The M&A Science Podcast

Brought to you by DealRoom
Hosted by Kison Patel
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Featuring guests from leading companies

Learn from leading M&A practitioners

Join Kison Patel, Founder and CEO of DealRoom and Chief Scientist at M&A Science for weekly episodes where he explores the complex world of M&A with industry leaders and practitioners. Here's to the deal.

“Expand on your target list. It's much easier to say no, if by saying no, you are saying yes to something else or the opportunity to do something else.”
Birgitta and Lars Elfversson
Netlight Consulting AB
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“Trust is built by meeting counterparts in their own environment, understanding their day-to-day realities, and showing respect for the constraints they operate under. It is not built by promising to solve every problem or by overselling future outcomes.”
Ciprian Stan
Integration Manager at SALESIANER Gruppe
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“The worst time you can have surprises is during integration. If you're gonna have surprises, have them in due diligence.”
Ciprian Stan
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All Episodes

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10
Live Podcast
Aug 4, 2025

Cross-Border M&A Strategy: Navigating Complex International Deals

Arash Attar-Rezvani
, 
M&A Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Strategy
Live Podcast
Aug 4, 2025
Skadden's Arash Attar-Rezvani shares 25 years of cross-border M&A strategy expertise, covering regulatory hurdles, deal structures, and cultural nuances.
Live Podcast
Jul 28, 2025

Strategies for Successful Buy-and-Build M&A

Haley Van Cleve
, 
Partner at Alpine Investors
Strategy
Sourcing
Live Podcast
Jul 28, 2025
Haley joins us to decode the art of building successful buy-and-build platforms from the ground up. In this episode, Haley walks through Alpine's proven methodology for transforming small $3M EBITDA businesses into $100M+ platforms through strategic M&A and operational excellence. Learn how Alpine's unique talent model,
Live Podcast
Jul 21, 2025

M&A in Healthcare

John Palusci
, 
Division Director of Transformation Finance
Integration
Diligence
Live Podcast
Jul 21, 2025
John Palusci, former VP of Transformation and Strategic Finance at BAYADA, shares how to scale M&A in a nonprofit healthcare org with a buyer-led mindset, value alignment, and structured diligence.
Live Podcast
Jul 17, 2025

The Secrets to Sourcing Proprietary Deals in Private Equity

Ryan Gable
, 
Managing Partner at BW Forsyth Partners
Sourcing
Live Podcast
Jul 17, 2025
Ryan Gable, Managing Partner at BW Forsyth Partners, shares how a people-first, permanent capital model drives M&A success. Learn how Forsyth sources proprietary deals, avoids short-term pitfalls, and builds businesses for generations.
Live Podcast
Jul 14, 2025

Why Pendo Buys Startups (And It’s Not for Revenue)

Todd Olson
, 
CEO and Co-founder of Pendo
General
Live Podcast
Jul 14, 2025
Pendo CEO Todd Olson shares his playbook for acquiring startups—from buying for product fit to keeping founders motivated post-close. Learn why Pendo values speed, people, and long-term integration over quick wins.
Live Podcast
Jul 10, 2025

Why Beacon Created an AI Committee for M&A—and What They’re Testing Next (Part 2)

Harrison Thomas
, 
Chief Growth Officer at Beacon Specialized Living Services, Inc.
Diligence
Integration
Live Podcast
Jul 10, 2025
Harrison Thomas, Chief Growth Officer at Beacon Specialized Living Services, reveals how Beacon is centralizing diligence, streamlining integration, and piloting AI to future-proof its M&A engine. Learn what works and what to avoid.
Live Podcast
Jul 7, 2025

Why Beacon Created an AI Committee for M&A—and What They’re Testing Next (Part 1)

Harrison Thomas
, 
Chief Growth Officer at Beacon Specialized Living Services, Inc.
Diligence
Integration
Live Podcast
Jul 7, 2025
Discover how Beacon Specialized Living Services is transforming M&A with AI. Harrison Thomas, Chief Growth Officer, shares why they created an AI committee, what they’re testing, and how it’s reshaping deal execution.
Live Podcast
Jul 3, 2025

How to Break Into M&A: Lessons from Todd Manley Part 2

Todd Manley
, 
VP of Corporate Development Integration at Intel
General
Live Podcast
Jul 3, 2025
In Part 2 of our conversation with Todd, we unpack how professionals from diverse backgrounds can successfully break into M&A and what it takes to build and maintain high-performing deal teams.
Live Podcast
Jun 30, 2025

Build a Career in M&A: Lessons from Intel's Todd Manley

Todd Manley
, 
VP of Corporate Development Integration at Intel
General
Live Podcast
Jun 30, 2025
In this episode, Todd Manley joins Kison Patel to share his non-traditional path into the world of M&A. Starting his career in IT and organizational behavior, Todd brings a unique lens to integration and leadership in corporate development.
Podcast
Jun 26, 2025

Buyer-Led vs. Seller-Led M&A

Mathew Person
, 
Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Quikbase
General
Strategy
Divestiture
Podcast
Jun 26, 2025
Explore how Mathew Person, SVP of Corporate Development at Quickbase, structures a buyer-led M&A strategy that prioritizes culture, diligence, and stakeholder alignment. Learn how to avoid common deal pitfalls and build trust for long-term value.
Podcast
Jun 23, 2025

Inside Atlassian’s M&A Strategy: Sourcing, Negotiation & Integration

Sarah Hughes
, 
Head of Corporate Development and Product Partnerships, Atlassian
Sourcing
Integration
Podcast
Jun 23, 2025
Discover how Atlassian executes M&A with strategic clarity. Sarah Hughes shares Atlassian’s approach to sourcing, founder relationships, cultural fit, and integration strategy on the M&A Science podcast.
Podcast
Jun 19, 2025

