RGP Releases New M&A Research Report Highlighting the "Human Value Gap" as a Critical Driver of Deal Success
RGP (NASDAQ:RGP), a global professional services firm, today announced the release of its latest primary research report, The Human Value Gap in M&A. The report uncovers a critical blind spot in modern mergers and acquisitions, showing that organizations continue to prioritize financial integration while underinvesting in the human systems that ultimately determine deal success.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260331078380/en/
RGP's research report, The Human Value Gap in M&A, uncovers a critical blind spot in modern mergers and acquisitions, showing that organizations continue to prioritize financial integration while underinvesting in the human systems that ultimately determine deal success.
Based on insights from CFOs and CHROs across industries, the research challenges traditional M&A playbooks and establishes a new reality for dealmakers: while financial engineering initiates transactions, human integration determines whether they deliver long-term value.
"For decades, M&A has been managed as a financial exercise, and the human capital aspects of M&A have been deprioritized," said Daniel Boyer, Senior Vice President, Head of M&A at RGP. "What this research validates is that deal value is rarely lost in the spreadsheet; it's lost in the organization. Leadership alignment, talent retention, and cultural integration are the true drivers of sustained performance."
The research highlights a growing disconnect between how deals are evaluated and how value is realized. Key findings include:
- 81% of CFOs say intangible assets such as culture, talent, and knowledge are critical to deal success, yet only 18% believe their organizations are effective at protecting them.
- 74% report moderate to high leadership or critical talent turnover within the first year of an acquisition.
- Most organizations measure success within two to three years, while true cultural and organizational integration often takes five to seven years.
- Early warning signs of value erosion, such as leadership turnover, disengagement, and innovation slowdown, are often invisible in financial reporting.
Together, these findings define what RGP calls the "Human Value Gap," the disconnect between the recognized importance of people-driven value and the lack of structured approaches to manage it.
"While financial and operational synergies are often captured within 18–36 months, true value realization, especially in people-centric deals, depends on cultural alignment, which may take 5–7 years to fully embed," said a CHRO of a Multinational Pharmaceutical Company. "Yet these longer-term, culture-led success factors are often under-measured. Indicators like employee engagement, leadership retention, internal mobility, and trust in new leadership can be leading signals of whether the integration will truly deliver sustained value or quietly erode it over time."
The findings point to a fundamental shift in how deal value must be created and sustained. In an era where acquisitions are driven by talent, innovation, and digital capability, organizations can no longer rely on financial integration alone. Those that fail to align leadership, operationalize culture, and optimize employee experience risk eroding the very value they set out to acquire. The next generation of M&A leaders will be defined by their ability to close the Human Value Gap and turn integration into a competitive advantage.
About the Research
RGP's research for its M&A report is based on a survey of 120 CFOs across Technology, Consumer Products & Retail, Financial Services, Private Equity, and Healthcare, along with in-depth interviews with 15 CHROs from leading global enterprises. Most respondents are based in the United States (83%), with additional representation from Mexico (18%), and span organizations with more than $500 million in annual revenue and deal experience ranging from under $100 million to over $1 billion.
The study examines how organizations evaluate, execute, and measure M&A success, revealing a consistent insight: while outcomes are generally viewed positively, value is most reliably protected and unlocked through disciplined integration, particularly in talent retention, cultural alignment, and the integration of digital, data, and innovation assets. At the same time, familiar and preventable challenges persist, including overestimated synergies, cultural misalignment, and insufficient diligence, often compounded by integration fatigue and talent attrition.
The findings underscore that long-term value is ultimately determined by how effectively organizations align people, culture, and operating models after the deal closes.
About RGP
RGP (NASDAQ:RGP) has been redefining professional services for 30 years by closing the gap between advice and execution. RGP combines the flexibility of on-demand talent, the rigor of consulting, and the accountability of managed services for faster impact, smarter investment, and lower risk. The firm partners with CFOs and other C-suite leaders across finance, digital transformation, data, and cloud—connecting advisory to execution at global scale.
Based in Dallas, Texas, with offices worldwide, RGP annually engages with more than 1,500 clients around the world from 40 physical practice offices and multiple virtual offices. As of January 2026, RGP is proud to have served 90 percent of the Fortune 100 and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report (2025-2026 Best Companies to Work for) and Forbes (America's Best Midsize Employers 2026, America's Best Management Consulting Firms 2025, World's Best Management Consulting Firms 2025).
Resources Connection, Inc. (RGP) is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the exchange's highest tier by listing standards. To learn more about RGP, visit: http://www.rgp.com. (RGP-F)
Dare to Work Differently®—for a world where execution matters.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260331078380/en/
Investor Contact:
Jennifer Ryu, Chief Financial Officer
(US+) 1-714-430-6500
[email protected]
Media Contact:
Pat Burek, Financial Profiles
(US+) 1-310-622-8244
[email protected]