M&A Integration Strategy: Embedding Culture Through Connection

Helping new teams feel informed, included, and inspired — from day one

🤝 4 integrations delivered | 🎓 90%+ onboarding completion | 💬 Hundreds of questions answered | 🧡 Culture carried forward

🔍 The Challenge: Bringing People Together, Not Just Companies

Mergers and acquisitions can be disruptive.

They often bring uncertainty, culture clashes, and operational confusion — especially for newly acquired teams who suddenly face unfamiliar systems, benefits, leaders, and language.

At Reward Gateway | Edenred, we knew that a smooth integration couldn’t rely on systems alone.

We needed a people-first strategy to ensure every new joiner felt informed, connected, and empowered to thrive from day one.

📌 Background: Putting People at the Center of M&A

Between 2022 and 2025, RG completed four successful acquisitions across the UK and Australia.

I led the internal communications and employee experience strategy across each integration, ensuring that new employees didn’t just join a company, but joined a community.

From pre-announcement to onboarding and cultural activation, every touchpoint was designed to build clarity, trust, and connection.

🛠️ My Role: Strategy, Communication & Culture Integration

I partnered with HR, IT, Leadership, and local teams to develop a repeatable, high-touch framework that could scale across acquisitions, while still feeling personal.

Key initiatives included:

Example of an acquisition welcome hub we created

1. Communication & Engagement Touchpoints

• Launched a branded welcome campaign, Making Room for boom!, to introduce new joiners to our people, platforms, and purpose

• Created a custom Welcome Hub on boom! with:

  • Onboarding guides and videos

  • Recognition tools and eCard templates

  • “Speak Up” feedback channels

  • Cultural explainers on HEART, EPIC, values, and benefits

2. Training & Empowerment

• Facilitated live and recorded sessions on our EVP, mission, and internal tools

• Ran interactive activities like scavenger hunts and team competitions to promote learning through play

• Integrated new team members into existing recognition programs with:

  • Tailored welcome eCards

  • Shoutouts across comms channels

  • HEART Award eligibility from day one

• Created feedback loops via FAQs, AMA sessions, and open suggestion forms

3. Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Tracked platform engagement through boom! logins, eCard usage, benefits uptake, and training participation

• Used pulse surveys and sentiment feedback to monitor inclusion, wellbeing, and communication clarity

• Shared insights with ELT to adjust messaging cadence, training timing, and manager support strategies

💥 The Results: Integration That Felt Like Belonging

This wasn’t just about onboarding — it was about building connection from day one.

• 🌎 4 M&A integrations completed with high engagement and retention

• 🎓 80%+ training and onboarding completion across regions

• 🧭 New hires joined with clear understanding of mission, benefits, and values

• 🔁 No productivity drop-off post-integration

• 🧡 Employee stories, recognition, and feedback drove a sense of community across the board

❤️ Why It Matters

M&A success isn’t about the deal — it’s about the people.

This strategy helped ensure newly acquired teams didn’t feel like outsiders stepping into someone else’s story. Through thoughtful communication, cultural storytelling, and intentional onboarding, we created an experience that honored where people came from, while making them feel right at home.

From uncertainty to unity. From change to connection. That’s the power of people-first integration.