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M&A Science

M&A Science, hosted by Kison Patel (Founder & CEO of DealRoom), is your go-to podcast for mastering the art of mergers and acquisitions. Each week, Kison and his expert guests from leading brands like Xerox, FastLap, and Cisco dig deep into real-world M&A strategies, offering actionable insights to optimize your M&A practice. Whether you're an experienced practitioner or new to the field, M&A Science provides practical advice on key topics like sourcing, due diligence, integration, divestitures, and more. With over 300 episodes, this podcast is the premier thought leadership resource designed to streamline your deal-making process. Start listening today and visit mascience.com/podcast to access over 300 episodes. Brought to you by DealRoom, the leading M&A optimization platform used by the best M&A teams around the world
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Now displaying: Category: Business
Aug 12, 2024

Thomas Le, Vice President, Corporate Development at Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZD)

 

The M&A landscape is constantly evolving, making it difficult to predict future trends and identify new opportunities. How can companies maintain a competitive advantage? In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Thomas Le, Vice President of Corporate Development at Ziff Davis, Inc., shares his VC-backed strategies for unlocking new M&A strategies.

 

Things you will learn in this episode:

 

• Strategic networking for building a pipeline

• The Reverse Coverage method for building a pipeline

• How to craft effective cold outreach emails

• Integrating the Mosaic theory into M&A strategy

 

*******************

 

This episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Insight.

In today’s rapidly evolving business world, staying ahead means embracing change and leveraging technology to not just meet but exceed your strategic goals. That’s where Insight comes in.

Insight is a comprehensive solutions integrator that helps organizations transform technology, operations, and service delivery to future-proof the business and innovate.

With a client-focused approach to delivery, they combine the power of people and technology to turn the biggest challenges into opportunities.

Learn more at insight.com/leave-legacy

 

*******************

 

This episode is also sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

 

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

05:40 Venture capital experience in M&A

13:18 Strategic networking for building a pipeline

18:31 Making an effective initial outreach

19:21 How to craft effective cold outreach emails

23:24 Assessing product market fit

29:01 Strategic thinking and culture fit

32:41 Unlocking new M&A strategies

36:02 Leveraging bankers in M&A deals

38:07 Applying the Mosaic theory to M&A due diligence

47:31 Embedding M&A into corporate culture

48:50 Transitioning from public equities and venture capital to M&A

1:07:04 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Aug 5, 2024

Karen Williams, Vice President of Corporate Development at Progress

Achieving exponential growth through M&A requires more than signing agreements. It’s about balancing cultures, systems, and people. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Karen Williams, Vice President of Corporate Development at Progress, provides a roadmap for a balanced M&A integration.

 

Things you will also learn from this episode:

• Side effects of a forceful integration

• Information crucial to Integration planning

• Measuring integration success

• Biggest challenges when executing an integration

• What is vendor rationalization?

 

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This episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Insight.

In today’s rapidly evolving business world, staying ahead means embracing change and leveraging technology to not just meet but exceed your strategic goals. That’s where Insight comes in.

Insight is a comprehensive solutions integrator that helps organizations transform technology, operations, and service delivery to future-proof the business and innovate.

With a client-focused approach to delivery, they combine the power of people and technology to turn the biggest challenges into opportunities.

Learn more at insight.com/leave-legacy

*******************

 This episode is also sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

******************

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

08:07 Importance of balanced integration

09:41 Side effects of a forceful integration

13:16 When to involve the integration lead

17:12 Information crucial to Integration planning

20:06 Integration lead’s role during diligence

21:35 Balancing integration execution

26:27 Working with the seller

29:22 Realization versus timeline

32:42 What makes integration successful

35:42 Tips for effective communication

41:49 Creating and refining M&A Playbooks

43:18 Ensuring a positive employee experience

52:32 Measuring integration success

55:26 Biggest challenges when executing an integration

58:09 What is vendor rationalization

1:01:21 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Jul 29, 2024

Successful M&A is more than just closing deals. To drive growth and achieve strategic goals, companies must have a deep understanding of the process and a clear strategy. Strategic acquisitions are key to unlocking growth, innovation, and market expansion. 

