From the outside, M&A can seem like a clean transaction – a new parent company, a logo change, a cheerful announcement.

But inside? The reality is messier. Integration. Culture clashes. Reporting headaches. And a long list of decisions that determine whether the deal actually works.

Dom Hawes has lived both sides. After his own agency was acquired (badly), he went on to build Selbey Anderson – a marketing services group backed by private equity, designed from day one to scale through M&A.

In just 30 months, he led the acquisition of 11 agencies, growing the group to £22M in revenue. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on how that actually happens – and what too many people get wrong.

Here’s what we dive into:

• Why leadership – not just profit – is the #1 factor Dom looks for in an acquisition
• The red flags that make him walk away (including founders who say “I’m not a numbers person”)
• What makes integration hard – and how to avoid derailing morale
• The systems decision Dom regrets – and how it made integration and reporting harder later on
• How to be “sale-ready” in today’s tougher market

Whether you’re looking to sell or simply sharpen up your ops, this one’s a must-listen.

Additional Resources:

Follow Dom Hawes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominichawes/ 

Check out Selby Anderson: https://selbeyanderson.com/ 

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/ 

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