Fifth Chrome Business Insights

Why do some businesses scale successfully through acquisitions while others struggle long before integration even begins? In this episode of Buy-and-Build & Scaling Stories , Anirvan Sen speaks with Nicholas Gleeson, drawing on more than 35 years of experience across CFO, CEO, board, strategic advisory, and acquisition-led growth roles around the world. The central idea is: Buy-and-build succe...

Should you sell your company completely, bring in growth capital, or sell a majority stake and retain equity for the next stage? In this episode of Buy-and-Build & Scaling Stories , Anirvan Sen speaks with John A. Bova about the choices business owners face when considering private capital — and what happens after the transaction. The conversation covers growth equity vs. buyouts, rollover equ...

Why do some companies continue scaling while others get stuck at $20M, $50M, or $60M in revenue? One of the biggest mistakes founders, leadership teams, and investors make is treating scaling as one continuous journey. It isn’t. In this special educational episode of Buy-and-Build & Scaling Insights , Anirvan Sen introduces a five-stage framework for understanding how companies evolve from app...

What does it take to move from a corporate career into entrepreneurship — and then build and scale a technology business internationally? In this episode of Buy-and-Build & Scaling Stories , Anirvan Sen speaks with Samit Sengupta, Founder and Managing Director of Geologix, about his journey from corporate leader to entrepreneur. But this is not simply a story about starting a company. It is ab...

Buy-and-Build & Scaling Stories Talent and leadership are among the biggest challenges for companies pursuing rapid growth, scaling, and buy-and-build strategies. Yet HR is still frequently viewed primarily as an administrative function. In this episode, Anirvan Sen speaks with seasoned HR practitioner Michelle Kaihani about how HR's role needs to evolve as organizations grow. What does it...

What does it really take to be a CFO when a business is going through an exit? Jim Carver reflects on his experience with two business exits and how dramatically the CFO’s role changes during that period. We talk about long hours, intense management reporting, faster decision-making, the need to understand the entire business, and why the CFO often becomes the bridge between management and investo...

Join ⁠⁠⁠Anirvan Sen⁠⁠⁠ , CEO of ⁠⁠⁠Fifth Chrome⁠⁠⁠ , and ⁠⁠⁠Nigel Kilpatrick⁠⁠⁠ , CEO of ⁠⁠⁠Compassion-in-Business⁠⁠⁠ , as they tackle the colossal issue of employee disengagement in this eye-opening episode. Discover why businesses are losing an astonishing $9 trillion annually due to disengaged employees and explore practical solutions to this pervasive problem. Key Episode Highlights: 📌 Magnit...

Join ⁠Anirvan Sen⁠ , CEO of ⁠Fifth Chrome⁠ , and ⁠Nigel Kilpatrick⁠ , CEO of ⁠Compassion-in-Business⁠ , in a revealing conversation about the often challenging alignment of company and employee values. This episode delves into the critical gaps that exist between a company’s stated values and the personal values of its employees, exploring how and why these discrepancies occur. Key Episode Highlig...

Join Anirvan Sen , CEO of Fifth Chrome , and Nigel Kilpatrick , CEO of Compassion-in-Business , as they delve into the critical differences between compassion and empathy and how these impact business performance. In this insightful episode, they explore how understanding and implementing these concepts can transform organizational culture and lead to significant performance boosts. Key Points Cov...

Join Anirvan Sen , a seasoned expert in building high-performance organizations, and James Harris , Integration Manager at Google with over 25 years of M&A experience, in an enlightening conversation that dives deep into the complexities of mergers and acquisitions. This episode sheds light on the critical role of culture and professional development in the success of M&A projects. Discove...

In this enlightening episode, we delve deep into the heart of culture and HR in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), featuring the expertise of Kim Jones , a senior HR leader renowned for her extensive experience in M&A. Kim Jones shares her valuable insights into the critical role of people strategies during these transformative processes, emphasizing the significance of coachin...

In this insightful episode of the Fifth Chrome Podcast, we delve into the often-overlooked aspect of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) – culture. Join us as Lynette Buitt , a seasoned M&A practitioner, shares her extensive experience and perspectives on the pivotal role of culture in successful M&A transactions. Key Highlights: 🔹 Culture as a Central Element in M&A: Lynette discusses...

