VP, M&A Transactions

Role Summary

Location: based in Cambridge, MA, US, or East Hanover, NJ, US, or Basel, Switzerland. The VP, M&A Transactions will be fully responsible for end-to-end execution of deals with a focus on large-scale acquisitions and divestments greater than $2 billion in value. The role has final accountability for the assessment and execution of acquisition opportunities to secure external innovation and drive future revenue growth by leading cross-functional teams to inform capital allocation decisions.

Responsibilities

• Deal strategy and execution
  • Once an opportunity has been identified and triage is completed by S&E (Search & Evaluation), outline a deal strategy (game plan), including a timeline to signing, governance planning, gating diligence items, bidding strategy, and an engagement plan with the target company.
  • Shape and secure non-binding offer and ultimately binding offer terms in collaboration with M&A Finance, due diligence, M&A Legal, M&A Tax, and other relevant line functions within BR, Development, TAS, US and International as needed.
  • Build and manage high-performing teams on a deal-by-deal basis, ensuring appropriate level of seniority and cross-functional representation to enable consistently high-quality decision-making at ECN and BoD level.
• Risk and value assessment
  • In collaboration with the due diligence head, launch and govern a Virtual Data Room (VDR) based diligence, ensuring target company is disclosing all relevant information and Novartis internal experts are reviewing all relevant information. The due diligence lead will handle scientific and technical diligence; the VP/Deputy Head M&A Transactions will lead all aspects of corporate diligence.
  • Coordinate relevant business case inputs and ensure appropriate review from TAL members and ECN members.
  • Incorporate findings from diligence into the risk and value assessment and solicit support from third parties as needed to inform the assessment and recommendation.
• Review and negotiation of definitive documentation
  • Primary counterpart to M&A legal to solicit business input on transaction documents.
  • Soliciting input across functions and ensuring transaction documents secure Novartis interests while balancing risk and reward for the partner.
• Governance orchestration
  • Prepare decision-making framework for ECN DC and BoD, ensuring a consistent approach to risk and value assessment of an opportunity.
  • Choreograph compressed / ad-hoc governance calendars to secure approvals in competitive processes and maintain pre-read hygiene.
  • Integrate PSB, R&D LT, and Commercial Review session outputs into ECN DC and BoD materials.
• Approval-to-closing diligence process
  • In collaboration with the due diligence head, review all new information shared by the counterparty or as it relates to the target asset(s) profile from approval until signing and again from signing until closing.
  • In collaboration with the due diligence head ensure all new information is adequately reviewed by relevant line functions with escalation to C&BD management and ECN members as appropriate.
  • Key partner to the integration function post-signing to ensure knowledge transfer and strategic value drivers of the deal are prioritized in the integration planning process.
• Team development
  • Develop strategic, content, and execution capabilities of more junior M&A Transactions leads through regular coaching and feedback.
  • Model M&A team best practices to enhance overall organizational effectiveness in executing external innovation opportunities.
• Late-stage Landscaping
  • Lead TA landscaping exercises for late-stage opportunities through collaboration with S&E and TA strategy groups.
  • Prepare comprehensive market and deal dynamic assessments on an annual or bi-annual basis to inform strategic decision-making on capital allocation strategy and reflect on Novartis deal-making performance vs peers.
• Third-party relationship management
  • Maintain regular cadence with financial advisors (banks, boutiques, consultancies, and other third-party intermediaries involved in M&A transactions).
  • Gather market intelligence based on advisor relationships and remain up-to-date on evolving market dynamics and competitor activities in the space.
• Leadership
  • Number of direct reports: 4-5 M&A Transactions associates
  • Project Team: ~20-30 associates in a focused diligence assessment and up-to ~200 associates in a full assessment across up-to 68 different line-functions with 1 to 5 representatives from each line function.
• Matrix Collaboration
  • Across all corporate and RDC continuum functions (legal, finance, research, development, commercial, strategy, P&O, operations, IT, and ERC).
• Key Stakeholders
  • TALs, C&BD Head, ECN-1 line function leads and ECN members.
• Financial Responsibility
  • M&A deals with a focus on M&A value of >$2 billion.
• Organizational Impact
  • Critical, ensuring short, mid, and long-term inorganic growth through large scale acquisitions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in leading end-to-end M&A deals across a variety of deal types, including acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures, licensing, and partnerships across multiple geographies.
• Thorough understanding of corporate strategy with ability to align deals with enterprise growth objectives and portfolio priorities.
• Strong financial background with a solid understanding of financial modelling, scenario planning and synergy assessment.
• Skilled in identifying and mitigating strategic, financial and operational risks.
• Understanding of legal frameworks for licensing and acquisition deals, and a thorough understanding of antitrust and regulatory processes as it relates to document creation and competition law.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams with influence and drive large multi-disciplinary teams to achieve common objectives and goal.
• Ability to work under pressure and tight timelines while maintaining a collaborative spirit and high communication skills.

Education

• Business, finance, or life-science education; Master’s degree or equivalent preferable.