Baljit Singh, Former SVP, Global Head of Corporate Development at Nielsen Ventures

Engaging in M&A activities just for the sake of doing them is one of the biggest reasons for failed deals. Without a well-defined purpose, these transactions can distract the business and waste massive amounts of resources. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Baljit Singh, Former SVP, Global Head of Corporate Development at Nielsen Ventures, discusses the importance of strategic alignment between M&A and corporate strategy.

Things you will learn:

• Corporate strategy vs M&A strategy

• Getting the strategy right

• Capital allocation

• Measuring business unit’s success

• Deal structure to preserve cash

******************

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. 

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to firmroom.com

******************

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

05:10 Corporate strategy vs M&A strategy

09:25 Getting the strategy right

11:17 Best ways to pitch deals

13:09 Pillars of corporate strategy

15:50 Capital allocation

21:06 Measuring business unit’s success

24:52 Holding business units accountable

27:20 Why take a public company private

33:51 Steps to take a public company to private

38:11 Real life examples

48:29 Deal structure to preserve cash

54:45 Dealing with reluctant seller

59:30 Craziest thing in M&A

Douglas Barnard, former Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Legal Advisor at CF Industries (NYSE: CF)

Problems don’t usually surface at the early stages because it's the honeymoon phase. Both the buyer and the seller would like to see the deal happen, so they work together to build momentum. And often that means postponing dealing with some of the more difficult and contentious issues. However, these M&A challenges are inevitable and will arise as the deal progresses. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Douglas Barnard, former Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Legal Advisor at CF Industries, discusses effective strategies to overcome M&A challenges.

Things you will learn:

• Mindset to prepare for M&A

• Overcoming M&A Challenges Between Signing and Closing

• Mitigating Post-Merger Integration Risks

• Biggest Challenges in M&A

• Advice for First-time Acquirers

*****************

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to  www.firmroom.com.

******************

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

05:26 Mindset to prepare for M&A

10:26 Strategic Negotiation Tactics

13:03 Having a Foundation of Trust and Honesty

17:31 Assessing Buyer Transparency in Deal Negotiations

20:17 Mastering Valuation and Identifying Synergies

22:43 Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles in the M&A Process

24:40 Uncovering Surprises in Due Diligence

28:53 Utilizing a Private Investigator (PI) in a Deal

29:57 Navigating Complex Negotiation Stages

33:54 Zero-Sum Scenarios in M&A Auctions

35:51 Valuation and Auction Bidding Strategies

37:57 Overcoming M&A Challenges Between Signing and Closing

41:29 Mitigating Post-Merger Integration Risks

46:16 Biggest Challenges in M&A

50:24 Advice for First-time Acquirers

52:51 Craziest thing in M&A

Allan Marks, Global Project, Energy & Infrastructure Partner at Milbank

M&A valuation isn’t just about looking at the numbers. There are a lot of different factors that affect and contribute to the volatility of the M&A market. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Allan Marks, Global Project, Energy & Infrastructure Partner at Milbank, discusses how business cycles affect M&A valuation.

Things you will learn:

• What is a business cycle

• What is a credit cycle

• How business cycle impact M&A valuation

• Common Mistake during M&A valuation

• Importance of culture in M&A

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at dealroom.net.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

11:00 What is a business cycle

12:41 What is a credit cycle

16:59 Cycle’s impact on energy sector

19:09 How business cycle impact M&A valuation

22:36 Industries most affected by the cycles

26:43 M&A valuation for first-timers

31:47 Importance of culture in M&A

34:23 When to pull of a deal

37:37 Example of failed deals

41:59 Example of good deals

45:43 Common Mistake during M&A valuation

46:43 M&A function maturity

48:02 Other early M&A considerations

49:15 Craziest thing in M&A

Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds

When executing M&A, having a structured approach to validating the acquisition plan is crucial. The worst thing any acquirer can do is to buy a business that doesn’t bring value to the parent company.

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds, shares the meticulous 6-step process his company uses to validate their acquisition plan. 

Things you will learn:

• Surveying Customers

• Industry Trend Analysis

• Partner vs Build Analysis

• Formulating the strategic rationale

• In-depth Company Analysis and Product Demos

• Drafting a detailed memo

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://www.dealroom.net

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

08:45 Approaching M&A

18:20 Surveying Customers

23:47 Industry Trend Analysis

28:13 Partner vs Build Analysis

34:12 Formulating the strategic rationale

36:50 In-depth Company Analysis and Product Demos

41:18 Drafting a detailed memo

44:15 Pitching M&A to the board

44:54 Craziest thing in M&A

Seema Nimmagadda, Head of M&A Integration for North America at Woven by Toyota. 

A lot of times, M&A integration is considered only after closing the deal. It is often treated as an afterthought, and this approach is where many deal failures stem from. If we want to improve our M&A process and get better results from deals, we have to start updating our practices to the most efficient way of doing things. 

