Mergers are never just about numbers – they are about people, legacy, and the future. Few know this better than Charles Scerri, founding partner of CLA Malta, who recently opened up in a candid conversation with lawyer and Managing Partner at WH Partners James Scicluna, about the journey that led to CSA Group merging with KSi Malta and rebranding as CLA Malta.

“I started my practice alone in 1995,” Mr Scerri shared. “It was like raising a baby.” With time, that baby grew – eventually surpassing 100 employees – yet he remained the sole partner. While the structure functioned, he began to question its long-term viability.

“I never felt I had a true partner,” he admitted. “I had excellent directors, good professionals, but ultimately, they still felt like employees.” This realisation sparked a journey toward succession planning, one that initially involved failed attempts to acquire smaller practices and a series of informal conversations with industry peers.

Eventually, discussions began with KSi Malta, which had already started engaging with the international network CLA. “Their culture matched ours – especially the belief that the client always comes first,” he said. While some modern workplace ideologies prioritise employees over clients, Mr Scerri holds firm to a client-centric ethos: “You can’t have a business without clients. Staff must be respected and supported, but clients are the reason we’re here.”

The road to merger, he noted, was built on trust and simplicity. “I never signed NDAs. I’ve always done business based on trust. If we don’t have chemistry, what’s the point of a contract? Having said that a transaction of this magnitude warranted a contract.

Despite the informality of approach, due diligence was taken seriously. The two firms reviewed valuations, systems, and operational structures. For Scerri, one key concern was his own involvement. “You have to consider what happens if I leave – do clients follow me? That’s why I committed to staying on.”

Still, mergers come with disruptions. Some staff turnover was inevitable, particularly when overlapping departments led to role consolidation. “We expected about eight to nine per cent turnover,” he said, citing the natural shake-up when teams and leadership structures merge.

To manage the transition, communication was vital. “You can’t just explain things once. You have to repeat and repeat – otherwise, you create tribes, rumours, and uncertainty,” he cautioned. Scerri described a proactive approach to internal integration: Mixing staff across teams, assessing compatibility, and adopting the best systems from both sides. A new office, expected to be completed in June, is seen as a symbolic and practical step toward a united culture.

Letting go of day-to-day management has also allowed Scerri to refocus. “Now that I’m not the managing partner, I want to do what I always loved – building relationships with big clients and focusing on strategy.” That condition – not to lead the merged firm – was non-negotiable in the merger discussions.

As for how success will be measured? “It’s too early,” he says. “You measure success over time – has the practice grown? Has it become a market leader in advisory and assurance? That’s the goal.”

Ultimately, Mr Scerri sees the move not just as strategic, but as necessary: “With 90 people, you’re stuck in the middle. Financially, operationally – it’s the worst place to be. You either grow, or you go down. And after building something for so long, going down isn’t an option.”