someone else will.

Who this is for

Head of Corporate Development at a mid-to-large enterprise, responsible for end-to-end M&A execution, strategic planning, and post-merger integration. Owns the team, the artifacts, and the decisions that drive deal value.

Who this is not for

This is not for consultants, junior analysts, or executives who delegate the core work. It’s not for those looking for vendor comparisons or technology recommendations. It’s for the person accountable for the integrity and impact of the M&A process from target identification to integration.

What you walk away with

  • Define what world-class M&A execution looks like in your organization today
  • Audit your team’s current capabilities across due diligence, valuation, and integration
  • Identify where manual effort can be reduced without sacrificing insight
  • Align stakeholders around a shared definition of deal readiness
  • Build a tailored roadmap to strengthen your function’s strategic impact

How this maps to your situation

  • Assessing current capabilities
  • Redefining excellence in execution
  • Aligning stakeholders and process
  • Planning for sustainable impact

Before vs. after

Before
You’re reacting to deal pressure, relying on outdated methods, and struggling to prove the strategic value of your team.
After
You lead with clarity, using modern frameworks to drive faster, more insightful decisions and measurable value creation.

What's included with your purchase

  • 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
  • Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
  • Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Delivery and format

  • Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
  • Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access

Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.

Time investment: Approximately 3 hours per module, designed to be completed alongside active deal work. Total time: 36–40 hours over 12 weeks.

If nothing changes
Without a deliberate assessment, your team risks becoming obsolete—drowning in manual work while value leaks through poor integration, weak synergy capture, and misaligned stakeholders. The tools around you are evolving. If you don’t redefine what your function does and how it does it, someone else will.

How this compares to the alternatives

Unlike generic M&A courses or vendor-led training, this program focuses exclusively on the artifacts, decisions, and meetings owned by the Head of Corporate Development. It does not sell tools or promote external solutions. It equips you to lead with authority, using the work you already do.

Also included: the full course, for when you want the reasoning behind a finding (12 modules, 144 chapters)

Depth reference. The diagnostic and the templates stand on their own; this is what to read when you want the reasoning behind a finding.

