Integration risk is the gap between the value modelled in the business case and the value actually realised after completion, lost through delayed synergies, system clashes, customer attrition, leadership drift and cultural friction. Boards care because most deal value is created or destroyed after close, not at signing, yet integration is routinely under-resourced. This research note explains how integration risk manifests in your chosen jurisdiction and industry, a framework for planning the first hundred days and beyond, scenarios in which synergies fail to land, the warning indicators of a stalling integration, realistic impact ranges drawn from published deal reviews, and mitigation, with guidance on when to engage integration specialists, change managers and counsel. It is research to inform your planning, not advice.
Reference material for informed readers, not advice.
