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Mergers & Acquisitions Playbook and Insights for Risk Professionals

By Travelers
1 minute
Business Risk Resources

Where we’ve been: The role of risk professionals in mergers and acquisitions.

In 2024, risk professionals played a critical role in helping their companies navigate the complexities of over 9,000 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity (PE) deals – at a combined value of nearly $1.2 trillion.1

To better understand the top risks businesses face from M&A today, Travelers surveyed over 800 risk and insurance professionals for its 2025 M&A Risk Study. The findings highlight key concerns that can impact deal success, from cultural integration to operational efficiency.2

Where we’re going: The 2025 M&A Risk Playbook

Drawing on key insights from the study, Travelers created The Risk Professional’s Mergers and Acquisitions Playbook to help business leaders and risk professionals successfully manage a merger, acquisition or PE deal. The playbook highlights some of the critical areas to focus on during due diligence and summarizes key actions to take before, during and after closing a deal.

Top challenges identified in the 2025 M&A Risk Study2

The biggest top-of-mind challenges from M&A cited by risk professionals include:

  • Cultural differences (24%) – Tensions arising from differing workplace cultures, slowing team cohesion.
  • Operational disruptions (18%) – Loss of productivity and efficiency, along with delays in business processes.
  • Technology integration challenges (14%) – Difficulties in merging software, databases, IT platforms and legacy systems.
  • Talent retention concerns (10%) – Loss of key employees, talent and institutional knowledge.

Get the playbook at RISKWORLD® 2025

The Mergers and Acquisitions Insights and Playbook for Risk Professionals will be published in early May and featured by Travelers at RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago (May 4-7).

For those attending, visit Travelers at booth 911 in the exhibition hall to connect with our industry experts, discuss the insights from the playbook and explore other key risks and insurance topics.


Sources
1 PitchBook Data, Inc., pitchbook.com
2 Travelers M&A Study, 2025