Member Acquisition Panel: Integrating Cultures

Mergers and acquisitions are powerful growth tools, but integrating teams is often the hardest part. Cultural alignment, employee trust and clear communication can make or break the transition’s success.

If the 2 companies aren’t aligned philosophically and culturally, it just won’t work. So the most important thing is making sure the values align prior to actually moving forward with the acquisition itself. — Alex Cohen

In this conversation, 2025 Vistage Member Excellence Award winners Becky Sharpe, CEO of ISTS, and Alex Cohen, COO of Enhanced Therapies, share what they’ve learned from leading through acquisitions, offering real-world strategies for bringing teams together without losing momentum, morale or talent.

As Becky Sharpe puts it: “I was emotionally engaged in this process, and I had this moment where I thought—what would I want to know if I were an employee?”

If your company is planning an acquisition, or already navigating one, don’t miss this discussion on what it takes to merge not just systems, but people.

Key takeaways include:

• How to structure communication during an acquisition to reduce fear and build trust.
• Common cultural missteps that derail transitions — and how to avoid them.
• When to walk away: How cultural mismatch in M&A can outweigh financial fit.

Watch now to learn how thoughtful integration leads to lasting success.

About the Presenters

Becky Sharpe
2025 Tennessee Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Becky Sharpe is the CEO and Owner of International Scholarship and Tuition Services. She has been teaching A Sharper You workshops for over a decade, focusing on effective leadership and innovation through the lens of continuous growth. Becky led the business to significant organic growth and became the sole owner in 2008, transitioning the company to 100% women-owned. Her focus on company culture and living the organizational values has led to national recognition, and she has been acknowledged with various awards. Becky holds a Bachelor of Arts in German and French from Vanderbilt University and an MBA in international marketing from Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cycling, gardening, and international travel, and is currently pursuing her private helicopter pilot’s license. Becky is also a proud mother of three young adults and loves singing Patsy Cline’s Walking After Midnight at karaoke.

Alex Cohen
2025 Los Angeles Impact Award Winner

Alex Cohen is the COO of Enhance Therapies, one of the largest national providers of therapy and therapy-related services to the long-term care industry. In his time as COO of Enhance Therapies, Alex has expanded the company from 1,800 clinicians to nearly 8,000 and played a crucial role in the company’s acquisition of nine brands between 2021 and 2023. Alex Cohen never expected to work in healthcare, much less become a chief executive at one of the nation’s largest therapy providers. As COO of Enhance Therapies, Alex has expanded the company from 1,800 clinicians to nearly 8,000. He heavily integrated technology solutions in 2024, which led to $1.75 million in cost savings annually. At just 35, Alex is on a mission to revolutionize the healthcare industry.

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