 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Fred Heller, VP of Nuance, Corporate Development and Integration at Microsoft, shares his experience on how to transform a company through strategic acquisitions. 

 

Things you will also learn from this episode:

• Doing transformative deals as a public company

• Saving money on deals

• The hardest thing to negotiate in a strategic deal

• Transformative AI acquisitions 

 

******************

This episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Insight.

In today’s rapidly evolving business world, staying ahead means embracing change and leveraging technology to not just meet but exceed your strategic goals. That’s where Insight comes in.

Insight is a comprehensive solutions integrator that helps organizations transform technology, operations, and service delivery to future-proof the business and innovate.

With a client-focused approach to delivery, they combine the power of people and technology to turn the biggest challenges into opportunities.

Learn more at insight.com/leave-legacy

*******************

 This episode is also sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

******************

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
06:55 Business transformation through acquisition
11:51 Strategy behind the transformation
14:49 Doing transformative deals as a public company
17:53 Changes in market position
23:04 Divestitures
25:46 M&A experience
29:49 Knowledge vs Intuition
31:29 Importance of relationships in M&A
34:25 Saving money on deals
37:20 The hardest thing to negotiate in a strategic deal
44:02 Bad M&A story
48:04 Microsoft deal
52:59 Transformative AI acquisitions
57:04 Challenges during transformation period
58:13 Craziest Thing in M&A

 

Jul 22, 2024

Tom Hearn, VP, Architecture at Insight

 

In the world of M&A, understanding and managing technical debt is crucial for seamless technology integration. 

 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we’ll explore the concept of technical debt, its impact on IT infrastructure, and strategies for better integration with Tom Hearn, VP, Architecture at Insight.

 

Things you will learn in this episode:

• Technology Integration

• AI and machine learning

• ERP migration

• Synergy assumptions

• Working with Insight

******************

This episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Insight.

In today’s rapidly evolving business world, staying ahead means embracing change and leveraging technology to not just meet but exceed your strategic goals. That’s where Insight comes in.

Insight is a comprehensive solutions integrator that helps organizations transform technology, operations, and service delivery to future-proof the business and innovate.

With a client-focused approach to delivery, they combine the power of people and technology to turn the biggest challenges into opportunities.

Learn more at insight.com/leave-legacy

*******************

 This episode is also sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

******************

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
04:06 Approaching technical and security integration
10:54 Technology Integration
17:17 AI and machine learning
21:00 ERP migration
25:19 Synergy assumptions
35:25 Working with Insight
37:00 Due diligence
40:05 Managing costs
46:29 Return on investment
49:18 Craziest Thing in M&A

Jul 15, 2024

Pablo von Siebenthal, Global Head of M&A at Swissport

 

The global landscape offers exciting growth opportunities that make business expansion a strategic move. M&A can be a powerful tool for this, but global deals often come with cultural complexities and regulatory intricacies that require a strategic approach.

 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Pablo von Siebenthal, Global Head of M&A at Swissport, talks about how to handle global M&A.

 

Things you will also learn from this episode:

• Challenges of executing global deals

• Managing cultural differences in global M&A

• Overcoming cultural misunderstandings

• Playbook - Building cross-cultural relationships

• How to manage coordination between work streams


Join the M&A Science 2 Million Downloads Virtual Meet & Greet here: https://hubs.ly/Q02Gnk1d0

Connect with Kison through email at kison@mascience.com 

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This episode is sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
05:32 From M&A Advisory to Corporate Development
07:04 Executing M&A in the public environment vs private
08:47 Challenges of executing global M&A deals
13:39 Managing cultural differences in global M&A deals
17:58 Negotiation challenges in the Middle East
20:17 Cultural nuances in Asian M&A deals
26:53 Cultural differences in European M&A
29:58 Handling internal cultural differences
32:13 Negotiating cross-border M&A deals
33:17 Overcoming cultural misunderstandings
37:11 Building global relationships for pipeline
45:59 Other tips for building cross-cultural relationships
48:38 How to manage coordination between global work streams
52:52 Keeping M&A teams aligned on priorities
57:37 Crafting irresistible offers in M&A deals
59:16 Craziest thing in M&A

Jul 8, 2024

Wolfgang Schenk, VP of M&A at Belden

 

Opportunistic M&A can lead to bad acquisitions that don’t align with the company’s overall strategic goals. This creates a disjointed portfolio and integration challenges that could cause massive value leaks. 

