M&A Momentum: Lessons in Adaptation and Growth

M&A’s (Mergers and Acquisitions) can be defining moments for organisations and equally so for the professionals working within them. For Business Analysts, they present both uncertainty and opportunity: roles may be questioned, processes disrupted, and identities reshaped. But with the right mindset, they also offer a powerful chance to evolve.

In this interview, Josie Stone, Strategic Change Portfolio Manager (Analysis and Planning) at ARAG Legal Services UK, reflects on her experience navigating a major post-M&A integration. Ahead of her session at the Business Analysis Conference Europe 2025, she offers a candid look at the unexpected challenges, the strategic shifts, and the personal lessons learned while helping her team find its voice and value in a rapidly changing environment.

From redefining the BA role to managing resistance and aligning conflicting priorities, Josie’s insights offer a grounded and practical guide for anyone navigating transformation — and a reminder that even in disruption, there is room to grow.

1. Navigating Change

Your session explores how BAs can thrive during an M&A. What was the most unexpected challenge you faced — and how did your team adapt?

Without doubt, the fact we were not included on the target operating model came as the greatest challenge! In a time of significant organisational change, it might seem odd that those employed to drive forward the change agenda were overlooked. Business Analysts working outside scrum teams were seen as a short-term, transitional requirement during the post-M&A integration period and people who had been with the business for years were initially presumed to be contractors. We had to work hard to convince the new leadership team of our value and to find a place for ourselves in the new world.

2. Redefining the BA Role

You mention that M&A’s offer a chance to redefine your role. How did this play out for you, and what advice would you give to BAs facing similar uncertainty?

When everything is in flux, there is a chance to turn analytical skills inward and to revisit what it means to be a Business Analyst. I often hear people in our profession complain about lack of opportunity to use the full range of skills covered under courses like the BCS Diploma. In trying to establish our place in the target operating model, we were obliged to have some frank discussions about the service we wanted to offer the business and the skill gaps we would need to fill (as well as those aspects of the role we were prepared – sometimes reluctantly – to abandon). This wasn’t a comfortable process but was absolutely the right move. We have developed a new mission, gained buy-in from our leadership team and significantly improved morale. The future is bright!

3. Strategic Influence

How can BAs position themselves as strategic advisors during high-impact change, rather than being seen as purely operational?

This is largely about building your brand. You can conduct a self-assessment using the well-known POPIT model – keeping in mind that a strategic viewpoint means having a high-level understanding of the whole business and its environment.

People – who do you know and what is their level of influence?

Organisation – do you (truly) understand the strategic aims of the business and the wider environment?

Process – are you able to explain how different functions work together to achieve strategic aims or do you have “blind spots”?

Information – do you know the key performance indicators of your business and how different types of change may impact them?

Technology – are you aware of the technology architecture?

These are all areas to work on. Showing the leadership team that you can speak confidently at this level will help to elevate your profile and open doors so you can showcase your full range of skills.

4. Lessons from the Field

What’s one lesson you learned during the M&A process that you think every BA should hear?

Remember that people are people. This may sound odd, but it’s easy to assume anyone in the other organisation (especially those in more senior positions):

• • • Is generally scary
  • • Already knows everything
  • Has no time for you

M&A’s and acquisitions tend to be unsettling for everyone involved, so be kind and make the effort to get to know people on both a personal and professional level. Relationships are often built in the places you would least expect – those “water cooler moments” are especially important in this environment. Not only will it raise your profile, it will also (more importantly) make for a much more enjoyable working day!

5. Aligning Processes

M&A’s often involve aligning conflicting processes and priorities. How did your team approach this without losing momentum?

The key is to start with a clear view of the expectations. Do the leadership team see this as a true M&A, where operating models will be harmonised, or is it more of a “takeover” where the acquiring business expects the acquired one to adapt to its existing operating model? In some cases, it will be different depending on the function and you may need to use those analytical skills to nail down the answer. Once you understand this, you can set some clear guardrails around exercises like gap analysis and requirements elicitation. For instance, you might classify a gap / requirement based on certain criteria – for example:

• • • “Must have” – regulatory or contractual obligation
  • • “Should have” – operational oversight
  • “Could have” – anything else

If working in an agile way, it can also be useful to frequently revisit what the leadership team considers to be the minimum viable product so there are no surprises.

6. Managing Resistance

What’s one technique or approach that helped you overcome resistance from stakeholders during the transition?

It takes great skill to facilitate sessions where the objective is, essentially, to bring together two opposing views of best practice. The Business Analyst adopts the role of mediator, using techniques such as active listening to surface the root cause of concerns and play them back in an impartial, non-emotive way. A useful approach is to elevate the discussion to a more abstract, conceptual level by using techniques such as business capability modelling (something I discuss in more detail during my session).

7. Championing the BA Profession

You’re passionate about challenging outdated views of the BA role. What do you say to people who still see it as a stepping stone to project management?

I’m known for “banging the drum” about Business Analysts being seen as lower on the hierarchy than Project Managers. The relationship should be viewed more as a partnership, with the Business Analyst focused on the what / why and the Project Manager focused on the when (with both sharing ownership for the who!).

 I also firmly believe that business analysis begins in the pre-project space and continues beyond project close. Project Managers are experts at delivering a change on time, within budget and to the agreed level of quality. Business Analysts are experts at bringing order to chaos. We support the business to define what they need, ensure alignment to the overarching strategy, work with the Project Manager to ensure the change they deliver meets expectations and then continue to track the benefits beyond project close. Being a Business Analyst is fulfilling precisely because it encompasses more than just the delivery stage. We must look forwards and backwards, as well as delivering in the present.

8. Workshop Takeaway

What’s the one thing you hope attendees will take away from your session and apply in their own organisations?

My session will take attendees on a journey through a real M&A and will offer practical tips on how to navigate certain aspects of the process. However, I am also keen to share personal reflections and lessons learned during this period, during which we have radically reshaped our identity as a team. I hope attendees will come away from the session with a renewed sense of positivity. As Einstein famously said: “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”.

Join Josie Stone at the Business Analysis Conference Europe 2025
🗓 Tuesday, 16 September 2025 | 🕥 10:25 – 11:10 BST
📍Convene 133 Houndsditch, 133 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7DB
🎤 M&A Momentum: Lessons in Adaptation and Growth

M&A can shake up roles, priorities, and entire organisations but they also offer Business Analysts a unique opportunity to lead, learn, and grow.