Joe Mantone, U.S. Financial Institutions News Desk Manager at S&P Global Market Intelligence (NYSE: SPGI)
The M&A market isn’t what it used to be. Deal volumes are rising, but they remain a shadow of the record highs of 2021. Add to this the challenges of regulatory hurdles, high interest rates, and uneven global recovery. Corporate development leaders are left asking: where do we go from here?
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Joe Mantone of S&P Global Market Intelligence unpacks the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the M&A cycle. You’ll learn the latest insights to stay ahead in a volatile market and prepare for the opportunities 2025 promises to bring.
Things you will learn:
The state of M&A, recovering from the 2022 downturn
How regulatory challenges are reshaping deal strategies
What corporate leaders need to know about private equity and credit trends
The rise of AI and sector-specific opportunities for 2025
Actionable advice for corporate development teams in a volatile market
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This episode is sponsored by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Find insight at every data point with the enhanced S&P Capital IQ Pro platform. It’s the leading data solution for strategics and investors alike. Visit spglobal.com/proinsights.
DealRoom AI also sponsors this episode. DealRoom AI accelerates the due diligence process by automating the extraction and analysis of key information from M&A documents, reducing contract analysis time by up to 80%. Trusted by leading M&A practitioners, this tool streamlines reviews, minimizes risk, and saves legal costs significantly. For more details, visit the DealRoom AI page today.
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Episode Timestamps
00:00 Intro
06:03 Current state of the M&A market
07:45 Distinguishing the current M&A downturn
08:51 Factors driving global M&A
10:14 M&A blindspots to lookout for
12:38 How Fed rate cuts will affect M&A
13:38 Financing M&A deals in a changing market
15:22 Investor sentiment and the future of IPOs
16:17 Impact of market volatility on corporate M&A
17:12 Cross-border M&A: Lessons from Asia Pacific and Europe M&A Activity
20:19 How to prepare for the heightened regulatory scrutiny
21:43 Strategies for mitigating regulatory risks
22:24 M&A insights from earnings calls
23:53 Increased investment banking recruiting
24:48 Practical takeaways for corporate M&A teams
25:40 The future of M&A: Trends to watch in 2025
28:13 Emerging sectors for 2025
29:55 Craziest thing in M&A
Russ Hartz, VP of Corporate Development at Ansys, and Carey Pugh, Director of Corporate Integrations at Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS)
The fastest way to sabotage an M&A deal is to let the deal team and integration team work in silos. Too often, companies nail the transaction only to fumble on execution because the people closing the deal and those delivering the value aren’t aligned.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Russ Hartz, VP of Corporate Development at Ansys, and Carey Pugh, Director of Corporate Integrations at Ansys, unpack how keeping deal and integration teams synchronized can make or break an M&A deal's outcomes.
Things you will learn:
The positive business outcomes of early integration
Managing integration planning milestones
Kickoff meeting structure
Adapting integration approaches to cultural differences
Building a strong partnership between deal and integration teams
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This episode is sponsored by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Find insight at every data point with the enhanced S&P Capital IQ Pro platform. It’s the leading data solution for strategics and investors alike. Visit spglobal.com/proinsights.
DealRoom AI also sponsors this episode. DealRoom AI accelerates the due diligence process by automating the extraction and analysis of key information from M&A documents, reducing contract analysis time by up to 80%. Trusted by leading M&A practitioners, this tool streamlines reviews, minimizes risk, and saves legal costs significantly. For more details, visit the DealRoom AI page today.
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Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
04:49 Integration planning starts early
07:55 The positive business outcomes of early integration
15:22 Balancing strategy with practicality in early integration planning
21:50 Proactive integration planning
23:58 Managing integration planning milestones
25:11 Kickoff meeting structure
33:07 Adapting integration approaches to cultural differences
30:29 Key factors considered during diligence
44:31 Building a strong partnership between deal and integration teams
46:50 Key traits to look for in an integration partner
49:36 Aligning the deal and integration teams
52:18 Best practices for synchronizing the deal team and integration team
58:52 The power of buyer-led M&A - When you get to the point
1:04:23 Creating a seamless people experience in buyer-led M&A
1:06:43 Craziest thing in M&A
Lisa Marchese, Head of Corporate Development at American Express AXP (NYSE)
Culture is one of the biggest M&A killers. Some of the biggest deal failures in history are due to culture clashes that resulted in value leaks and destroyed companies. Bringing culture to the forefront of transactions can help increase deal success.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Lisa Marchese, Head of Corporate Development at American Express, discusses proactive deal sourcing with culture in mind.
Liked today's episode? Unlock over 60 courses taught by top-tier M&A practitioners by joining the M&A Science Academy. Use code “academy20%” on the sign-up page for a 20% discount, available on either monthly or annual plans. https://www.mascience.com/academy
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If you’re a head of corporate development and looking to build up a world-class M&A team, reach out to me at kison@mascience.com.
This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/
“This is the first time I’ve been acquired by a company that felt like it had a soul.” That’s what John Derusso was told after leading an integration. John is the Director of Corporate Development Integration with Cisco Systems and has been for the past four years.
0:00-0:10 John’s background with Cisco and supply chain
0:13-2:12 Successful acquisitions
2:12-6:42 Retaining people
6:42-9:36 Big picture view of integration
9:36-13:30 Excitement and adrenaline in integration (step-by-step process)
13:30-20:21 Planning considerations, diligence, and key indicators of success
24:22-30:20 Taking care of customers
30:20-42:19 Complexity, decision-making, and communication
42:19-46:37 Degree of integration (depth and speed)
46:37-52:25 Difficult aspects of integration
52:25-End Lifetime lessons learned and key traits
M&A Science by Kison Patel (kison@dealroom.net)
DealRoom: Data Science and AI for M&A (www.dealroom.net)