 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Wolfgang Schenk, VP of M&A at Belden, discusses the art of executing programmatic M&A to increase chances of M&A success.

 

Things you will learn in this episode:

• Benefits of programmatic M&A

• Required team for programmatic M&A

• Collaborating with the M&A team

• Transitioning to programmatic M&A

• Achieving team alignment

 

This episode is sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
05:57 Programmatic M&A
10:32 Benefits of programmatic M&A
12:39 Formulating the strategy
15:32 Challenging the strategy
16:24 Required team for programmatic M&A
18:37 Collaborating with the M&A team
24:02 Transitioning to programmatic M&A
26:08 Achieving team alignment
28:23 Success metrics in programmatic M&A
31:32 Pitching deals to executive
32:23 The hardest part of doing programmatic M&A
33:18 AI in M&A
40:45 Craziest thing in M&A

Jul 1, 2024

Tobias Gwisdalla, Head of Group M&A at GEA Group (G1A:FRA)

Transformative M&A is becoming increasingly critical in today's business landscape, especially for industries facing significant regulatory and market pressures. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we will discuss how to execute transformative M&A to change business models, featuring Tobias Gwisdalla, Head of Group M&A at GEA Group.

 

Things you will learn in this episode:

• Transformative M&A

• Employee unions

• Biggest challenges in transformative M&A

• Success metrics

• Transforming business models

 

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net 

 

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
04:20 Transformative M&A
05:00 Governance
05:52 A story of a transformative deal
11:38 Employee unions - germany per history
17:36 Supervisory board
20:35 Biggest challenges in transformative M&A
25:59 Success metrics
28:50 Internal rate of return
35:05 Complexities of deals in Germany
40:48 Transforming business models
43:06 Promoting change as a shareholder
45:01 Craziest thing in M&A

Jun 24, 2024

M&A processes can vary from country to country, making cross-border deals extremely challenging. Understanding the cultural differences is crucial for a smooth transaction. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we focus on how to do M&A deals in Germany, featuring Frank Tepper-Sawicki, Partner, Corporate M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital at Dentons. 


Things you will learn:

• How dealmaking is different in Germany

• Structuring Deals in Germany

• Letter of Intent in Germany

• Prioritizations during deals in Germany

• Regulatory issues in Germany

 

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

03:49 How dealmaking is different in Germany

05:48 Private Equity Emerging in Germany

07:47 Structuring Deals in Germany

16:33 Letter of Intent in Germany

22:11 Prioritizations during deals in Germany

24:59 Transparency in Germany

26:17 Regulatory issues in Germany

28:17 Laying off people in Germany

30:15 Biggest risk when doing deals in Germany

32:43 M&A culture in Germany

35:00 Dealing with people from Germany

37:28 M&A process in Germany

39:18 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Jun 17, 2024

Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm, and there seems to be no way of stopping it. Every industry in the world has adopted AI, and M&A is no different. The integration of AI is revolutionizing how deals are sourced, evaluated, and executed. In short, AI is becoming an indispensable tool for M&A professionals. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we discuss how to make AI practical in M&A featuring two AI specialists: Michael Bachman, Head of Research, Architecture, and AI Strategy at Boomi, Chris Cappetta, Principal Solutions Architect at Boomi.  

Things you will learn:

• Retrieval augmented generation

• Large language models

• Discriminative vs Generative AI

• Fine-tuning

• Agents

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com 

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
03:07 Making AI practical
04:36 Retrieval augmented generation
10:07 Large language models
13:15 Discriminative vs. Generative AI 
16:37 Fine tuning
22:14 Agents
28:46 Real-life use cases of AI

Jun 10, 2024

Steve Lucas, CEO of Boomi

The technology industry is currently experiencing significant growth, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence. This trend has not only attracted significant investments but has also intensified the competition among tech companies striving to lead the market. This has made the tech space a prime area for M&A. Boomi is one of those companies who have recently made a significant move via acquisitions.

