Interviews with experts

Carve-outs are incredibly complex. Buying a small part of a target company brings many challenges and can be even more complicated if the acquirer is carving out a public company. In this article, Liz Lockhart, Senior Director (PMO) and Training at Smarsh, shares her first experience and lessons learned in carving out a competitor.

Interview with:

Liz Lockhart

Sr. Director, PMO, Training and Business Applications

Mergers and acquisitions are a critical part of any business, yet they can be very risky. Therefore, a clear strategy is necessary for deal success. A well-planned deal strategy enables companies to proactively source deals rather than be reactive. Without the right target, what is the point of M&A? In this article, Mike Kryza, Head of Corporate Development at the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, discusses formulating an M&A strategy for proactive sourcing.

Interview with:

Mike Kryza

Head of Corporate Development at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

M&A doesn't end at closing the deal. The deal's success relies heavily on how well the acquirer can integrate the target company. Revenue synergies are one of the most important - but also one of the hardest - things to achieve during integration. When two companies come together, their products and services often overlap, and it can be challenging to figure out how to market them as one company. This article discusses how to realize go-to-market synergies featuring Karen Ashley, Vice President, Corporate Development Integration at Cisco.

Interview with:

Karen Ashley

Vice President, Corporate Development Integration at Cisco

M&A is one of the fastest ways to grow a company. However, first-time acquirers often find it difficult to buy companies due to a lack of experience and reputation. In this article, Willy Walker, Chairman, and CEO of Walker & Dunlop, Inc, discusses how to convince people to sell their business.

Interview with:

Willy Walker

Chairman and CEO of Walker & Dunlop, Inc (NYSE: WD)

Culture is one of the biggest M&A killers of all time. Bringing culture to the forefront of transactions can help increase deal success. Let’s learn proactive deal sourcing with culture in mind from Lisa Marchese, Head of Corporate Development at American Express.

Interview with:

Lisa Marchese

Head of Corporate Development at American Express

The sales operation is the cornerstone of every business. Without it, companies would not have revenue. In this article, Richard Dunkel, Global Head of Field Enablement at Celonis, discusses how to improve the sales function during integration.

Interview with:

Richard Dunkel

Global Head of Field Enablement at Celonis

An effective M&A onboarding process post-close can dictate employee retention. But what's even more important is retaining the acquired company's leadership. This article will discuss lessons learned from leadership onboarding with Kim Jones, HR Director M&A at Microsoft.

Interview with:

Kim Jones

SR. HR M&A Manager and SR. HR Manager XBOX at Microsoft

The best time to plan an exit is when times are good, not in a desperate situation. The longer the prep time, the higher chances of success. This article talks about how to build an exit strategy featuring Touraj Parang, President & COO of Serve Robotics.

Interview with:

Touraj Parang

President & COO of Serve Robotics

Every company wants to evolve and grow its business, and M&A is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to do it. If done correctly, it can transform an organization overnight. But it all starts with a sound M&A thesis. Without it, acquirers could waste time, money, and opportunities. In this article, Siran Tanielyan, SVP, Corporate Development at Paramount, will discuss developing an M&A thesis

Interview with:

Siran Tanielyan

SVP, Corporate Development at Paramount

Leadership alignment is one of the most underrated aspects of M&A. But without leadership alignment, there will be confusion regarding what the company will represent post-close and what needs to be integrated. The company will be left with an inconsistent narrative and messaging, which leads to retention issues. This article discusses leadership alignment and creating a GTM strategy for successful deals, featuring Cole Breidenbach, VP, M&A Integration & Strategic Initiatives at Okta.

Interview with:

Cole Breidenbach

Head of M&A Integration, Corporate Development and Director, Business Value Consulting at Okta

Corporate development is more than just doing M&A. Sometimes, acquiring a company isn't the best way to achieve the organization's growth strategy. There are a variety of approaches to accelerating a business that requires extra analysis and planning. This article will discuss growing beyond M&A with Christina Ungaro, VP, Head of Corporate Development at Wind River.

