M&A Science

Benjamin Orthlieb , VP and Head of Corp Dev at LinkedIn The M&A can be highly inefficient, and inefficiency can lead to failed deals. However, some practitioners have figured out how to increase deal success using new work methods. For example, some practitioners have turned to Linkedin as a different way to approach deal origination.  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Benjamin Orthlieb...

Keith Crawford , Global Head of Corporate Development / M&A at State Street (NYSE: STT) 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...

Daniel Gittsovich , Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development at L3Harris Technologies ( NYSE: LHX) Strategy execution is one of the most fundamental reasons behind M&A. Acquiring a business and rationalizing the deal afterwards is a quick way to waste time and money. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Daniel Gittsovich , Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development at L3Harris...

Frederic Lebourg , CEO & Managing Director at Redlands Farm Holding, Inc. - a Subsidiary of the Bollore Group Selling a business is always challenging. Finding the right buyer, negotiating a fair price, and preserving a business for sale takes time and effort, and there are plenty of potential pitfalls that can derail the entire process along the way.  This interview is part two of our M&A Science...

Frederic Lebourg , CEO & Managing Director at Redlands Farm Holding, Inc. - a Subsidiary of the Bollore Group. There are many reasons why an owner sells their business. Before talking to an actual buyer, potential sellers need to prepare their business in order to maximize value. This is part 1 of a 2-part episode on the M&A Science Podcast, during which Frederic Lebourg , CEO & Managing Director...

Atul Tiwary , Vice President of Corporate Development at Barracuda (NYSE: CUDA) The M&A auction process creates competition among potential buyers and drives prices up. In most cases, proactive acquirers tend to avoid these types of transactions, but buyers can also initiate and create their own auction process.  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Atul Tiwary , Vice President of Corporate...

Evelyn De la Cruz , Head of North America Administrative Operations at Spencer Stuart 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 go about layoffs properly to minimize damage to the individuals and the company's reputation In this episode of t...

Dustin Delewski , Director of M&A Integration Management at Cardinal Health ( NYSE: CAH ) Go-to-market integration is more than just combining the sales and marketing teams. Many nuances often get overlooked, especially in the back office. To increase integration success, there has to be a detailed understanding of the go-to-market system.  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Dustin Delews...

Andrew Whitcomb , Sr. Director, Strategy, Corporate Development, M&A at Builders FirstSource NYSE: BLDR Proactive M&A is not easy. Proactive M&A requires keeping tabs on multiple companies, reaching out to them directly, and convincing owners to sell their businesses to strangers. Yet, the ability to tackle all of these actions are what make a great corporate development team.  In this episode of...

Jeff Hennig , Vice President, Corporate Development at AMD (NASDAQ) Dan Menge , Head of M&A Integration at AMD (NASDAQ) When two companies merge together, there will be overlaps that result in winding down functions. But what happens when there are two functions that perfectly complement each other?  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Jeff Hennig , Vice President, Corporate Development at...

Liz Lockhart , Sr. Director, PMO, Training and Business Applications 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 episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Liz Lockhart , Sr. Director, PMO, Training and Business Applications , shares her first experience and les...

Mike Kryza , Head of Corporate Development at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Private- F500 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...

Karen Ashley , Vice President, Corporate Development Integration at Cisco CSCO (NASDAQ) M&A doesn't end when a deal closes. 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...

Willy Walker , Chairman and CEO of Walker & Dunlop, Inc (NYSE: WD)  M&A is one of the fastest ways to grow a company. Many of the largest companies in the world turn to M&A for inorganic growth. However, first-time acquirers often find it difficult to buy companies due to a lack of experience and reputation.  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Willy Walker , Chairman, and CEO of Walker &...

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 Cor...

Richard Dunkel , Global Head of Field Enablement at Celonis The sales operation is the cornerstone of every business. Without it, companies would not have revenue. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Richard Dunkel , Global Head of Field Enablement at Celonis , discusses how to improve the sales function during integration. Liked today's episode? Unlock over 60 courses taught by top-tier M...

Kim Jones , HR Director M&A at Microsoft ( NASDAQ: MSFT) 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. Leadership has massive influence inside the business, and helping them transition properly will positively impact the overall transaction.  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, K...

Touraj Parang , President & COO of Serve Robotics Selling a business is a difficult task that requires a lot of planning and preparation. However, most entrepreneurs refuse to entertain the idea of a sale until it is too late. 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.  In this episode of the M&A Scie...

Siran Tanielyan , SVP, Corporate Development at Paramount (NYSE: PGRE) Every company wants to evolve and grow its business, and M&A is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to grow. If done correctly, M&A can transform an organization overnight but there must be a sound M&A thesis. Without an M&A thesis, acquirers might end up wasting time, money, and opportunities.  In this episode of the M&A...

Cole Breidenbach , VP, M&A Integration & Strategic Initiatives at Okta ( NASDAQ: OKTA) 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...

Christina Ungaro , VP, Head of Corporate Development at Wind River 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 require extra analysis and planning. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Christina Ungaro , VP, Head of Corpora...

Joshua Zatkin-Steres , Head of M&A Integration at Zuora NYSE: ZUO 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 ex...

Bani Bedi , SVP, Head of Corporate Development, Strategy and Monetization at Smartsheet 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. But before you can reap its benefits, you must build a good M&A function.  In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Bani Bedi , SVP...

Amr Abdelaziz ,  Senior Director, M&A Finance at Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) 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.  In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Amr Abdelaziz , Senior Director, M&A Fin...

Michael McDonald , Director, Strategy at Koch Engineered Solutions Strategy is a crucial part of an M&A. Without it, acquirers may end up purchasing companies that compromise their time and resources. A good strategy shapes how to approach a target company, the questions to ask during diligence, and how to integrate the newly acquired business. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Michael M...