Module 1. The Evolving Role of Corporate Development
Understand how the expectations, scope, and influence of the function have shifted in the last five years.
12 chapters in this module
  1. How corporate development’s mandate has expanded beyond deal execution
  2. The growing influence of data and automation on strategic decisions
  3. Mapping stakeholder expectations across the C-suite and board
  4. Identifying where strategic planning overlaps with transaction work
  5. The shift from episodic deals to continuous portfolio shaping
  6. Balancing short-term value capture with long-term strategic fit
  7. Assessing the maturity of your organization’s deal culture
  8. Defining the core responsibilities of a modern corporate development team
  9. Recognizing when strategic initiatives become transactional
  10. Evaluating how integration planning influences target selection
  11. Understanding the increasing role of operational due diligence
  12. Tracking how deal cadence affects organizational bandwidth
Module 2. Assessing Your Current State
Conduct a rigorous self-assessment of your team’s capabilities, tools, and decision quality.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Measuring the time spent on manual data processing versus analysis
  2. Evaluating the consistency of financial due diligence outputs
  3. Auditing the completeness of quality of earnings checklists
  4. Assessing the clarity of deal hypothesis documentation
  5. Reviewing how synergy estimates are sourced and validated
  6. Determining the accuracy of historical integration timelines
  7. Identifying bottlenecks in cross-functional collaboration
  8. Benchmarking your team’s output against peer organizations
  9. Tracking decision latency across approval gates
  10. Assessing the reusability of past deal models and assumptions
  11. Evaluating how well market intelligence informs target selection
  12. Documenting the handoff process between diligence and integration
Module 3. The Anatomy of a High-Performance Deal Team
Break down the roles, skills, and workflows that define elite transaction execution.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Defining the core competencies of a transaction services analyst
  2. Structuring roles for due diligence, modeling, and integration
  3. Balancing internal expertise with external advisor reliance
  4. Designing career paths that retain top M&A talent
  5. Identifying the traits of effective deal leaders
  6. Creating accountability for end-to-end value delivery
  7. Establishing clear ownership of pre-close milestones
  8. Coordinating legal, tax, and financial diligence workflows
  9. Building cross-functional alignment on integration ownership
  10. Setting expectations for data ownership across business units
  11. Developing communication protocols for crisis moments
  12. Institutionalizing lessons learned from past deal experiences
Module 4. Due Diligence in the Age of Speed
Reevaluate the purpose, scope, and delivery of financial and operational diligence.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Determining the minimum viable scope for financial due diligence
  2. Designing scalable quality of earnings frameworks
  3. Integrating real-time data into preliminary diligence assessments
  4. Reducing reliance on manual general ledger analysis
  5. Standardizing adjustments for non-recurring items
  6. Validating customer concentration risks with operational data
  7. Assessing supply chain dependencies during due diligence
  8. Evaluating EBITDA normalization assumptions rigorously
  9. Identifying red flags in working capital trends
  10. Streamlining intercompany transaction analysis
  11. Accelerating fixed asset and depreciation reviews
  12. Documenting assumptions for future auditability
Module 5. Strategic Fit and Portfolio Logic
Clarify how each potential acquisition aligns with broader portfolio strategy.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Defining your organization’s strategic perimeter clearly
  2. Mapping targets against core, adjacent, and new markets
  3. Evaluating technology assets for strategic optionality
  4. Assessing cultural compatibility through operational patterns
  5. Analyzing customer overlap and cross-sell potential
  6. Reviewing IP portfolios for defensive and offensive value
  7. Identifying portfolio synergies beyond cost savings
  8. Using market share data to validate strategic positioning
  9. Evaluating geographic expansion logic
  10. Assessing regulatory risk as a portfolio constraint
  11. Balancing innovation capture with integration complexity
  12. Prioritizing deals based on strategic leverage
Module 6. Valuation Beyond the Model
Move past spreadsheet gymnastics to grounded, defensible value assessments.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Building valuation models that reflect strategic intent
  2. Incorporating scenario planning into base case assumptions
  3. Stress-testing revenue growth projections with market data
  4. Validating EBITDA margins against industry benchmarks
  5. Accounting for integration costs in purchase price allocation
  6. Assessing the realism of management’s forecast commitments
  7. Using precedent transactions with proper context
  8. Adjusting for macroeconomic volatility in valuation ranges
  9. Evaluating earnout structures for incentive alignment
  10. Documenting key value drivers for board review
  11. Presenting valuation uncertainty with confidence intervals
  12. Avoiding overreliance on discounted cash flow precision
Module 7. Synergy Assessment and Capture
Shift from optimistic estimates to actionable, trackable synergy plans.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Differentiating between cost, revenue, and strategic synergies
  2. Setting realistic targets for headcount reduction
  3. Validating procurement savings with supplier data
  4. Estimating revenue synergies without double counting
  5. Building time-phased integration milestones
  6. Assigning ownership for synergy realization
  7. Tracking synergy progress with operational KPIs
  8. Avoiding overstatement in pre-deal synergy announcements
