This Is M&A Podcast

Most companies are failing at AI.  Not because the technology is broken, but because the organization is not ready for it. In this episode of This Is M&A, Lisa Davis, Founder and CEO of Davis Core Advisory, breaks down why 95% of enterprises show no ROI on AI adoption, what leaders are getting wrong about digital transformation, and how executives can build the kind of organization that is act...

Most founders treat selling their business like selling milk at the grocery store. Pete Moore has spent 20 years watching that mindset cost founders millions. In this episode of This Is M&A, Pete Moore, Founder and Managing Partner of Integrity Square, breaks down what it actually takes to build a business worth buying: the playbook, the team, the fourth quarter, and the one line every founder...

Most earnouts are never earned. Most founders do not know why until it is too late. In this episode of This Is M&A, Salim Dada, Managing Director and CEO of Concord Ventures, breaks down the three deal structure decisions that determine whether a founder walks away with what they expected: cash versus equity, earnouts and seller financing, and leveraged buyouts in today's credit environment. S...

Most founders think selling their business is about getting the highest price. It is not. In this episode of This Is M&A, Richard Groberg, Managing Director at MidCap Advisors, breaks down what really happens when you sell your business: the terms that matter more than price, the private equity reality most founders are not prepared for, and the deal landmines that blow up transactions after t...

Most CEOs think value equals revenue and EBITDA. Buyers think differently. In this episode of This Is M&A, Lindsey Wendler, Managing Director at 414 Capital, breaks down what buyers actually score you on, what you need to have in order before going to market, and what quietly kills deals before they close. Lindsey advises lower middle market companies on M&A, capital raises, and restructur...

The cash runs thin. Debt piles up. The market turns against you. This is distress. In this episode of This Is M&A, Phil Cassel, Managing Director at Cassel Salpeter & Co., breaks down the early warning signs most founders miss, the playbook for protecting value under pressure, and why moving fast is the single most important thing you can do when things start to go wrong. Phil started his...

James Marciano has built four companies, sold several, invested in a dozen more, and now helps founders exit. He has sat at every seat at the table — founder, angel, LP, banker — and he came out of retirement because he saw that most investment banks only close 35% of their deals. Last year, Tuck Advisors closed 100% of theirs. In this episode of This Is M&A, James breaks down what it actually...

Education is undergoing a fundamental shift driven by policy, capital flows and AI. Trace Urdan, Managing Director at Tyton Partners, joins This Is M&A to break down what is really happening beneath the surface and how buyers, founders and investors should be thinking about the sector today. With nearly 20 years of experience covering the global knowledge market across equity research and inve...

Most M&A deals do not fail at signing.  They fail after close. Rachel Smith, Vice President of Nota Consulting, joins This Is M&A to break down the human side of post-merger integration and why culture is revenue. Rachel has led integration efforts on multi-billion-dollar transactions, including execution on a $3.1B acquisition that delivered nearly $100M in cost savings. In this episode,...

Every founder eventually faces it: Raise capital, recapitalize, or sell? Matt Plooster, CEO & Co-Founder of Bridgepoint Investment Banking, joins This Is M&A to break down how founders should think about control, liquidity and timing. With over $41B in completed transactions and experience at Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, Matt shares how to: Raise growth capital without losing control...

Founder-owned exits are rarely clean breaks. In this episode, Nick Cipiti of CriticalPoint reveals the psychology behind partial exits and how buyers can structure deals where the founder wants to stay involved. Nick is a Managing Director at CriticalPoint with over a decade of experience in middle-market M&A. He specializes in founder-led transactions, carve-outs, and private equity deals whe...

Cross-border deals are tough and only a few teams get them right. Feng Han has executed 100+ transactions in over 13 countries across healthcare, life sciences, and MedTech. In this episode, he reveals the red flags sellers miss, why strategic fit matters more than you think, and how international acquirers are behaving in 2026. With decades of experience at Henry Schein, Fosun, and Pagoda Capital...

Selling your company is not as straightforward as it seems. In this episode of This Is M&A, Hitesh Nathani, Managing Director at CriticalPoint, reveals the myths that quietly destroy value, and what every founder, operator, and acquirer needs to understand before and after the LOI. With 19+ years of experience across valuation, private capital, and operating strategy, Hitesh exposes what reall...

Can you scale from zero to $1.2B in under 2 years? Alan Gessel has... five times! In this episode, the CEO of Graystone Corporate breaks down how he built operations, raised capital, and managed risk while scaling at extreme speed. Alan Gessel is a serial founder, investor, and the current CEO of Graystone Corporate. His resume spans C-suite roles at global firms like Aramark and Sodexo, and his l...

There is a seismic shift in M&A, and most founders are not ready for it. AI is not just transforming products, it is rewriting valuation models, exit timing and competitive strategy. In this episode, Bob Cronin, Managing Director at Telegraph Hill Advisors, breaks down how AI is reshaping SaaS and software deals, why AI native companies are earning extreme multiples, and what CEOs need to do b...

What makes a company attractive to buyers? It is not revenue alone. In this episode of This Is M&A, Jordi Pujol, CFA, Managing Director at Objective, Investment Banking & Valuation, explains the financial and operational fundamentals that influence valuation, deal interest, and buyer confidence. Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe to get updates 👉 https://sharevault.com/th...

Taxes may not kill your deal outright, but they can quietly destroy its value. Christine “Chrissy” Green, Member and Tax Attorney at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, reveals how middle-market dealmakers can use tax strategy as a competitive edge. Chrissy works across buy-side and sell-side M&A in the middle market. She covers federal, state and international tax. She also led firm efforts on the Co...

If you wait for perfect timing, you will pay for it. In this market, time either adds zeros or kills deals. Ben Boissevain is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ascento Capital Invest. A boutique investment bank laser-focused on tech M&A. He specializes in sell-side mandates for high-growth companies in the $20M to $220M range. Regular on Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News. Subscribe and foll...

Why are the biggest food brands selling off assets? They know something most founders don't. Ross Colbert joins This Is M&A to discuss the new food & beverage M&A landscape and why revenue multiples are outdated, while EBITDA discipline and distribution are the key drivers of real value. Ross Colbert is a Managing Director at Carter Morse & Goodrich with over three decades of exper...

Most founders think selling their business takes three months. The reality? Try 8 to 12 months. And that's if everything goes right.    Listen to the podcast:  https://sharevault.com/this-is-ma/ Connect with Juan Ortega: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanortega27/ Newsletter: https://nighteaglestrategies.com Follow Steven Monterroso: linkedin.com/in/determined2succeed/ Follow This Is M&amp...

Why do most M&A deals crumble after the ink dries? Diane Weinheimer reveals the hidden traps. Diane Weinheimer, CEO and founder of AviatrXX, is a change management expert with over 30 years of experience steering post-merger integrations for giants like Nike, CBRE, Visa, and Chevron. Also, the author of Invisible Forces at Work, decoding workplace conflict. Learn more about Diane at: Website:...

Dealmaking without the B.S. Welcome to This is M&A — the podcast that takes you inside the real world of mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and strategic growth. Each episode dives into the high-stakes decisions behind the deals that shape industries — what works, what doesn’t, and what leaders wish they’d known sooner. Hosted by Steven Monterroso, CEO of ShareVault, This is M&A bri...