THE ROLE OF I.T LEADERSHIP IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS: LESSONS FROM CIO INVOLVEMENT

Business mergers and acquisitions have evolved significantly over the past century, with corporations adopting more structured methodologies for these practices. The 1980s marked a pivotal era where a surge in mergers and acquisitions reshaped the business landscape, profoundly impacting organizations. This transformation emphasized the importance of effectively integrating organizational assets, particularly data and information, to enhance overall company value and operational benefits. The utilization of complex software and systems became essential in managing these critical assets, as modern corporations recognized the equivalence of data and information to their physical assets, encompassing processes and trade secrets. This paper delves into the historical evolution of merger methodologies and their relevance in the 1980s and subsequent years. It explores the shift towards data and information as essential components of corporate value and assesses the critical role of software and systems in managing these assets