M&A

Why do some deals fail?: Lightning Round with Captrust CEO Fielding Miller

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What makes for a successful merger of advisory firms? Fielding Miller, CEO of Captrust Financial Advisors, should know. The aggressive acquirer has inked more than 30 deals over the past dozen years.

It usually comes down to cultural fit, according to Miller. “You have to have people who want to join you, who have the same value system,” he says. “People who want to go in the same direction, who are willing to grab an oar and start rowing.”

Why do some deals fail? The executives failed to “get the culture right,” he maintains. “They focus too much on the financial aspects [of the transaction].”

In this lightning round of quick-fire questions and answers, Miller also elaborates on one Captrust’s newest growth initiatives and describes why Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” is a meaningful book for him.

While Miller has successfully navigated scores of transactions, charting a course through Manhattan traffic still stumps him. There's an app he uses to find his way through New York’s clogged streets, though. Watch the video to find out which one.