Interview with:

Christina Ungaro

VP, Head of Strategic Alliances & Corporate Development at Wind River

Integration is one of the most challenging and crucial parts of M&A. It requires a complete understanding of the parent company and the newly acquired business. If done right, it will allow acquirers to capture intended synergies and maximize the value of their transaction. It is why having a dedicated integration function can be extremely valuable to an organization. Let's all learn how to stand up an IMO function with​​ Joshua Zatkin-Steres, Head of M&A Integration at Zuora.

Interview with:

Joshua Zatkin-Steres

Head of M&A Integration at Zuora

M&A is one of the most powerful tools to transform your business instantly. If done right, your organization will reach new heights that otherwise would not have been possible. Before you can reap its benefits, you must build a good M&A function. In this article, Bani Bedi, SVP, Head of Corporate Development, Strategy, and Monetization at Smartsheet, shares the secrets to building an M&A function.

Interview with:

Bani Bedi

Senior Vice President at Smartsheet

Finance is arguably the most critical part of the due diligence process. Almost every transaction comes down to the numbers unless it's a pure IP deal. Conducting effective financial diligence in M&A is crucial to every acquisition's success. This article tackles the basics of financial diligence featuring Amr Abdelaziz, Senior Director, M&A Finance at Equinix.

Interview with:

Amr Abdelaziz

Senior Director - Global M&A & Strategy Finance at Equinix

Strategy is a crucial part of a M&A. Without it, acquirers may end up purchasing companies that compromise their time and resources. This article will discuss developing strategy with business leaders, featuring Michael McDonald, Director, Strategy at Koch Engineered Solutions.

Interview with:

Michael McDonald

Director, Strategy at Koch Engineered Solutions

In M&A, most acquirers don't like a competitive process. However, competitive processes are almost inevitable as sellers are looking to maximize the value of their company. This article will discuss how to engage in a competitive M&A market, featuring Tyler Rodewald, VP, M&A at EIS Holdings.

Interview with:

Tyler Rodewald

VP, Mergers and Acquisitions at EIS Holdings

Revenue synergies are one of the most challenging metrics to achieve during integration, but are also the primary reason companies buy businesses. In this article, Joe Heel, Chief Revenue Officer at Zebra Technologies, talks about capturing revenue synergies.

Interview with:

Joachim Heel

Chief Revenue Officer at Zebra Technologies

Deal failure can often be tied back to a lack of communication and collaboration. Let's discuss architecting communications for successful integration featuring Emma Barton, Director, Alliance and Integration Management at AstraZeneca.

Interview with:

Emma Barton

Director, Alliance and Integration Management at AstraZeneca

Culture and employee retention are two of the most important aspects of any transaction. But for some reason, many teams often ignore the importance of the HR team. Failure to understand the target company's people and culture will result in a higher likelihood of failure. This article will explore HR's partnership with corporate development in M&A with Jeremy Segal, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development at Progress.

Interview with:

Jeremy Segal

Senior Vice President Corporate Development at Progress

In M&A, time is the enemy. The longer a deal takes to close, the more risks it poses for both parties. This article talks about risk allocation between signing and closing an M&A deal with the help of Brett Shawn, Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Warburg Pincus LLC.

Interview with:

Brett Shawn

Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Warburg Pincus LLC

How early should M&A lawyers become involved in a transaction? Understanding what they do is crucial to answering this question. In this article, Felipe Heiderich, Senior Counsel at Moderna, discusses the importance of lawyers in M&A and their role throughout the deal lifecycle. 

Interview with:

Felipe Heiderich

Senior Counsel at Moderna

Go-to-market integration is more than just combining the sales and marketing teams. In this article, Dustin Delewski, Director of M&A Integration Management at Cardinal Health, gives a comprehensive view of how you can dissect your GTM for successful integration.

Interview with:

Dustin Delewski

Director of M&A Integration Management at Cardinal Health

More often than not, M&A involves go-to-market integration. After all, companies are bought to achieve revenue synergies in new markets. In this article, Massimo Malizia, Director of Corporate Development Integration at Cisco Systems, talks about overcoming the challenges of go-to-market integration.

Interview with:

Massimo Malizia

Director Corporate Development Integration at Cisco Systems

The more activity, the bigger the corporate development function should be. In this article, learn how to scale a corporate development function. Saurabh Tejwani, Vice President, Corporate Development and Business Operations at GoPuff.

