What Happens After the MBO? The Hidden Challenges of Post-Deal Integration

When I tell people I support businesses to develop their Leadership Team through management buyouts (MBOs), they often assume my work ends the moment the deal completes. But in many ways, that’s just the beginning.

Because once the legal documents are signed and the champagne has been poured, reality sets in. The new owners – often the existing management team – are now officially wearing very different hats. And it’s here, in the transition from manager to owner-leader, that the real work begins.

From Transaction to Transformation

During my time in corporate finance – whether at KPMG or RSM – I helped countless businesses navigate the transactional side of MBOs. I created the spreadsheets, the information memorandum, the bank packs, and growth plans. In other words, I understood each business and the funding mechanics inside out.

But what I witnessed was how poorly prepared many teams were for what followed.

Owning a business is not just about taking the reins. It’s about redefining your role, leading strategically, and ensuring the business doesn’t lose momentum during a time of change.

This is where I step in now – not just as a coach, but as a trusted advisor who’s been on both sides of the table.

Common Post-MBO Pitfalls

Here are some of the challenges I see time and again:

• Trading Performance – the transaction absorbs so much management time that business performance can suffer in the meantime
• Leadership Lag –The former functional heads are now owners, expected to think like directors. But have they had the space or support to make that leap?
• Team Uncertainty –Staff can sense a shift. Without clear, aligned communication from the new owners, morale can dip and productivity can suffer.
• Process Bottlenecks –Systems that worked in the old world may now feel outdated. But who has the time – or headspace – to overhaul them?
• Strategic Drift –The excitement of ownership can quickly be replaced by the grind of firefighting, unless there’s clarity on long-term direction.

What Helps?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but some tools I regularly bring into post-MBO integration include:

• Leadership Coaching – To help new directors navigate identity shifts. This is dedicated time on a 1:1 basis, supporting individuals to unlock their thinking, see the bigger picture and behave more strategically.
• Team Dynamics Workshops – To align the senior team around shared goals. Helping team members work together as a team, understanding and appreciating difference, and creating frameworks to enable decision making.  This is imperative when moving from a functional role to the main board.
• Profiling Tools – To raise self-awareness and improve collaboration. Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses, motivations and drivers is key to recognising their own impact and how to have better interactions with others.
• Facilitated Board Sessions – To move from operational focus to strategic direction. Moving the focus from team to company is crucial to deliver the growth plans, by introducing strategic tools such as a risk register.

Real Transitions, Real Growth – Real Examples

From Numbers to Narrative: Stepping Up as Finance Director

I recently worked with a business where the Financial Controller had become the Finance Director. She went from producing the monthly pack to being given it for review and explaining it to funders. We worked together to build her confidence in how to tell the story behind the numbers.

From Technical Expert to Visionary Leader

With another client, the incoming MD had come from an internal-facing technical background. With this new role there was an expectation to shape vision, network, and represent the company externally. Our coaching sessions helped him step away from the doing and the day-to-day, by using tools to trust and empower others, freeing himself up to think and plan strategically thus becoming  more visible and outward-facing.

From Sales Success to People-First Leadership

A recent coaching partnership involved someone moving from a successful Sales role into the position of Managing Director. Whilst they were confident driving revenue and closing deals, this new role demanded something broader – developing others, listening more than speaking, and creating space for leadership around them to grow. Our sessions focused on raising awareness and understanding of the new role, shifting mindset: from doing to enabling, from leading conversations to hearing what wasn’t being said. Over time, they began to see the value in slowing down, building trust, and investing in their team – not just focusing on the top line.

None of this was about telling them what to do. It was about helping them unlock what they already knew – and providing frameworks to address challenges, to help them get there faster.

Final Thought

An MBO is a huge opportunity – but it can quickly unravel without the right support in place (the stats on successful MBOs is not good).  What gets missed is that the true transformation happens after the deal.

If you’ve just completed an MBO – or you’re about to – you don’t need another advisor telling you what to do. You need someone who understands the pressure you’re under, the opportunity you hold, and who can help you navigate what comes next.

And that’s where I come in.

Interested in making your post-MBO journey a success? Get in touch for a conversation. No pressure, just perspective. Contact Liz to see if Growth Plans® is right for you and you are right for them: [email protected]