PwC Academy announces strategic partnership with IMAA

PwC Sri Lanka Academy Leader Haresh Perera (left) and IMAA President Prof. Dr. Christopher Kummer

PwC Sri Lanka’s Academy recently announced their strategic partnership with the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA). Made with the purpose of improving the level of knowledge and insights with regards to strategic alliances as well as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) among the country’s business professionals, this initiative will enable those in the industry to derive critical insights and knowledge with regards to the subject. 

The IMAA plays host to the education of a number of world renowned and highly sought-after educational accreditation programs pertaining to corporate synergies in mergers, acquisitions and alliances. It is a not-for-profit think tank that pursues research and provides not only educational certificate programs, but also workshops, resources and expert knowledge in the field of M&A and consists of respected faculty and trainers from around the world.

The certifications on offer are designed and aligned with the intention of sculpting and educating international mergers and acquisitions experts, mergers and acquisitions professionals, certified post-merger integration specialists, legal mergers and acquisitions experts, and human resources mergers and acquisitions specialist. 

As such, the announcement of this strategic partnership was also supplemented by a new IMAA Valuation training program that will be conducted by the internationally-acclaimed valuation guru, Prof. Aswath Damodaran. Well known through his blog, Musings on Markets and his YouTube channel that has seen a meteoric rise in its activity, Aswath is a lecturer at the Stern School of Business at New York University (NYU) and is true a titan in his field. 

The IMAA Valuation training program offers a curriculum where participants will be educated on how to successfully face any challenges in every known situation pertaining to M&As; from strategy, to due diligence, to valuation, and post-merger integration. With its acclaim to educating professionals around the globe and the notoriety earned through their success, the IMAA’s program could be said to be the most substantial and complete educational program operating within its sphere.

Due to the disruptive results brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, investors have shown a preference to adopt different strategies for their strategic acquisitions. This has created a demand for trained professionals in mergers and acquisitions with the capability to structure them pertaining to highly sought-after deals for technology and other innovative capabilities.

PwC Sri Lanka Academy Leader Haresh Perera remarking on the significance of this initiative said: “We can see a significant number of activities around mergers and acquisitions in Sri Lanka and we felt it’s the right time to partner with IMAA and bring world class programs and certifications on mergers and acquisitions to educate the companies and entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka through this program.”

IMAA President Prof. Dr. Christopher Kummer elaborated on the effects of mergers, acquisitions and alliances have had and will continue to have on the local and the global economy. He noted the transformations of a number of organisations and how they were synergised when corporate alliances were formed. He further stated: “I have had the pleasure of organising trainings with PwC Academy in Sri Lanka before and our Institute and team looks forward to working even more closely together for the benefits of the businesses and economy of Sri Lanka.”

The PwC Sri Lanka Academy is one of 35 PwC Academies around the globe, with the number set to grow. Having been a proponent of talent development for over 100 years, PwC’s ability to recruit, retain and grow talent is unparalleled. Their abilities and expertise in this field has positioned them as one of the largest and most successful professional services firms in the world. 

PwC now looks to channel that ability into the PwC Academy programs, with a view to elevate the professionals of our nation. The experience and collective nous that PwC has to offer could be an invaluable resource to the development of Sri Lanka as well as the furtherance and the long-term sustainability of its economy as a whole.