Cameron Weiner, VP of Strategic Development, Head of M&A at Shopko Optical To buy or build, that is the question! In this interview with Cameron Weiner, VP of Strategic Development, Head of M&A at Shopko Optical , he shares how his team determines whether to buy or build a business. Here's what you'll learn: - How to approach targets - Considerations when buying or building a business - Resources for deal origination To join our network of M&A practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to m...
Nov 15, 2021•43 min•Ep. 130
Punit Micocha, Executive Vice President, Business and Corporate Development at Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) M&A deals are never easy and require rigorous planning. In this interview, Punit Micocha, Executive Vice President, Business and Corporate Development at Zscaler, shares how to execute successful deals by planning the end game. Learn about: - Creating the deal vision pre-LOI - Why planning for integration early is crucial - The 3 elements of negotiating with employees To join our network of M&A pr...
Nov 08, 2021•41 min•Ep. 129
Pragnya Kashinath, M&A Consultant at Deloitte A go-to-market strategy is one of the most important things in an acquisition. In this week's podcast, we're featuring Kison's interview with Pragnya Kashinath. At the time of this interview, she was the Director of M&A, Corporate Strategy at Cognizant. Now, she's an M&A Consultant at Deloitte . Pragnya shares how to create a successful GTM strategy from the very beginning of a transaction and the challenges you need to watch out for. Learn about: - ...
Nov 01, 2021•47 min•Ep. 128
Sabeeh Khan, Director, Corporate Strategy & Development at Syniti Aaron Whiting, M&A Integration and Strategic Programs at ContinuumCloud Managing a deal can be complicated, especially on larger deals. You need experienced leaders from both ends of the spectrum. In this interview, we talk about how to manage sourcing, diligence, and integration from a project manager's perspective featuring Sabeeh Khan, Director, Corporate Strategy & Development at Syniti, and Aaron Whiting, M&A Integration and ...
Oct 25, 2021•41 min•Ep. 127
Trish Mosconi, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Corporate Development at Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) Culture is one of the most controversial and hot topics in the world of M&A. On this episode of M&A Science, Trish Mosconi, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Corporate Development at Synchrony discusses how to stay true to culture during a deal. In the interview, she talks about how her team walked away from an almost perfect deal due to cultural differences. You'll h...
Oct 18, 2021•43 min•Ep. 126
Karen Ashley, Vice President of Corporate Development Integration at Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) Cisco is one of the largest and most successful acquirers in the world. On this week's episode of the podcast, Kison spoke with Cisco's Vice President of Corporate Development Integration, Karen Ashley . We looked at their deal process and how they commit to integration from start to finish. Here's what you'll learn: - The importance of strategy meetings - The 3 success metrics - Why their integration team ...
Oct 11, 2021•50 min•Ep. 125
Duncan Painter, CEO of Ascential (LON: ASCL) In this week's episode of the M&A Science podcast, we're learning about transformative M&A. In Kison's recent interview with Duncan Painter, CEO of Ascential, we talk about what a “transformative deal” means to their organization and how they achieve deal success. Here's what you'll learn: - How to build a transformative M&A strategy - How divestitures can transform your business - Why you need to commit to the strategy This episode is sponsored by S&...
Oct 04, 2021•52 min•Ep. 124
Russ Hartz, Vice President of Corporate Development at Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) Hiring a bank to facilitate a divestiture is an option, not a necessity. Kison Patel interviewed Russ Hartz , VP Corp Dev at Ansys, to talk about his vast experience of successfully executing divestitures without a bank. Here's what you'll learn: - The importance of constant business evaluation - How to create a competitive buyers' pool - How to know which buyer is right for the company To join our network of M&A practit...
Sep 27, 2021•49 min•Ep. 123
Peter Linas, CPO and EVP Corporate Development at Bullhorn If you’re an infrequent buyer, you might be thinking about how to maximize your existing resources. Kison Patel spoke to Peter Linas , CPO & EVP Corporate Development at Bullhorn . Peter talks about managing a corporate development team in an infrequent acquisition environment. Here's what you'll learn: - Staffing Up Internal Vs. External Resources - Key Areas to Hire Advisors - Determining the Integration Lead To join our network of M&A...
Sep 20, 2021•47 min•Ep. 122
Christina Amiry, Head of M&A Strategic Operations, Integration at Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM) The Covid-19 pandemic has completely transformed how most people work, and M&A is no different. Atlassian is one of the first companies to make acquisitions fully remote. In this interview, Christina Amiry, Head of M&A Strategic Operations, Integration at Atlassian, discusses how to evolve your M&A integration function in the digital era. You will hear about: - How Atlassian made the switch to completely v...
