3 November 2010. The Forum of the Institute of Management of the University of St.Gallen (IfB-HSG) will be devoted to issues of strategic M&A and active portfolio management in affiliates. With this new conference, theInstitute of Management will once a year be addressing managers who work in groups of companies.

This event offers a new platform for a dialogue between managers and experts. Speakers will include François-Xavier de Mallmann, a member of the European Management Committee of Goldman Sachs, as well as the new CEO of Novartis, Joseph Jimenez, who will be speaking about the drivers of consoldidation in the pharmaceutical industry.

Challenges in practice
Most companies are now involved in a variety of businesses. In these diversified groups and concerns, there are three essential challenges:
• the strategic orientation and development of the group as a whole;
• the group’s coordination and integration, which aim to create additional value;
• the design of the interaction between the group level and the operative units (divisions, countries, product lines).

Publication accompanying the Forum
The book entitled Mergers & Acquisitions: Analysen, Trends und Best Practiceswill be presented in the course of the Forum and will subsequently be available in book shops. It runs to 740 pages.

Invitations for media representatives
Venue: Executive Campus HSG, Main Building
Time: Friday, 5 November 2010, 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., followed by an aperitif
Please register with sven.kunisch@unisg.ch, tel. +41 71 224 23 61