Session #15 | No Playbook, No Mould: Fenna van Zanten on M&A, Ownership and the Power of Patience

In this episode of Speciality Sessions, Natasha Klymczuk is joined by Fenna van Zanten, Global M&A Director at IMCD, business division leader and member of its Executive Committee.Fenna’s career has taken her from corporate law and advising on transactions to working inside the business, where her responsibilities now span M&A, integration, commercial leadership and people management.They explore why successful integration cannot simply be reduced to executing a playbook. Every acquisition brings together different people, cultures, concerns and ways of working, and Fenna explains why understanding those realities is essential before an integration can truly begin.Fenna also shares what moving into product management taught her about the operational complexity of chemical distribution, why ownership does not mean doing everything yourself and how she balances ambition and high standards with patience.The conversation also looks ahead to M&A across chemical distribution, including continued consolidation, succession challenges, increasing regulatory and digital demands and the gap between buyer and seller expectations.An open conversation about ambition, empathy, authenticity and why pushing harder does not always produce a better outcome.ChaptersCHAPTERS00:00 Introduction00:40 Dreaming big and refusing to be put in a box01:44 Moving from law into chemicals and M&A04:04 From adviser to operator05:46 Why integration is not a playbook06:34 The human impact of an acquisition08:15 Bringing different cultures together09:10 Moving into commercial product management12:39 Learning patience and self-compassion14:00 What ownership really means15:31 Building a high-performing team17:47 Knowing when to push and when to pause20:19 Staying focused under pressure22:07 The future of chemical distribution M&A24:55 Seller expectations and dealmaking26:09 Bringing a different perspective to M&A27:01 “There is no mould”28:02 Competition, resilience and winning29:49 What Fenna has changed her mind about31:14 Final thoughts