Education & Education Technology

Position Your Organization
for Success: A&M PEPI's Education
and Education Technology Practice

The Private Equity Performance Improvement (PEPI) group in A&M drives tangible results across a spectrum of stakeholders. The Education/EdTech practice within PEPI focuses on organizations in these sectors — whether publicly traded, privately -held, or not-for-profit — and their investors or other stakeholders. Our goal is always to maximize shareholder value within the context of the principles, mission and values of each organization.

Pioneering Innovative
Solutions in Education

Our work in education is steered by our collective experiences and consists of working alongside influential thought leaders across the education landscape and making a positive, tangible impact. This collective expertise enables us to pioneer innovative solutions to education's most pressing challenges, benefiting our clients and improving educational outcomes.

Strategic Alliances/ M&A

Mergers & acquisitions strategy development
Due diligence and deal analysis
Integration planning and execution
Regulatory analysis and strategy development

Financial & Operational Improvement

Operational assessments
Financial health assessments
Strategic sourcing & procurement
Graduation rate analysis
Facilities review & management
Public-private partnerships
Revenue enhancement, including enrollment planning, asset monetization, tuition strategy

Organizational Transformation

Organizational realignment
Shared services and organizational consolidation
Digital transformation
Solution design & development
Support for student pathways
Change management

Leadership & Support

CIO strategy & support services
CFO services, finance & accounting operations
Treasury, cash management & tax transformation

Education & Education
Technology Industry

Our practice is built with practitioners who are former operators in the space and who have helped to run (and, in instances, turn around) educational organizations. As a result, we come with a point of view that is informed by multiple experiences in this industry — and we are always ready to partner with management teams to help drive their visions forward.

As a trusted partner to Education/EdTech organizations, we’re committed to unlocking the full potential of each organization to deliver value to its students, lifelong learners and other stakeholder groups. Typical engagements in our practice revolve around pre-acquisition assessments, post-acquisition planning, or day-to-day performance improvement in an ongoing (i.e., non-transaction) environment. We strive to enhance operations of each of our clients, so they are better positioned financially to deliver on promises to students and lifelong learners.

How We’re Helping to Move Education and EdTech Forward:

We help investors to assess and acquire Education and EdTech companies, whether they are a private equity firm considering a potential new portfolio company, two publicly traded companies contemplating a merger with one another, or firms considering any other type of transaction. Our practice also assists investors and their companies with synergy assessment and realization, integration planning and execution.
And when our investor clients look to exit certain portfolio investments, we help management prepare the organization for sale in many ways, including self-scouting, working with management on organizational improvements and/or organizing an operational report for the benefit of the buyer universe.

We also assist organizations that are not in a transaction cycle through performance improvement (PI) assessment and execution. As a trusted partner to these clients, we help them improve operating performance and overall fiscal health, whether they are a for-profit or not-for-profit entity.

We help education investors channel funds into developing and testing new solutions that support student achievement.

Just as some of our colleagues within the firm may optimize distribution and logistics networks for the needs of tomorrow, our practice’s comprehensive offerings in Education and EdTech-transformation drive tangible, impactful change across all levels of learning.

Case Study

Client

American K-12 Testing Provider
merging with Tech-Enabled
Education Software Company
and being acquired by leading
Private Equity investor.

Role

Our A&M team conducted a four-week Synergy
and Performance Improvement (PI) Assessment
followed by 10 weeks of Merger Integration
Planning for the merger of the largest US Testing
Provider in the K-12 space with a Tech-Enabled
Education Software Company. In addition, A&M
acted as sell-side advisor while the companies
were acquired by a private equity investor.

Impact – total savings identified by A&M team estimated at $18.4M to $27.7M, leading to a projected future EBITDA margin of ~25%+
Timing – planned timelines for all initiatives fully implemented within 24 months
Alignment – engaged with senior management in both companies in addition to board of directors who signed off on magnitude of adjustments and timeline to completion

Case Study Impact

$23M

total cost savings. ~80% expected to be completed by the end of year one

20%

total headcount reduction for the combined future state of the business

$12M

expected as one-time costs to achieve synergies, within 24 months

25%+

expected EBITDA margin for the combined future state business once all savings achieve run rate

Meet Our
Practice Leaders

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Software, Technology
& Services

We help organizations navigate and innovate with the evolving landscape through operational and digital transformation.