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we will discuss how to source deals in the tech space with Steve Lucas, CEO of Boomi.  

Things you will learn:

• Approach on strategy

• Acquiring capabilities

• Deal sourcing in M&A

• Building relationships

• Negotiations during M&A

This episode is sponsored by DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net 

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro
10:16 Boomi’s approach on strategy
16:32 Acquiring capabilities
18:55 Deal sourcing in M&A
22:12 Building relationships
25:45 Convincing someone to sell their business
30:51 Example of pitch
32:31 Negotiations during M&A
36:08 Tips on negotiating
38:45 M&A at Boomi
41:43 Making integration successful
47:26 AI in M&A
52:44 Boomi’s future
45:26 Craziest thing in M&A

Jun 3, 2024

Michael Frankel, Founder and Managing Partner of Trajectory Capital. 

Here at M&A Science, our goal is to bring you the best and most effective techniques to improve your M&A practice.

In light of our 300th podcast episode, we have compiled the top 10 things that make M&A successful, together with Michael Frankel, Founder and Managing Partner of Trajectory Capital. 

Things you will learn:

  • Alignment in the shared vision of the end-state

  • Cultural alignment

  • Reverse Diligence

  • Continuous learning and improvement

  • Empathetic leadership

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com 

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro
05:58 Alignment in the shared vision of the end-state
10:51 Cultural alignment
15:03 Joint Go-to-market planning pre-LOI
20:24 Parallel diligence and integration planning
24:33 Reverse Diligence
27:13 Communication strategy with stakeholders
32:37 Continuous learning and improvement
35:16 Anticipate functional challenges
39:52 Empathetic leadership
44:47 Proper preparation
47:56 Craziest thing in M&A

May 27, 2024

Jeremy Segal, Executive Vice President Corporate Development at Progress (NASDAQ: PRGS)

When it comes to M&A, time is of the essence. As a buyer, it’s best to identify whether to pursue the deal or not as soon as possible, to avoid wasting money and time. Also, if the seller is a good target company, procrastinating could lead to more competition. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Jeremy Segal, Executive Vice President Corporate Development at Progress, shares their strategy on how to close deals in 30 days.

Things you will learn:

• Initial conversations with the target company

• Price negotiations

• Preliminary due diligence list

• Deal specific adjustments

• Confirmatory due diligence 

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro
04:16 Initial conversations with the target company
08:56 Price negotiations
12:33 Preliminary due diligence list
17:05 When to ask questions
18:34 People Involved
19:10 Sales and Go-to-Market
21:02 Revenue Synergies
23:43 Customer Journey
24:26 Surprises
27:40 Customer Success
28:46 Financials
32:11 Red flags in people
32:47 Information Technology
34:28 Legal
36:48 Marketing
39:19 Breakdown of COGS
41:30 Benefits Template
42:56 Operating Expenses
43:58 General
44:58 Deal specific adjustments
45:56 Processing the preliminary diligence information
47:11 Confirmatory due diligence
50:40 Craziest thing in M&A

 

May 20, 2024

Steven Freidkin, CEO and Founder of Ntiva, Inc. and Christopher Vollmond-Carstens, Chief M&A Officer at Ntiva, Inc. 

In a highly fragmented industry, roll-ups are a great growth strategy. But integrating multiple entities can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a proven framework. Ntiva has been successful in its M&A strategy and has completed 15 acquisitions as of today. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Steven Freidkin, CEO and Founder of Ntiva, Inc. and Christopher Vollmond-Carstens, Chief M&A Officer at Ntiva, Inc., share their strategy on how to execute the roll-up strategy in the tech industry. 

