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Post-Acquisition Engineering Execution

Your acquisition just closed. Engineering is a black box, the roadmap has no governance, and the board can’t see what’s on track.

I specialize in closing the gap between what diligence flags and what actually gets fixed post-close — roadmap governance, sprint predictability, and the R&D metrics your board is asking for. Most teams are stabilized and delivering within three weeks.

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Thomas Varan — Post-Acquisition Delivery Integration Consultant

Delivered for portfolio companies backed by

Accel-KKR | Berkshire Hathaway | Blackstone | Blue Ladder Capital | Rubicon Technology Partners

13+ years embedding inside PE-backed software companies post-close — building the engineering execution infrastructure that protects the value creation plan.

What I Do

I specialize in the gap between what the value creation plan says and what engineering actually ships.

01

Post-Acquisition Delivery Integration

The first thing that breaks post-close is roadmap governance — nobody owns prioritization, competing product lines fight for engineering bandwidth, and the board can’t see what’s on track. I build the unified operating model: roadmap governance framework, intake process, workstream alignment, sprint discipline, and the R&D reporting that feeds your board meetings. Most teams are stabilized within three weeks.

02

Delivery Infrastructure for High-Growth Teams

You’re acquiring faster than you can integrate, or scaling faster than your team can sustain. Either way, the engineering org that got you here can’t get you there. I build the operating model for the next stage — roadmap governance, capacity planning, delivery frameworks, and the executive reporting that proves engineering is executing against the plan.

Why It Matters

You don’t need another consultant. You need the gap between the plan and what engineering ships to close.

The board keeps asking why releases are late

Speed to Market

A standardized operating model eliminates the guesswork. Teams know what’s expected, backlogs are clean and prioritized, and work flows through a predictable system — so releases land on time and your roadmap becomes a commitment, not a wish list.

Leadership can’t see what’s on track

Executive Visibility

Board-level reporting built from real delivery data — value delivered, cost of features, risks, and dependencies — gives your leadership team the ability to make proactive decisions instead of reacting to surprises.

Acquired teams still aren’t integrated

Post-Acquisition Value Capture

Every month teams operate on different processes is a month the acquisition isn’t delivering its expected value. A unified delivery model accelerates integration, protects existing revenue, and gets the combined organization shipping together.

The PE firm is asking about exit readiness

Operational Maturity for Exit

Buyers and IPO markets reward companies with mature, measurable operations. Delivery governance, standardized reporting, and predictable execution aren’t just operational improvements — they’re valuation drivers that directly impact your exit multiple.

Results

55% → 95%+

Sprint completion rate improvement across PE-backed portfolio companies — from unpredictable delivery to stabilized velocity and reliable commitments

3 Weeks

Average time to integrate an acquired engineering team — from initial assessment through standardized tooling, governance, and training

9 Industries

Delivery leadership across SaaS, logistics, manufacturing, hospitality, financial services, healthcare, insurance, CPG, and commerce

From Zero

Board-level reporting built from scratch — value delivery, cost of features, and delivery health. Now enhanced with AI-driven daily delivery analytics for executive and board meetings

The Methodology

The Delivery Execution Engine

A three-phase approach refined across multiple PE-backed integrations. Not a textbook framework — a battle-tested system for closing the dead zone between what diligence identifies and what actually gets fixed post-close.

01

Diagnose

Weeks 1–2

A structured diagnostic across four dimensions: roadmap governance, organizational design, delivery infrastructure, and work intake. You get a scored assessment showing exactly where the gaps are — not a vague narrative, but a quantified picture of operational maturity with prioritized recommendations.

Deliverable: Delivery Gap Assessment (including Roadmap Governance Scorecard)
02

Design

Weeks 3–6

I design and implement the operating model tailored to your org — roadmap governance framework, tooling standardization, delivery cadence, reporting architecture, and the prioritization process. Not a recommendation deck. A live, functioning system.

Deliverable: Delivery Operating Model & Playbook
03

Deliver

Weeks 7–16+

I embed with your teams to run delivery, coach product owners and engineering leads, produce board-level reporting using AI-augmented delivery analytics, and build internal capability. The engagement ends when your team can sustain the model independently — not when the contract runs out.

Deliverable: Self-Sustaining Delivery Function

Select Engagement Experience

Post-Acquisition Integration

PE-Backed SaaS Analytics Company

Assessed and integrated multiple acquired engineering teams, built delivery governance across six concurrent workstreams, standardized tooling and trained the entire engineering department, and created the reporting infrastructure used in executive and board meetings. Sprint completion rate improved from ~55% to 95%+.

Post-Acquisition Delivery Stabilization

PE-Backed Hospitality Technology Company

Built the organization’s first structured delivery practice during a $2.9B PE ownership transition, directing cross-functional digital and mobile teams through a complex platform transformation. Standardized tooling across Product, QA, and Engineering, established delivery cadence, and supported weekly releases for seasonal business initiatives.

Delivery Program Management

PE-Backed Enterprise Software Company

Led concurrent client delivery programs across creative, commerce, and marketing workstreams. Developed operational KPIs, performance reporting, and delivery frameworks. Built commercial proposals in partnership with Sales that influenced revenue growth across CPG enterprise clients.

Global Implementation

Fortune 200 Manufacturing Company

Managed delivery teams across Europe, South America, and North America for a Manufacturing Execution System implementation. Coordinated requirements gathering, training, and commissioning across multiple customer facilities while managing resources, capacity, and budget.

Thomas doesn’t arrive with a rigid framework or theory-heavy playbook. He meets teams where they are, digs into how work actually flows, and shapes delivery practices that make success repeatable. The result isn’t just improved delivery in the moment — it’s capability that lasts well beyond his direct involvement.
Todd Britson
VP of Engineering, WorkWave

Let’s Talk

If engineering is the black box in your value creation plan, let’s talk.