Interview with:

Saurabh Tejwani

Vice President, Corporate Development and Business Operations at Gopuff

Acquiring a public company is easier and better than acquiring a private company. This article will discuss the nuances of buying public companies featuring Pranjal Gambhir and Doretta Mistras, Managing Director - Global Investment Banking, Healthcare at Citi.

Interview with:

Pranjal Gambhir

Managing Director, Global Investment Banking, Healthcare at Citi

Doretta Mistras

Managing Director, Global Investment Banking, Healthcare at Citi

How well an acquired business is integrated will determine the transaction's success. In this article, Gene Hugh, Chief Financial Officer at Procure Analytics, and John Morada, COO at M&A Science + DealRoom, will discuss how to successfully execute an integration plan.

Interview with:

Gene Hugh

Chief Financial Officer at Procure Analytics

John Morada

COO at M&A Science + DealRoom

Change management is one of the most crucial parts of M&A. When you don't plan for it; value creation is in jeopardy. Helping us understand how to deliver effective change management in M&A is Michael DeVita, Business Value Advisor at Salesforce.

Interview with:

Michael DeVita

Success Strategy Lead at Salesforce

Corp dev plays a huge role in selling a business, but the legal team also plays a crucial role. In this article, Andrew Gratz, Chief Privacy Officer, and Associate General Counsel at LyondellBasell, talks about what a divestiture looks like from a legal perspective.

Interview with:

Andrew Gratz

Associate General Counsel at LyondelBasell

Companies have been dressed up for sale and are under-invested for profit maximization and growth. According to Rishabh Mishra, Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Infostretch, buying companies that are not for sale is the most lucrative acquisition you can do.

Interview with:

Rishabh Mishra

Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Infostretch

In order for M&A to be effective, you have to be proactive. It is a great tool and should be a part of your growth strategy. Sabeeh Khan, Director of Corporate Development at Infoblox, talks about effective deal sourcing through market mapping in this article.

Interview with:

Sabeeh Khan

Director, Corporate Development at Infoblox

Selling your business is the most significant transaction of your life, and it is vital that you know what you're doing before you put your company up for sale. Proper preparation is key to selling a business. In this article, Adam Coffey, Founding Partner of CEO Advisory Guru LLC, discusses the basics of sell-side M&A.

Interview with:

Adam Coffey

Founding Partner CEO Advisory Guru LLC

M&A deals don’t just fall from the sky. Proactively sourcing deals is the best way to approach M&A, and in this article, Jeremy Segal, EVP, Corporate Development at Progress, teaches us how to source deals and build your pipeline.

Interview with:

Jeremy Segal

Senior Vice President Corporate Development at Progress

Online education is not new. But because of the pandemic, the entire educational sector was forced to shift in this direction, increasing competition. In this article, Tom Horton, SVP of Corporate Development at Kaplan, Inc., will talk about how M&A strategy evolves in education technology.

Interview with:

Tom Horton

Senior Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Kaplan, Inc.

M&A is a fascinating industry with no clear blueprint on how to get in. Kayla Davis, Vice President, Head of M&A at ABM Industries, came from accounting to an M&A Career, and in this article, she will share her journey and key lessons learned along the way.

Interview with:

Kayla Davis

Vice President, Head of M&A at ABM Industries

Traditionally, corporate development professionals come from banking roles. And while nothing is wrong with that, it is always fascinating to hear other ways that professionals start their careers in M&A. Sharing his career development in M&A is Caleb Shafer, Corporate Development Associate at RS Group plc.

Interview with:

Caleb Shafer

Corporate Development Associate at RS Group plc

Implementing your GTM Strategy is one of the most crucial parts of integration. Learn all the challenges of implementation featuring Hannah Leung, Senior Manager, M&A at Salesforce.

Interview with:

Hannah Leung

Senior Manager, M&A at Salesforce

While some companies bring the integration team in the diligence process, some take it even further. In this article, Jim Buckley, Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions Integration at VMware, talks about how to run an integration-led confirmatory diligence process.

