The high rate of merger and acquisition (M&A) failures indicates that organizations often underestimate the importance of risk management in M&A decision-making. The internal audit function should seek to become involved as early as possible in the M&A process and provide value-added assistance by conducting a risk assessment, including assessing the corporate strategy process, especially as it relates to growth by acquisition. One key success factor includes collaborating early and often with external auditors and other compliance groups.

This document can be used as a general guide for understanding the role of internal auditors in the M&A process.