Things you will learn:

• Creating value using a roll-up strategy

• Evaluating a target company

• Importance of recurring revenue

• Red flags pre-LOI

• Biggest advice for first-timers

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

08:04 Creating value using roll-up strategy

12:38 Pitching to private equity

18:32 Evaluating a target company

22:30 Importance of recurring revenue

23:35 Customer Concentration

26:42 Challenges of doing roll-ups

30:36 Mismanaging M&A

37:52 Deal Sourcing

43:46 Red flags pre-LOI

46:53 Deal structure on roll-ups

51:52 Biggest advice for first-timers

52:46 Craziest thing in M&A

 

May 13, 2024

Kyle Price, Chief of Staff & Corporate Development at Roblox

Creating a dedicated M&A function can be daunting for non-acquisitive companies. It’s a big commitment that could take away valuable time and resources from top level management. However, when done right, corporate development muscle can be built slowly, and organically. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Kyle Price, Chief of Staff & Corporate Development at Roblox, shares his experience on how to start an M&A function slowly and successfully from scratch. 

Things you will learn in this episode:

• When to build an M&A function

• Importance of the people side in M&A

• Working with business leaders

• Evolution of corporate development

• Handling biases in the M&A process

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

04:10 When to build an M&A function

07:40 Challenges of a high-growth company doing M&A

08:45 Lessons learned along the way

10:39 Importance of the people side in M&A

12:57 Integration planning

14:39 Working with business leaders

16:42 Deal sourcing

17:24 Overcoming anti-M&A culture

22:04 Team alignment from functional leads

24:02 M&A surprises

25:59 Setting up new leaders for success

28:07 Evolution of corporate development

33:15 Measuring corporate development activity

34:20 Incentivizing the team

35:03 Handling biases in the M&A process

43:33 Craziest thing in M&A

 

May 6, 2024

Ivan Golubic, CFO | Corporate Development M&A at FastLap Group

Roll ups are a great strategy for highly fragmented industries. It allows the platform company to increase its size, capabilities, and market presence through the acquisition and integration of other businesses. However, it can be challenging without a proper framework. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Ivan Golubic, CFO, Corporate Development M&A at FastLap Group, shares his experience on how to start executing roll up strategy in M&A from scratch. 

Things you will learn:

• Setting up the roll up strategy

• Valuation on roll up strategy

• Building the operating strategy

• Dealing with capital providers

• Biggest lessons learned doing roll up strategy

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

03:01 Transitioning from Corporate Development to CFO 

07:39 Setting up the roll up strategy

12:26 Importance of industry expertise

14:10 Proactive approach to expanding industry expertise

16:11 Valuation on roll up strategy

22:10 Building the operating strategy

24:54 Dealing with capital providers

28:37 Building your pipeline

30:45 Pitching to the PE firm

35:48 Explaining your M&A process to investors

38:46 Building your M&A team

40:42 Monitoring Cost

42:05Success metrics

49:25 Utilizing Technology

50:45 Importance of a unified platform

52:58 Biggest lessons learned doing roll up strategy

56:39 Future trends in the roll up space

57:33 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Apr 29, 2024

Jim Buckley, Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions Integration at VMware

Integration planning is one of the most important aspects of M&A pre-close. Planning after the fact will cause massive delays and value leaks for the entire deal. It is why the integration team must be involved during the due diligence phase. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we will talk about how to create an executable integration plan during the diligence, featuring Jim Buckley, Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions Integration at VMware.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• How to work as an integration leader

• Building an integration plan

• Pre-LOI integration planning

• Connecting diligence with integration planning

• Defining 'done' in M&A integration

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro
04:41 Navigating corporate transitions
08:31 Aligning the integration leader with the north star
10:02 How to work as an integration leader
11:25 The role of an integration lead
13:31 Building an integration plan
16:25 Focus on revenue and integration
18:51 Pre-LOI integration planning
25:08 M&A due diligence
27:37 Employee integration and customer satisfaction
29:56 Connecting diligence with integration planning
36:20 Approach to team collaboration
39:06 The details of integration plan
41:11 Complexities of M&A integration planning
44:57 Aligning with the target company
46:46 Defining 'done' in M&A integration
49:12 Integration teams leading due diligence
51:38 Leveraging diligence data for effective planning
53:13 Advice for M&A practitioners
55:45 Craziest thing in M&A

Apr 22, 2024

Keith Levy, Operating Partner at Sonoma Brands

Every company must have a strong capital allocation strategy to maximize its potential. Without it, the company may end up missing opportunities and spending money on things that won't help it grow or become more profitable. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Keith Levy, Operating Partner at Sonoma Brands, shares his experience on successful and unsuccessful capital allocation strategies. 