Interview with:

Jim Buckley

Vice President, Mergers, Acquisitions Integration at VMware

Too many times, we've seen M&A used as a strategy to grow businesses. But in fact, M&A is not a strategy, it's a tool that organizations should use to achieve their corporate strategy. And once you understand your true north, having an M&A strategy is just as important. In this article, we will learn how to formulate an M&A strategy with Matt Arsenault, VP of Corporate Development at Jamf.

Interview with:

Matt Arsenault

VP of Corporate Development at Jamf

The importance of integration has never been more prevalent. And standing up a dedicated function to oversee integration is becoming more of a necessity as a company grows more prominent. Having an integration management office (IMO) might be a good idea for your company. But how do you stand up to such a function? Shedding light on this matter is Ian Burk, EVP of integration at Upland Software, as he talks about how to stand up an IMO.

Interview with:

Ian Burk

EVP of Integration at Upland Software

From zero revenue to a billion-dollar market capitalization, Upland Software has been able to grow its business through M&A acquisitions exponentially. Learn from Austin Woody, Senior Vice President of M&A and Corporate Development at Upland Software.

Interview with:

Austin Woody

SVP | M&A and Corporate Development at Upland Software

With so many companies out there, how do you know who to approach as your M&A targets? Helping us how to tie deal origination to strategy development is Scott Hile, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy & Development at Enviva.

Interview with:

Scott Hile

Senior Director - Corporate Development at Enviva (NYSE: EVA)

An M&A transaction can be an expensive mistake, but a solid strategy allows you to pick the right targets and pursue them proactively. Learn from Sreepathy Viswanathan, Chief Corporate Development Officer, HGS Healthcare, on how to build a great M&A strategy.

Interview with:

Sreepathy Viswanathan

Chief Corporate Development Officer at HGS Healthcare

In a highly fragmented industry, roll-ups are one of the most effective ways to grow a business. Daniel Burseth, Vice President at Eckhart, Inc., has bought and integrated six companies in the last few years. In this article, he will be sharing how they roll-up small manufacturing companies.

Interview with:

Daniel Burseth

Vice President at Eckhart, Inc.

During any M&A transaction, disagreements between the buyer and the seller are quite common, especially regarding the purchase price. The seller usually expects a higher price with their best interest in mind, and the buyer normally wants to pay a lower price.

Interview with:

Edward Hamilton

Managing Director - VRC

Integration is arguably the most important part of any acquisition. The ROI of your deal is purely based on how well you integrate the acquired company into your organization. And while that is true, integration is also the most challenging part. You need to combine two different companies and make it into one big company.

Interview with:

John Morada

COO at M&A Science + DealRoom

Are you looking to pivot into an M&A integration career? Over the past decade, the importance of integration has become more prevalent. Practitioners have realized a well-planned integration is how value is achieved. However, the role and the skills needed for integration leaders remain the same. In this article, John Morada, COO at M&A Science, will be sharing how to begin an M&A integration career, and the essential skills needed for the role.

Interview with:

John Morada

COO at M&A Science + DealRoom

How you approach negotiations can determine the success of the overall transaction and your future relationship with the other party. In this article, Larry Forman, Senior Manager at Deloitte, helps us understand how to approach M&A negotiations to increase deal success.

Interview with:

Larry Forman

Senior Manager and Head of the Ecosystem for Deloitte’s New Venture Accelerator

Is your company’s M&A process out of date? Learn from Naomi O’Brien, Head of M&A Integration at Honeywell, as she talks about modernizing a process-based company.

Interview with:

Naomi O’Brien

Head of M&A Integration at Toast

The majority of Corporate Development involves their integration team a couple of weeks before closing the deal. And while this is good practice, it’s not the best. According to Kerry Perez, Head of M&A at AMN Healthcare, there is a real benefit in involving your integration team earlier than that.

Interview with:

Kerry Perez

Vice President, Enterprise Strategy at AMN Healthcare

Acquiring additional capabilities is one of the best ways to do M&A. You can improve your existing offers to your customers and gain access to new markets and demographics. Zoominfo is the go-to-market intelligence platform that helps organizations identify and connect with consumers. In this article, Zoominfo’s founder and CEO Henry Schuck, will help us learn how to acquire additional capabilities.

Interview with:

Henry Schuck

CEO & Founder at ZoomInfo