🎙️ M&A Stories presents an in-depth interview with Jay Goldman , Co-founder and CEO of Sensei Labs. In this enlightening conversation, Anirvan Sen delves into the journey and philosophy behind Sensei Labs, a subsidiary of Klick Health, that focuses on data and talent-centric organizational culture. Jay shares how their platform Conductor is revolutionizing the way businesses operate by address...

In our latest episode of Fifth Chrome Business Insights Podcast, we are joined by Summer Hilliard, an advocate for employees facing layoffs during Mergers and Acquisitions. Summer brings a refreshing perspective to a challenging aspect of M&A, offering strategies for both employees and employers to handle layoffs with empathy and effectiveness. Layoffs during M&A can be an incredibly sensi...

In this insightful episode of Fifth Chrome Business Insights Podcast, we have the privilege of hosting Claire-Marie Nasr and Cathy Powers , two seasoned M&A practitioners, for an in-depth discussion on the critical role of culture in Mergers and Acquisitions. Often underestimated, organizational culture extends beyond simple behavior patterns. It is a broad sphere encompassing leadership style...

In this enlightening episode of our podcast, we dive deep into the world of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) with esteemed guest Mary Cianni , a senior M&A practitioner and seasoned adjunct faculty. The central theme of our discussion orbits around the critical yet sometimes underappreciated role of culture within the M&A landscape. Despite being a core component of any M&A transacti...

In this insightful episode of our podcast, we sit down with seasoned M&A expert Mark Walztoni to delve deep into the significance of culture in mergers and acquisitions. Mark, who has a wealth of practical experience, defines culture as a blend of the ways people work and treat each other, as well as how they interact with customers and vendors. He emphasizes that culture is largely determined...

Unraveling the Hidden Impact of Culture on Psychology in M&A: A Deep Dive with Jennifer Fondrevay , a podcast In this insightful episode, we dive deep into the often-overlooked aspect of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) - organizational culture, with Jennifer Fondrevay , Founder and Chief Humanity Officer of M&A consultancy, Day1Ready . Jennifer elucidates how the neglect of cultural ass...

Mastering M&A Culture: Unveiling Expert Insights with Reynaldo Ramirez In this insightful podcast episode, we sit down with Reynaldo Ramirez , founder of Thrive HR Consulting , to discuss the crucial role of culture in M&A transactions. Reynaldo shares his expertise in conducting proper due diligence, particularly related to culture and people management. He elaborates on the importance of...

Mastering the M&A Culture Puzzle: ⁠Klint C. Kendrick⁠ Reveals the Secrets to Successful Integration! - a podcast Show Notes: Season 3, Episode 7 – Interview with ⁠Klint C. Kendrick⁠ Join us in this captivating interview with Klint C. Kendrick, an expert in M&A and culture integration, as he shares his experience and insights on successfully navigating the complex world of organizational cu...

Mastering M&A: The Crucial Role of Culture Podcast with Giovanni Amodeo In this episode of the podcast, Giovanni Amodeo, Chief Data Officer at ION Analytics, shares his insights on the importance of culture in M&A deals. According to Giovanni, engaging and motivating employees is crucial to ensure a successful merger or acquisition. He also highlights the significance of aligning incentive...

Why Culture fails in M&A and how to address them - Podcast with Anirvan Sen   Hello, and welcome to our latest video on M&A integration. Despite the potential benefits of mergers and acquisitions, a large number of companies still fail with their transactions. One of the biggest reasons why they fail is culture.  In fact, there are many reasons why M&As struggle with culture....

How Culture Works in Fintech M&A World - Podcast with Alex Cross   Show Notes:  Alex got his bearing around culture when he was in the military. Over the years during his M&A stint, he encountered a lot of failures that prompted him to think hard and reflect on the cultural question. Culture is not about the values that get posted on the walls, it is not about what the CEO or the...

How Culture impacts M&A in an International Setting - Podcast with Robert Heaton Show Notes: Culture is the whole set of behaviors combined to exhibit themselves as the way the organization behaves both internally as well as externally. In most cases, it is run by the senior leadership at the top, the way they run the business is also strengthened by the way it gets absorbed by the rest of the...

How has the culture changed in M&A since the 90s? This is the topic of this podcast on M&A Stories on Culture with Senior Practitioner Alain Bridoux .     Show Notes:   In the 90s, American companies dominated the M&A industry with a focus on "alignment." But as Alain Bridoux points out in our latest podcast episode, culture is so much more than just alignment. He d...