Things you will learn in this episode:

• Strategy vs IRR

• Venture capital vs recapitalization strategy

• Minority vs majority recapitalization

• Evaluating exit strategy

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

11:27 Focusing on organic growth

16:37 Post-merger integration execution

25:01 Strategy vs IRR

26:59 Handling projections

28:07 Integration with Mars

36:20 Role of an operating partner

42:07 Big company vs Small company in M&A

43:39 Venture capital vs recapitalization strategy

48:44 Cashing out from an owner’s perspective

50:42 Minority vs majority recapitalization

54:03 Impact of valuations and interest rates on investment decisions

59:07 Timing on investments

1:01:25 Evaluating exit strategy

1:03:46 Advice for practitioners

1:05:41 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Apr 15, 2024

Gerry Williams, Partner at DLA Piper US LLP and a member of their management committee.

Private equity firms are established for the sole purpose of generating substantial financial returns for its investors. And one of the most effective ways of maximizing investment returns is the roll up strategy. This involves buying small-sized businesses in a highly fragmented industry and combining them into a larger platform. The goal is to improve efficiency and be sold later for a higher price.  

In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, we will discuss roll up strategy in private equity with Gerry Williams, Partner at DLA Piper US LLP.

Things you will learn this episode:

• Industries susceptible to roll up strategy

• Challenges of executing roll up strategy

• Negotiating the LOI in roll up strategy

• Typical deal structure in roll up strategy

• Employing Earnouts in roll up strategy

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to firmroom.com

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

04:06 Industries susceptible to roll up strategy

06:22 The trend of roll up strategy in private equity

10:42 Complexities of Roll up strategy

15:52 Challenges of executing roll up strategy

20:32 How to mitigate risks

24:19 Managing multiple roll up businesses

26:49 Negotiating the LOI in roll up strategy

33:00 Breakup fees on private deals

35:57 Typical deal structure in roll up strategy

43:24 Employing Earnouts in roll up strategy

48:07 Unique negotiations during LOI

49:31 Do’s and Don’ts of executing roll up strategy

52:57 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Apr 8, 2024

Tyler Rodewald, VP, M&A at EIS Holdings

In a world where change is the only constant, businesses are continually seeking innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve. One such method that has gained prominence is the corporate diversification strategy, a multifaceted approach that can lead to new growth avenues and enhanced resilience. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Tyler Rodewald, VP, M&A at EIS Holdings, discusses corporate diversification through M&A.

Things you will learn:

• Corporate diversification strategy

• Drivers of corporate diversification

• People involved in corporate diversification

• Projecting revenue synergies

• Closing deals with competition

This episode is brought to you by the M&A Science Spring Summit 2024 happening on April 10th at 10AM ET. It's your chance to join leading M&A experts as they share innovative and the latest trends from their own deals. Save your spot here.

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

02:55 Corporate diversification strategy

03:32 Drivers of corporate diversification

05:22 People involved in corporate diversification

08:00 Communicating the diversification strategy - The number one step

08:51 Customer overlaps on deals

11:17 Capital Allocation

13:41 Proprietary deal vs Bank Deal

15:22 Deal Sourcing

17:57 Closing deals with competition

19:22 Cultural integration

22:03 Handling resistance

23:21 Measuring Success

24:31 Projecting revenue synergies

26:09 Earnouts

30:31 Letter on intent exclusivity

32:10 Combining diligence with integration using DealRoom

36:42 Using DealRoom with Sellers

40:02 Advice for practitioners doing corporate diversification

40:30 AI in M&A

46:34 Craziest thing in M&A

 

 

 

Apr 1, 2024

Andrey Galiuk, Vice President of Corporate Development and Investor Relations

Before doing M&A, it is crucial for acquirers to target the right business, in the right market. Otherwise, it could potentially be a costly mistake that would waste the company’s time and money. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Andrey Galiuk, Vice President of Corporate Development and Investor Relations, shares his expertise on how to perform strategic due diligence in M&A. 