  9. Incorporating integration risk into synergy valuation
  10. Using past deals to calibrate future synergy estimates
  11. Designing synergy tracking dashboards for leadership
  12. Linking synergy capture to executive compensation
Module 8. Integration Planning That Delivers
Transform integration from an afterthought to a value driver.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Starting integration planning before signing
  2. Defining Day One readiness across functions
  3. Mapping critical IT systems and data dependencies
  4. Aligning HR policies across merged entities
  5. Communicating integration plans to employees early
  6. Establishing a dedicated integration management office
  7. Tracking cultural integration with measurable indicators
  8. Managing brand transition and customer messaging
  9. Consolidating supply chains without disruption
  10. Harmonizing financial reporting standards quickly
  11. Setting milestones for full operational integration
  12. Conducting post-integration health checks
Module 9. Decision Governance and Approval Workflows
Optimize the process for moving from idea to approval with clarity and speed.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Designing stage-gate processes for strategic initiatives
  2. Defining clear criteria for advancing deal proposals
  3. Preparing executive summaries for time-constrained leaders
  4. Structuring due diligence findings for board consumption
  5. Aligning legal, tax, and finance on approval requirements
  6. Documenting deal committee recommendations consistently
  7. Managing escalation paths for contentious decisions
  8. Balancing speed with compliance in fast-moving deals
  9. Using playbooks to standardize deal approval packages
  10. Incorporating risk assessments into go-no-go decisions
  11. Tracking approval latency across decision points
  12. Updating governance models as deal complexity evolves
Module 10. Data, Tools, and Workflow Design
Evaluate how your team’s tools and processes enable or hinder high-quality output.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Mapping the data journey from source to insight
  2. Reducing manual rework in financial model updates
  3. Standardizing data requests to target companies
  4. Building reusable templates for common diligence tasks
  5. Automating routine data validation checks
  6. Integrating document management with workflow tracking
  7. Ensuring version control across collaborative edits
  8. Designing dashboards for real-time deal progress
  9. Securing sensitive data across distributed teams
  10. Training teams on new tools without disrupting deals
  11. Measuring the ROI of workflow improvements
  12. Planning for tool obsolescence and migration
Module 11. Stakeholder Alignment and Communication
Master the art of influencing executives, boards, and business units.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Tailoring deal narratives for different audiences
  2. Communicating deal rationale to skeptical leaders
  3. Managing expectations around integration timelines
  4. Presenting risk assessments without dampening enthusiasm
  5. Preparing board materials that drive confident decisions
  6. Engaging business units early in target evaluation
  7. Handling leaks and internal speculation proactively
  8. Building trust through transparency in valuation
  9. Aligning CFO and business leaders on synergy targets
  10. Navigating cultural resistance to integration
  11. Reporting progress with balanced accountability
  12. Celebrating integration wins publicly
Module 12. Building a Sustainable Function
Create a corporate development team that evolves with the business.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Defining success metrics for the corporate development team
  2. Rotating talent through transaction roles for development
  3. Institutionalizing knowledge from past deals
  4. Creating a pipeline of future deal leaders
  5. Evolving the function’s mandate with company strategy
  6. Balancing transaction work with strategic initiatives
  7. Measuring the long-term impact of completed deals
  8. Conducting annual capability assessments
  9. Updating playbooks based on new learnings
  10. Integrating lessons into onboarding for new hires
  11. Adapting to changes in deal size and complexity
  12. Ensuring the function remains a strategic asset

Frequently asked

Who is this course designed for?
It is designed for Heads of Corporate Development who own the end-to-end transaction process and want to assess and strengthen their team’s capabilities.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Does this course recommend specific software or tools?
No. It focuses on the work, not the vendors. You will learn to evaluate tools based on your team’s needs, not the other way around.
Can I apply this while managing active deals?
Yes. The course is designed to be applied in real time, with templates and frameworks you can use immediately.
Is there group pricing available?
Yes. Contact us for team licensing options.
What formats do the templates come in?
The implementation playbook downloads as PDF and editable XLSX. The course reads in your learning environment and exports to PDF for offline use. The files are yours to keep.
Can I share this with my team?
The licence is per person. Team pricing opens from three seats: reply to the order confirmation with TEAM and we will set it up.
How quickly can I start?
The diagnostic is one sitting and the templates work straight out of the kit. Account access takes up to 24 hours rather than being instant, because every order is checked and updated against the latest sources before it is delivered.
$199 one-time. Approximately 3 hours per module, designed to be completed alongside active deal work. Total time: 36–40 hours over 12 weeks..

Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.

30-day money-back guarantee·Know your weakest area today·210 scored questions·Course included· Account access within 24 hours
30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked.
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