Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions - Technology Integration

at Grant Thornton in Wichita, Kansas, United States

The Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions – Technology Integration is a senior executive responsible for leading the technology component of the firm’s merger and acquisition integration program. This role provides enterprise-level leadership and accountability for integrating acquired firms into a centralized, standardized technology environment, including core systems, infrastructure, security, operating models, and support capabilities.

This leader owns end-to-end technology integration strategy and execution across multiple concurrent acquisitions, ensuring consistent outcomes, controlled risk posture, and timely realization of integration value. The role partners closely with Firm Leadership, M&A, Risk, Legal, Finance, and Business Executives, acting as the single accountable executive for technology integration outcomes.

• Serve as the executive owner for technology integration across all firm acquisitions.
• Define and execute the technology integration strategy, aligned to the firm’s target operating model, growth strategy, and risk tolerance.
• Lead the convergence of acquired firms onto centralized, standardized core platforms, including applications, infrastructure, identity, security, data, collaboration, and end‑user services.
• Ensure integration outcomes prioritize stability, security, scalability, and long‑term operational efficiency, minimizing interim solutions and technical debt.

• Lead a high‑performing, cross‑functional technology integration team, inclusive of architecture, infrastructure, applications, security, operations, and delivery leaders.
• Provide clear direction, accountability, and prioritization across multiple integration initiatives operating in parallel.
• Establish a culture of disciplined execution, outcome‑based delivery, and risk‑aware decision making.

• Own the technology integration roadmap, sequencing integrations across entities while managing inter‑dependencies, capacity constraints, and readiness criteria.
• Establish and enforce integration governance frameworks, including:
  • Target‑state architecture and standards
  • Readiness and cutover gates
  • Exception and risk management processes
  • Decision rights and escalation paths
• Develop repeatable playbooks and tools to accelerate integrations happening in parallel.
• Ensure technology integration is audit‑ready, defensible, and compliant with security, regulatory, privacy, and contractual obligations.
• Provide executive‑level reporting on status, risks, dependencies, and value realization.

• Lead the transition from decentralized, acquisition‑specific technology environments to a unified enterprise operating model.
• Oversee consolidation of:
  • Core business applications
  • Infrastructure and hosting platforms
  • Identity and access management
  • Security tooling and controls
  • Service management and support models
• Define and implement sustainable post‑integration operating models for technology governance, funding, delivery, and support.

• Act as a trusted advisor to Executive Leadership on integration risks, trade‑offs, sequencing, and investment decisions.
• Partner closely with M&A leadership during due diligence, shaping technology integration assumptions, cost models, and timelines.
• Collaborate with Risk, Legal, HR, Finance, and Control functions to align integration execution with firm‑wide requirements.
• Partner closely with all stakeholders including the firms we are acquiring to ensure tight alignment.
• Represent technology integration outcomes confidently to Boards, Steering Committees, and Senior Leadership forums.
• Other duties as assigned.

Technical skills or qualifications:

• 15+ years of experience with at least 5 of those years leading M&A integrations.
• Proven experience operating at Managing Director / Executive Director / VP+ level in a complex enterprise environment.
• Extensive experience leading large‑scale technology integrations…