Things you will learn:

• What is strategic due diligence

• How to perform strategic due diligence in M&A

• Entering the right market

• Finding the right target company

• Biggest challenge when performing strategic diligence

This episode is brought to you by the M&A Science Spring Summit 2024 happening on April 10th at 10AM ET. It's your chance to join leading M&A experts as they share innovative and the latest trends from their own deals. Save your spot here.

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

11:17 What is strategic due diligence

16:25 How to perform strategic due diligence in M&A

25:00 Entering the right market

38:05 Finding the right target company

41:25 When to perform strategic due diligence

42:38 Proactive vs. Reactive deal sourcing

44:33 Importance of culture

47:05 When to start integration planning

49:11 Red flags during strategic diligence

50:33 Assessing incoming people

51:20 Biggest challenge when performing strategic diligence

 

Mar 25, 2024

George Kellerman, VP, Head of Investments & Acquisitions at Woven by Toyota and Alexander Baum, Corporate Development Lead at Woven by Toyota

In the ever-evolving world of business, staying ahead isn't just about what a company does today, but how it prepares for tomorrow. This is where a venture capital arm comes into play. It is a specialized division within a larger company that focuses on investing in emerging startups and innovative projects. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, George Kellerman, VP, Head of Investments & Acquisitions at Woven by Toyota, and Alexander Baum, Corporate Development Lead at Woven by Toyota, share their experience on how to stand up a venture capital arm. 

Things you will learn:

• How did Woven by Toyota got started

• Successfully start a venture capital arm

• Leadership in managing people

• Biggest Lessons Learned

• Dealing with cultural difference

This episode is brought to you by the M&A Science Spring Summit 2024 happening on April 10th at 10AM ET. It's your chance to join leading M&A experts as they share innovative and the latest trends from their own deals. Save your spot here.

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Episode Bookmarks

*George Kellerman

00:00 Intro

06:15 From firefighter to M&A

09:49 How did Woven by Toyota got started

11:19 Project Kate

12:58 Pitching the shift in strategy

14:31 Woven Capital’s strategy

16:48 How to successfully start a venture capital arm

19:45 Leadership in managing people

22:03 Biggest lessons learned

26:00 A change in strategy

27:04 The Woven City Project

31:11 Dealing with cultural difference

35:40 Craziest thing in M&A

*Alex Baum

39:34 Noticing cultural differences in Japan

42:11 Relocating to Tokyo

44:07 New York vs Japan culture

45:28 Work culture in Japan

48:32 Rubber stamp approval in Japan

49:51 Balancing American and Japanese culture

51:27 Maintaining alignment

52:09 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Mar 18, 2024

Camilo Franco, Director, M&A Integration and Operations at Jamf

There is an intimate tie between M&A strategy and corporate strategy. To be truly effective, acquisitions must directly support the overarching goal of the company. But beyond that, there needs to be a strategic alignment with everyone involved. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Camilo Franco, Director, M&A Integration and Operations at Jamf, shares their secrets on how to achieve strategic alignment from top to bottom. 

Things you will learn:

• How to achieve strategic alignment

• Strategies for effectively communicating M&A plans

• Tools used to maintain alignment

• Connecting diligence and Integration

• Advice for integration practitioners

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This episode is brought to you by the M&A Science Spring Summit 2024 happening on April 10th at 10AM ET. It's your chance to join leading M&A experts as they share innovative and the latest trends from their own deals. Save your spot here.

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

08:45 Definition of strategic alignment

10:31 How to achieve strategic alignment

12:51 Relaying M&A strategy against corporate strategy

13:54 Getting buy-in from team members

15:37 Overcoming anti-M&A culture

18:44 Strategies for effectively communicating M&A plans

21:21 Alignment with the integration team

23:51 Formulating the integration thesis

26:37 Role of steering committee

28:04 Communicating decisions with the broader organization

29:30 Managing integration without IMO

32:09 Ensuring company readiness for integration

34:11 Gauging M&A readiness

36:06 Side effects of burnout people

37:25 Defining the end of integration

39:30 Tools used to maintain alignment

43:32 Agile M&A

44:46 Connecting diligence and integration

48:13 Using integration templates

50:36 Advice for integration p

 

Mar 13, 2024

Ken Bond, Head of Corporate Development at Cetera Financial Group.

