Chris Branch

Chris Branch provides and implements solutions to help companies execute M&A transactions that maximize value delivered and minimize operational risk. From integrations to divestitures and a multitude of complex variations in between, Mr. Branch has more than a decade of experience successfully navigating the full scope of a transaction lifecycle across many industries and geographies.

Before joining FTI Consulting, Mr. Branch was vice president and head of M&A at Discovery Education, a $2 billion private equity-backed multinational educational technology (“EdTech”) company. In this role, he managed the end-to-end M&A pipeline and implemented a scalable integration program that efficiently managed acquisitions of various sizes during a period of rapid inorganic growth.

Prior to Discovery Education, Mr. Branch spent almost a decade with EY-Parthenon, focused on transactions strategy and execution consulting.

Relevant Experience:

• Led the full lifecycle of integration and synergy management processes for a SaaS EdTech product company’s $500 million integration; successfully completed the largest and most complex integration in the company’s history
• Served as engagement leader for a $100 million business services company portfolio divestment, coordinating separation management office on preparation, planning and execution for 11 legacy businesses units operating in five countries into eight separate in-parallel divestitures with six separate buyers
• Led cross-border sale planning and execution process for a $110 million mobile phone company divestment, handling the reverse supply chain portion of the larger global mobile phone company’s $350 million carve-out and sale process
• Served as engagement leader for a $1.2 billion chemical company acquisition for a no-transition service (“no-TSA”), 16-country integration; advised senior executives within the separation and integration management office
• Led a $2 billion business unit integration re-planning as part of a $130 billion merger and a $78 billion advanced materials company spin-off