CIRCANA · Operations Lead, Acquisition Integration

Turning an Acquisition Into an Integrated, Scalable Business

The Challenge

Following NPD’s acquisition of Leisure Trends, a specialized market research company serving the outdoor sports industry, the business needed to integrate five new businesses and three years of historical data into NPD’s existing data ecosystem without disrupting service to existing clients.

The integration went well beyond a traditional data migration. The two organizations had overlapping but different data structures, and Leisure Trends offered products and capabilities that did not yet exist within NPD. The work also had to move quickly while navigating the organizational and cultural complexity of bringing an acquired team into a larger company.

The Approach

Selected as the Operations lead with responsibility for end-to-end execution, partnering closely with the Leisure Trends team and cross-functional leaders across NPD.

Led the work to reconcile overlapping data dictionaries and determine how three years of historical information could be incorporated into NPD’s systems while maintaining data continuity and integrity.

Where NPD’s existing capabilities could not support Leisure Trends’ client deliverables, worked across functions to design new solutions rather than compromise the client experience — enabling reporting across multiple datasets and expanding NPD’s data architecture to capture product attributes it had never supported.

Alongside the technical work, managed the human side of the transition: building relationships with the acquired team, navigating different ways of working, and holding momentum against an aggressive timeline.

The Outcome

Delivered the initial integration and launch in seven months, bringing five businesses and three years of historical data into NPD’s operating environment while preserving critical client deliverables. Additional capabilities and integration milestones followed over the next year. The acquired businesses represented approximately $20 million in revenue.

The work extended well past a single acquisition. Lara went on to serve as Operations lead for five acquisitions in total and helped develop a standardized integration workflow that made each one more consistent and repeatable.

The Leisure Trends integration was recognized with NPD’s Award for Excellence.

experience details

Company: The NPD Group, now Circana Role: Operations Lead
Focus: Acquisition Integration

CAPABILITIES

Acquisition Integration · Operational Transformation · Cross-Functional Leadership · Data Migration · Change Management

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  • “Lara’s ability to view challenges from the client perspective was instrumental in fostering trust and driving successful partnerships.”
    — PERRY JAMES · COLLEAGUE, CIRCANA
  • “She had the ability to manage complexity with Senior Leadership, and has always become a trusted advisor to the broader organizations she serves.”
    — Todd Mick, Colleague, PVH & Circana
  • “Lara has a talent for simplifying complex processes and automating tasks… She can present complex strategies and data in a way that’s easy to understand, making sure everyone is on the same page.”
    — BILL SHOPE · TEAM MEMBER, CIRCANA
  • “Her innovative approach to cost management and sourcing has optimized performance and reduced expenses significantly.”
    — GABE ABREU · MANAGER, CIRCANA

The Integration at a Glance

A complex acquisition brought together multiple businesses, years of historical data, and significant revenue on an accelerated timeline.

5
Businesses Integrated
7
Months to Launch
~$20M
in Acquired Revenue
3 years
Historical Data Migrated

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