Sep 13, 2021•50 min•Ep. 121
Adam Coffey, CEO at CoolSys, Refrigeration and HVAC Systems This week's episode of the M&A Science podcast is about how PE firms can ramp up the growth of their businesses using the buy and build strategy. Kison interviewed Adam Coffey , CEO at CoolSys, Refrigeration and HVAC Systems , and author of The Private Equity Playbook. Here's what you'll learn: - What is a buy and build strategy - When you should consider this strategy - How to build a team to implement this strategy To join our network...
Sep 07, 2021•49 min•Ep. 120
Jay Dettling, CEO of Ansira Everyone wants to preserve the value of the target company. This week on the podcast, let's learn from Jay Dettling, CEO of Ansira, about the best way to preserve value in M&A. He also shares his advice for CEOs who are getting acquired for the first time. Hear about: - How to communicate your Ethos to the buyer - Creating value during integration - Integration vs. value creation To join our network of M&A practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to mascience.c...
Aug 30, 2021•48 min•Ep. 119
Michael DeVita, Success Strategy Lead at Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) I ntegration is crucial to realizing deal value. In this interview with Michael DeVita, Success Strategy Lead at Salesforce, we talked about integration best practices, the importance of having dedicated resources, and why you should measure integration success. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: - Common challenges in assessing value realization - Dealing with a confidential process - The lack of success metrics in M&A To jo...
Aug 23, 2021•45 min•Ep. 118
Darshan Mehta, President and CEO of Reliance Retail Limited (NSE: RELIANCE) Reliance Retail Limited is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world. Learn how they manage multiple deal structures and form successful partnerships in India directly from their President and CEO, Darshan Mehta. In this episode, you'll hear about: - Deal structures used by Reliance Retail Limited - How to engage with brands - Advice for brands looking to enter the Indian market To join our network of M&A practit...
Aug 16, 2021•49 min•Ep. 117
Rhonda Rein, Director of Corporate Development at Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) We’ve had discussions about buy-side divestitures, but we rarely talk about it from the seller's perspective. I recently spoke with Rhonda Rein , Director of Corporate Development at Thomson Reuters . She shared her vast experiences in executing divestitures and how to make them work. Here's what you'll learn: - The complexities of divestitures - The steps of a divestiture - How early to start your TSA To join our netw...
Aug 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 116
Ailene Holderness, Head of M&A at IAC (NASDAQ: IAC) How do you manage a multi-vertical M&A strategy? IAC (NASDAQ: IAC) is one of the world’s leaders when it comes to building consumer internet companies such as Tinder, Expedia, and Vimeo. Ailene Holderness, IAC's Head of M&A shares their strategy and how they build a team to execute on that. In this episode you'll learn: -How to build a diverse M&A team -Why you shouldn't just look for current skills in capabilities when hiring a team member -M&...
Aug 02, 2021•53 min•Ep. 115
Jeff Bender, CEO at Harris Computer Systems What does it take to manage M&A on a large scale? We're going to find out as Jeff Bender, CEO at Harris, shares what their entire process looks like and how they manage massive volumes of M&A investments in their organization. In this episode you'll learn about: - Platform vs. tuck in transactions - The centralized structure of services at Harris - Business development at a high scale To join our network of M&A practitioners and sign up for our newslet...
Jul 26, 2021•46 min•Ep. 114
Jason Lippert, CEO of LCI Industries (NYSE: LCII) Understanding that not everyone can afford to have big M&A teams, I interviewed Jason Lippert, CEO of LCI Industries. He has only one dedicated M&A person, and he will be teaching us how LCI successfully executes deals with a small team. Here's what you'll learn: - How to structure a small team for maximum impact - The deal sourcing process - Advice for first time CEOs doing acquisitions To join our network of M&A practitioners and see bonus cont...
Jul 19, 2021•39 min•Ep. 113
Randy Tinsley, Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development at Synopsys (NASDAQ: SNPS) Hello M&A friends! Do you know how to manage the internal dynamics of your team? In this interview, Randy Tinsley, Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development at Synopsys, shares how he assembles and manages his internal M&A team. Here's what you'll learn: - How to set your team up for success - Resolving conflicts and disagreements - Tracking deals post-close To join our network of M&A practition...
Jul 12, 2021•48 min•Ep. 112
Jay Jester, Partner at Plexus Capital, LLC Explore the world of private equity and deal sourcing with me and Jay Jester, Partner at Plexus Capital, LLC. Here are some of my key takeaways: - Deal origination for PE vs corporate development - The one deal at a time system - Developing an origination process To join our network of M&A practitioners, sign up for our newsletter, and listen to more episodes, go to mascience.com....
