Banking

Many company leaders see audit as a task related to compliance, and that’s a fair—if overly simplified—definition for external audit. Once per year, an external auditor will perform an annual examination and issue an objective report regarding the financial statements. This regulated activity has an impact on the reputation and financial health of a business. Internal audit is neither specifically tied to regulation, nor is it a single, time delineated task. It is, however, more vital to the ongoing resilience of the business. The effort is more flexible and tailored to the goals and qualities of the entity, and (if done well) is performed throughout the year to monitor company practices and risks.

Despite (or perhaps because of) a turbulent political, economic, and regulatory climate, analyst predictions continue to point to 2017 as an active year for bank M&A transactions. On one side of the coin, it’s because large banks are striving to ‘bulk up’ in the face of regulations. On the other, it’s because small community banks are buckling to shareholder pressures and seeking to exit.

The past three years have seen healthy M&A activity. 2015 set a record for banking and securities M&A. In 2016, activity slowed slightly in the early part of the year but picked up again in the second half, and concluded strong. With the current post-election uncertainty, an unsettled regulatory landscape, and new capital requirements related to Basel III, however, analysts expect a slight pause.[1]

The internal audit function can be a powerful resource for creating competitive advantages and driving growth. It’s relatively intuitive to consider how identifying efficiencies and mitigating risk can aid in the sustainability of an organization. A deeper look at the internal audit (IA) process reveals that it is also incredibly effective for nurturing a strong bank culture during an M&A transaction. 

The competitive spirit is a driving force that pushes each of us to reach unimaginable heights. It’s also what makes sports stories so endearing – particularly those where an underdog overcomes great obstacles to win.  I particularly like this quote from Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in the movie Rocky: 

In the recent webinar “Building a Successful M&A Strategy,” co-hosted with Olsen/Palmer, we explored the current mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape and its impact on the banking industry. The discussion highlighted a compelling shift in the advantages of smaller banks to capture new growth opportunities. Over the past three decades, we’ve seen the average size of buyers steadily decrease while the average size of sellers has steadily increased.

For about nine years, analysts have predicted two game changers for the banking industry – an M&A boom and an interest rate hike. The M&A prophecy came true in 2014, with the highest transaction volume since 2006. Based on year-to-date transaction activity, this trend will continue through 2015.