Most of the biggest M&A failures of all time are caused by culture clashes. Both companies cannot simply co-exist with each other, and instead of creating more value, they destroyed both of their businesses. This is why cultural due diligence is crucial in M&A. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Ken Bond, Head of Corporate Development at Cetera Financial Group, shares his expertise on how to perform cultural due diligence to better understand the target company.

Things you will learn:

• The person responsible for cultural due diligence

• Executing cultural due diligence

• Using Playbooks

• Successful partnership between Corporate Development and Integration

• Advice for practitioners

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This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at www.dealroom.net.

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

05:11 Person responsible for cultural due diligence

05:54 Importance of cultural due diligence

08:08 Executing cultural due diligence

10:29 Killing the deal due to cultural conflict

14:54 Using Playbooks

17:31 Cultural due diligence during early conversations

20:12 Understanding how the target company makes decisions

22:40 Things to look for during due diligence

25:09 Using questionnaires for cultural due diligence

27:08 Bilateral deal vs. Auction process

30:10 Hardest part of cultural due diligence

32:27 Successful partnership between Corporate Development and Integration

35:33 Subculture due diligence

37:07 Advice for practitioners

38:31 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Mar 11, 2024

Baljit Singh, Former SVP, Global Head of Corporate Development at Nielsen Ventures

Engaging in M&A activities just for the sake of doing them is one of the biggest reasons for failed deals. Without a well-defined purpose, these transactions can distract the business and waste massive amounts of resources. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Baljit Singh, Former SVP, Global Head of Corporate Development at Nielsen Ventures, discusses the importance of strategic alignment between M&A and corporate strategy.

Things you will learn:

• Corporate strategy vs M&A strategy

• Getting the strategy right

• Capital allocation

• Measuring business unit’s success

• Deal structure to preserve cash

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This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. 

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to firmroom.com

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Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

05:10 Corporate strategy vs M&A strategy

09:25 Getting the strategy right

11:17 Best ways to pitch deals

13:09 Pillars of corporate strategy

15:50 Capital allocation

21:06 Measuring business unit’s success

24:52 Holding business units accountable

27:20 Why take a public company private

33:51 Steps to take a public company to private

38:11 Real life examples

48:29 Deal structure to preserve cash

54:45 Dealing with reluctant seller

59:30 Craziest thing in M&A

 

Mar 6, 2024

Douglas Barnard, former Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Legal Advisor at CF Industries (NYSE: CF)

Problems don’t usually surface at the early stages because it's the honeymoon phase. Both the buyer and the seller would like to see the deal happen, so they work together to build momentum. And often that means postponing dealing with some of the more difficult and contentious issues. However, these M&A challenges are inevitable and will arise as the deal progresses. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Douglas Barnard, former Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Legal Advisor at CF Industries, discusses effective strategies to overcome M&A challenges.

Things you will learn:

• Mindset to prepare for M&A

• Overcoming M&A Challenges Between Signing and Closing

• Mitigating Post-Merger Integration Risks

• Biggest Challenges in M&A

• Advice for First-time Acquirers

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This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.


FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to  www.firmroom.com.


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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

05:26 Mindset to prepare for M&A

10:26 Strategic Negotiation Tactics

13:03 Having a Foundation of Trust and Honesty

17:31 Assessing Buyer Transparency in Deal Negotiations

20:17 Mastering Valuation and Identifying Synergies

22:43 Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles in the M&A Process

24:40 Uncovering Surprises in Due Diligence

28:53 Utilizing a Private Investigator (PI) in a Deal

29:57 Navigating Complex Negotiation Stages

33:54 Zero-Sum Scenarios in M&A Auctions

35:51 Valuation and Auction Bidding Strategies

37:57 Overcoming M&A Challenges Between Signing and Closing

41:29 Mitigating Post-Merger Integration Risks

46:16 Biggest Challenges in M&A

50:24 Advice for First-time Acquirers

52:51 Craziest thing in M&A

 

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