Jul 06, 2021•50 min•Ep. 111
Mladen Kresic, Founder and CEO of K&R Negotiation Associates LLC Do you want to learn how to negotiate like a pro? I recently had a chat with Mladen Kresic, Founder and CEO of K&R Negotiation Associates LLC, and he shared a lot when it comes to negotiating effectively. Here's what you'll learn about: - Breaking Down Value-Based Negotiations - Macro and Micro Agenda of Negotiations - Tools to Become a Better Negotiator To join our network of M&A practitioners, sign up for our newsletter at mascie...
Jun 28, 2021•49 min•Ep. 110
Alexi Venneri, Founder and CEO of Digital Air Strike What's the secret sauce to executing M&A without a dedicated deal team? According to this week's guest, Alexi Venneri, Founder and CEO of Digital Air Strike, it's all about team alignment. Hear her perspective on: - Deal sourcing without a dedicated team - A CEO's role in confirmatory diligence - The four values to be successful This podcast is brought to you by DealRoom, an M&A lifecycle management software. Go to DealRoom.net to learn more....
Jun 21, 2021•44 min•Ep. 109
Bill Stone, CEO of SS&C Technologies ( NASDAQ: SSNC) This week's episode features Bill Stone, CEO of SS&C Technologies. We were lucky enough to hear some of Bill's top tips for conducting acquisitions such as: - Why Bill doesn't believe in paying nine times sales multiples - Being on his team's sales calls to ensure his team his performing their best at all times - In order to preserve value, you must carefully evaluate the talent inside the target company To join our network of M&A practitioner...
Jun 14, 2021•43 min•Ep. 108
Dustin Intihar, Director, M&A, and Strategic Alliances at Lubrizol (NYSE: LZ) Finding the right deal is hard, but finding companies that don't want to be found is even harder. Dustin Intihar, Director, M&A, and Strategic Alliances at Lubrizol, joined Kison for an interview and shared his tips and experiences in hunting deals in M&A. Here are some things you'll hear about: - Seeking the right person - What the first conversation looks like - Tools to use for building a pipeline To join our networ...
Jun 07, 2021•38 min•Ep. 107
Philip Soar, Executive Chairman and CEO of CloserStill Group PLC Are you familiar with the trade show industry? It’s very under-appreciated but is gaining a lot of traction now with PE firms. Learn how to prepare your company for a Private Equity acquisition with Philip Soar, Executive Chairman and CEO of CloserStill Group PLC. In this episode you'll hear about: - The history of trade shows - Why private equity firms are interested in this industry - What to look for in a PE partnership To join ...
Jun 01, 2021•49 min•Ep. 106
Darren Lampert, CEO at GrowGeneration Corporation (NASDAQ: GRWG) Ever wondered what it's like to go from a private company to a public company? Darren Lampert, CEO at GrowGeneration Corp, has lived through this transition and has shared his experience in our interview. Here are some highlights from the interview: - Life as a CEO - Why go public in the first place? - Acquiring versus building To join our network of M&A practitioners, sign up for our newsletter at mascience.com....
May 24, 2021•46 min•Ep. 105
Martin Richenhagen, former CEO of AGCO Corporation ( NYSE: AGCO) Have you ever wondered why international deals fail so often? Hear from AGCO Corporation's former CEO, Martin Richenhagen, about how leaders can prevent these types of deals from failing. In this episode you'll hear: - Stories of international deals Martin's worked on - The keys to a successful international deal - The importance of brand awareness...
May 17, 2021•54 min•Ep. 104
Scott Hile, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy & Development at Enviva (NYSE: EVA) Ever wondered what key qualities leadership should have to execute M&A? On this episode, Kison speaks with Scott Hile, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy & Development at Enviva, about specific traits leaders of M&A teams should develop. Learn about: - Developing trust and empathy - The importance of communication - How to influence leaders to start integration early To learn more about M&A Science and join our ...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 103
Allen Gilmer, Founder, Advisor, and former CEO/Chairman of Enverus (formerly Drillinginfo) On this episode of M&A Science, Kison interview Allen Gilmer, Founder, Advisor, and former CEO/Chairman of Enverus (formerly Drillinginfo) and CoFounder of Vecta Oil & Gas, Ltd., about the role of a board member in M&A. Learn h ow M&A evolves from founder led acquisitions to overseeing deals as a board membe r. In this podcast, you will hear about: - What led to Allen's decision to step back as CEO - How A...
May 03, 2021•46 min•Ep. 102
Jeff Hennig, Sr. Director, Corporate Development at Xilinx ( NASDAQ: XLNX) On this week's episode of M&A Science, Kison speaks with Jeff Hennig , Sr. Director, Corporate Development at Xilinx , and talked about how to manage communication workstreams in M&A. Here are some key takeaways: - Importance Of a Dedicated Person for Communication - Considering Wall Street on Communication Plans - Considering Target Company on Communication Plans - What Happens Between Announcement and Close This podcast...
Apr 26, 2021•43 min•Ep. 101