Building Trust in Acquisitions

Dan Pollock
, 
Vice President of Corporate Development/M&A at SAM Companies
Strategy
Sourcing
Podcast
Jun 19, 2025
Learn how SAM Companies’ Dan Pollock scaled an in-house M&A engine, sourced proprietary deals, and built trust with sellers to drive sustainable growth. From relationship-building to integration, this episode breaks down real-world corp dev execution.
Podcast
Jun 16, 2025

How Blackstone is Unlocking Lasting Value Across Private Equity

Viral Patel
, 
CEO of Blackstone Private Equity Strategies
Strategy
Podcast
Jun 16, 2025
Blackstone’s Viral Patel shares how the world’s largest alternative asset manager is expanding access to private equity through perpetual funds, building long-term value through thematic investing, and fostering a culture of innovation and integrity that drives success across the portfolio.
Podcast
Jun 12, 2025

M&A Lawyers vs. Bankers

Rob Kindler
, 
Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Strategy
Diligence
General
Podcast
Jun 12, 2025
Former Global Head of M&A at Morgan Stanley and current Paul Weiss Partner Rob Kindler shares lessons from four decades in dealmaking—from evolving roles of lawyers and bankers to navigating regulatory risk, activist pressure, and boardroom dynamics in high-stakes M&A.
Podcast
Jun 9, 2025

CEO Scott Clawson's Growth Strategy

Scott Clawson
, 
Scott Clawson, CEO of Culligan International
Strategy
Sourcing
Podcast
Jun 9, 2025
In this episode, Scott Clawson, CEO of Culligan International, breaks down how he scaled a legacy brand into a $3.3B global platform through 300+ acquisitions. Learn how to build a decentralized M&A engine, align organic and inorganic growth, and choose the right private equity partners.
Podcast
Jun 5, 2025

Fixing Broken Companies Through Smart Deals Part 2 with Marc Bell

Marc Bell
, 
CEO of Marc Bell Capital
General
Divestiture
Podcast
Jun 5, 2025
In Part 2 of our M&A Science interview with Marc Bell, we explore how to structure deals with confidence, avoid bad partners, and lead companies through chaos. Learn practical tips on diligence, capital strategy, and what really drives long-term M&A success.
Podcast
Jun 2, 2025

Fixing Broken Companies Through Smart Deals with Marc Bell

Marc Bell
, 
CEO of Marc Bell Capital
Strategy
Podcast
Jun 2, 2025
Marc Bell, CEO of Marc Bell Capital, shares his strategy for acquiring distressed assets, betting on the right operators, and creating value through structure, scale, and strategic turnarounds. Learn how he’s built and exited businesses across industries—from Broadway to satellites.
Podcast
May 29, 2025

From Beats to B2B

Ola Sars
, 
Founder, CEO & Chairman of Soundtrack Your Brand
General
Podcast
May 29, 2025
Music tech pioneer Ola Sars shares how he went from founding Beats Music to executing a buyer-led M&A strategy at Soundtrack. Learn how he's digitizing a legacy market through roll-ups, licensing, and strategic dealmaking.
Podcast
May 26, 2025

How to Build Better Deals: Sourcing and Integration

John Romeo
, 
CEO of the Oliver Wyman Forum and Head of M&A at Oliver Wyman
Sourcing
Integration
Podcast
May 26, 2025
Podcast
May 22, 2025

How to Build Companies That Last pt. 2

Stew Campbell
, 
Partner at The Chernin Group
Valuation
Divestiture
Podcast
May 22, 2025
Stew Campbell, Partner at TCG, returns to the M&A Science podcast to break down how founders can evaluate growth equity partners, run their own competitive capital process, and preserve long-term value through strategic investor relationships.
Podcast
May 19, 2025

How to Build Companies That Last pt. 1

Stew Campbell
, 
Partner at The Chernin Group
Valuation
Divestiture
Podcast
May 19, 2025
Explore how growth equity works for founder-led companies with Stew Campbell, Partner at TCG. Learn how boards create value, how to align on long-term goals, and what separates elite investors in M&A.
Podcast
May 15, 2025

Scaling M&A Across Borders

Rob Brown
, 
CEO of Lincoln International
Strategy
Integration
Podcast
May 15, 2025
Learn how Rob Brown, CEO of Lincoln International, drives global M&A through a strategic blend of cultural diligence, AI innovation, and aggressive integration planning. Discover firsthand lessons on evaluating acquisitions, navigating cross-border complexities, and scaling M&A with intention.
Podcast
May 12, 2025

How Private Equity Firms Structure Successful M&A Deals

Jon Dhanawade
, 
Private Equity M&A Partner at Mayer Brown
Strategy
Podcast
May 12, 2025
on brings legal insight from both sides of the table, sharing practical strategies for aligning deal terms with investment objectives, mitigating downside risk, and building strong seller relationships. Whether you’re a corporate buyer or a fund-backed operator, this episode will help sharpen your deal judgment.
Podcast
May 5, 2025

Setting up Successful Acquisitions

Paul Miller
, 
CEO of Questex
Sourcing
Strategy
Podcast
May 5, 2025
Paul Miller joins us to share his extensive experience in M&A, having led more than 90 acquisitions throughout his career. Paul reveals how Questex uses a proactive, buyer-led approach focused on culture, strategic alignment, and integration discipline.
Podcast
May 1, 2025

Scaling Through Strategy: A Buyer-Led Approach to M&A Success

Larry Hartmann
, 
CEO of ZRG Partners
Podcast
May 1, 2025
Larry shares how he transformed ZRG into one of the fastest-growing executive search and talent advisory firms through 17 acquisitions in just four years.
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