M&A Science Podcast

Establishing strong connections with a target company is essential in M&A. Securing deals can be challenging, but a strategic approach can result in mutually beneficial outcomes. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Michael Frankel, Founder and Managing Partner of Trajectory Capital, shares his approach to deal-making from first conversations to LOI.

In order for an M&A process to be successful, there must be effective governance in place. Governance is used to manage risks, and ensure that key stakeholders are well-informed and able to provide appropriate oversight throughout a transaction. In this episode, Guy Fisher, Head of Corporate Development at Suncorp Group, shares his expertise in setting up M&A governance for efficiency.

Acquiring a company is complex and challenging, and in some instances, unnecessary. If buyers only need the people inside of a target company, they can do an acquihire instead of a traditional acquisition To explore this strategy deeper. This episode will discuss executing acquihires, featuring Thomas Gorman, Strategy & Corporate Development at Pantheon, and Mark Khavkin, CFO at Pantheon.

In recent years, there has been a surge in using reps & warranty insurance in M&A, especially in private deals. This episode will discuss how to approach reps and warranties insurance, featuring Josh Holleman, Partner at Cooley LLP.

Before buyers and sellers agree to an LOI, there are many informal conversations that happen in the background. Buyers must carefully approach any informal conversations to avoid turning a buyer off while still securing the deal. In this interview, Ken Bond, Head of Corporate Development at Cetera Financial Group, discusses the key things to consider during pre-LOI conversations.

Today, there are more than 20 reps and warranty insurance companies. And unlike before, they are now willing to cover the entire suite of reps and warranties to replace the indemnification provisions in a traditional purchase agreement. So are they worth it? Should buyers consider reps and warranty insurance on all their deals? In this episode, Gitanjali Pundir, Vice President, Global Corporate Development and M&A at Visa, discusses representations and warranties from a business perspective.

Deal origination requires a well-planned strategy, and starts with informal conversations with a potential target. In this episode, Jeremy Segal, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Progress, discusses what happens between the first conversation and LOI

Executing acquisitions without a dedicated function is highly inefficient and would often result in failed deals. Why? Because when a company purely relies on inbound opportunities, they would not get the best deals possible. To be good at M&A, a company needs experience and consistency. This interview will discuss starting up your corporate development function featuring Veena Ramaswamy, Head of Corporate Development at Lemonade.

M&A is an excellent tool for growing a company. Still, acquirers should consider a variety of strategies before committing to a transaction. Choosing the right growth approach also dictates any integration plans. This interview will talk about executing various strategies and how to get a CEO on board, featuring Rohit Dave, Head of Corporate Development at Block.

Integration is one of the most critical aspects of an M&A to achieve the transaction's desired synergies and value-creation potential. Therefore, acquirers must focus on integration to do well in M&A. In this episode, Cara Bibbiani, Senior Director, Corporate Development, M&A Integration at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, discusses how to perform better M&A Integration.

Standing up a corporate development function from scratch is a challenging, yet exciting task. And one of the pillars of a successful M&A function is a solid team who can effectively run deals. In this episode, Kevin Barnes, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Premier Inc., will discuss how to create an M&A team structure.

Ever wonder how to transition roles in M&A? In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Kerry Perez, Vice President, Enterprise Strategy at AMN Healthcare, will discuss her fascinating journey to M&A, during which she experienced a variety of roles.

Speed is of the essence regarding M&A integration. The faster integration is executed, the better it will be. In this interview, Caroline Jones, Senior Director - Acquisition Success at Cisco, discusses how to accelerate M&A integration.

A strong deal strategy doesn't guarantee success. Integration is where value is created. In this episode, Darrell Heaps, CEO at Q4 Inc., discusses tying up M&A strategy with integration.

There needs to be alignment from both sides of a deal in order to have a smooth integration process. In this interview, Don Yakulis, Global Head of M&A Integration at Light and Wonder, discusses the importance of achieving alignment from both teams during M&A integration.

In this two-part M&A Science Podcast episode, James Harris, Principal, Corporate Development Integration at Google, discusses go-to-market integration planning.

Revenue synergies are one of the hardest things to achieve in any transaction. With proper planning and the right approach, revenue synergies can help teams achieve their deal thesis. In this interview, James Harris, Principal, of Corporate Development Integration at Google, discusses go-to-market integration planning.

If your company doesn’t want to buy or build, there are always ways to leverage technology using partnerships. In this interview, Larry Forman, Senior Manager and head of the ecosystem for Deloitte's New Venture Accelerator, discusses the corporate venture strategy.

Do you want to compete in an auction process more efficiently? In this interview, Kirti Gavri, Head of Corporate Development for Wizeline, talks about how to run an accelerated deal process.

Selling a business has risks, but with the right approach, continued success is achievable. In this interview, Tim Wentworth, Retired CEO of Cigna, formerly known as Express Scripts, discusses how to strategize and execute an exit for a team's greater good.

Teams need to understand how strategy can impact the entire process in order to be successful in M&A. In this interview, Hannah Elsakr, Vice President, Corporate Development, M&A Integration at Adobe, discusses executing successful end-to-end M&A.

Strategy is arguably the most important aspect of M&A, and strategy alignment across the board is vital. In this interview, Benjamin Orthlieb, Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Linkedin, discusses Linkedin’s bottoms-up deal origination model.

Integration is where value is created regardless of what happened during negotiations and diligence. However, an acquirer can destroy a target company if integration is poorly executed. Therefore, ensuring the acquired business is in good hands is imperative. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Keith Crawford, Global Head of Corporate Development / M&A - State Street, discusses how to execute an effective M&A integration handoff.

Having an Agile M&A strategy is a key component of being a proactive acquirer and rapidly growing companies. In this interview, Daniel Gittsovich, Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development at L3Harris Technologies, discusses how to create an Agile M&A strategy.

This interview is part two of our M&A Science podcast interview with Frederic Lebourg, CEO & Managing Director at Redlands Farm Holding, Inc. During this interview, he discusses what happens after the deal preparation stage.

Where do you start when selling a business? This is the first of two interviews with Frederic Lebourg, CEO & Managing Director at Redlands Farm Holding, Inc. During part 1, Frederic discusses how to prepare a company for an acquisition.

Have you ever heard of a reverse auction process in M&A? In this interview, Atul Tiwary, Vice President of Corporate Development at Barracuda, talks about the reverse auction process in M&A including how the process works and why should acquirers consider it.

When acquiring another company, there is always the potential that layoffs will need to take place to streamline the new organization. Of course, letting people go is never easy, but there are ways to do it properly to minimize damage to the individuals and the company's reputation. In this episode, Evelyn De la Cruz, Head of North America Administrative Operations at Spencer Stuart, discusses how to properly lay off people during an acquisition.

Go-to-market integration is more than just combining the sales and marketing teams. In this interview, 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.

Are you trying to become a proactive acquirer? One of the most crucial aspects of success is managing the pipeline and approaching companies. In this interview, Andrew Whitcomb, Sr Director, Strategy, Corporate Development, M&A at Builders FirstSource, shares how to approach deal targets.