In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Seema Nimmagadda, Head of M&A Integration for North America at Woven by Toyota, discusses how to master M&A integration.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• The Ideal Integration Process

• M&A Integration planning pre-LOI

• Setting up an early version of the IMO

• Detailing the M&A Integration Strategy

• Aligning deal goals with integration strategy

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

04:00 Toyota’s Woven Business Unit

05:00 The Ideal Integration Process

06:53 The Importance of Integration Capabilities

08:52 Integration planning pre-LOI

11:50 Ensuring Adequate Resources and Capabilities during M&A Integrations

13:27 Avoiding early pitfalls for integration

14:40 Key integration milestones from LOI to Close

18:53 Aligning the IMO and Corporate Development

21:49 Adapting mature M&A teams to change

23:28 Setting up an early version of the IMO

25:04 Key people in forming an early IMO

26:16 Detailing the Integration Strategy

29:09 Balancing team autonomy in integration planning

31:56 Maintaining collaboration and progress in integration

34:24 Managing cross-functional dependencies

35:16 Tech stack diversity

36:41 M&A execution checkpoints

38:04 Information gathering challenges pre-close

39:08 Managing vendor dependencies and ensuring transparency

40:12 Balancing functional plans with the master integration strategy

42:04 Securing stakeholder buy-in

43:04 Risks of overlooking integration

44:03 Aligning deal goals with integration strategy

44:36 Identifying when an M&A integration is complete

46:25 Best practices for smooth post-close integrations

46:59 Craziest thing in M&A

Brent Baxter, Chief Executive Officer at Association for Corporate Growth, and Jeff Giles, VP, Corporate Development at Core & Main (NYSE: CNM)

In a highly competitive market, speed is crucial for companies wanting to do M&A. Especially with all the economic and market changes that’s happening, professionals must use M&A best practices to get better deals. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Brent Baxter, Chief Executive Officer at Association for Corporate Growth, and Jeff Giles, VP, Corporate Development at Core & Main, share their strategies and experiences when executing successful M&A. 

Things you will learn:

• Target outreach

• Best practices when building relationships 

• Challenges of working with private sellers

• Executing agile and efficient Diligence

• Role of technology in the M&A process

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

07:12 Getting deals faster

10:35 Target outreach

15:54 Best practices when building relationships

19:47 How to best optimize ACG

22:46 M&A challenges

25:20 Challenges of working with private sellers

29:39 Executing agile and efficient Diligence

34:53 Executing deals during COVID

39:59 Role of technology in the M&A process

42:06 Role of technology in the future

46:47 Craziest thing in M&A

Amy M. Weck, VP, M&A and integrations at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, LLC

It's common to see due diligence and integration as separate stages, but combining them can make the M&A process much smoother and more effective. But how exactly can we weave these two critical phases together effectively? 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Amy M. Weck, VP, M&A and integrations at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, offers practical strategies to align integration and diligence for optimal outcomes.

Things you will learn in the episode:

• Merging separate integration departments

• How to connect diligence and integration

• Fostering a ‘One Team’ Mindset

• Maintaining Team Rhythm in High-Volume Acquisitions

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://firmroom.com.

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

04:26 Getting into M&A

06:12 Evolving into integration

07:55 Transitioning from deal team to integration team

09:26 Pre-LOI considerations in M&A

10:40 Merging Corp Dev and Integration Team

13:26 The impact of mindset during transition

15:26 Connecting the two functions

18:42 Keeping teams and workflows aligned

22:14 Biggest challenge in the transition

24:05 The challenge of change management

26:11 Managing new hires in key roles

27:29 Key advice for managing the end-to-end M&A process

34:37 Optimizing the M&A function for a roll-up

36:21 Practical Tips for Learning from Past Due Diligence

38:16 Maintaining Team Rhythm in High-Volume Acquisitions

40:05 Key Strategies to Avoid Failing in Your Integrations

42:02 Key Questions to Ask Before the LOI

43:17 Evaluating Cultural Fit and Red Flags

48:15 Ideal candidate for an M&A role

59:44 Advice to first-time M&A practitioners

1:01:02 Craziest thing in M&A

John Blair, Partner M&A Attorney at K&L Gates

In M&A, it’s very common for buyers and sellers to disagree on the value of the business. If both parties cannot agree on the price, the deal could fall apart. However there are certain strategies and tools that both parties can use to compromise and be happy during closing. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, John Blair, Partner M&A Attorney at K&L Gates, shares best practices on how to bridge valuation gaps in M&A. 

Things you will learn in this episode:

•Bridging gaps in M&A Valuation

•Earnouts 

•Seller Financing

•Equity structure 

•Market’s impact on Bridging M&A Valuation Gaps

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

04:13 When to get involved in the M&A Process

07:50 Negotiations during LOI

09:42 Bridging gaps in M&A Valuation

11:09 Using Holdbacks to Bridge M&A Valuation Gaps

13:20 Seller Financing

15:00 Earnouts

16:43 Earnouts on Intellectual Property

18:45 Key Variables in an Earnout

23:14 Earnout payment structure

25:53 Making Earnouts Successful

29:08 Structures of Seller Financing

36:24 Traditional terms of seller financing

38:20 Equity structure

41:04 Stock options

43:52 Minimizing the cash upfront during a sale

46:34 Contents of Letter of Intent

49:14 Advice for first timers

50:01 Craziest Thing in M&A

In the dynamic world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), creating an effective team is crucial for success. This process can be complex and demanding, but also immensely rewarding. After all, having an internal team means having the capability of acquiring companies in the future, rather than treating M&A as a one-time event. 

In this episode, Birgitta Elfversson, Non-Executive Director at Netlight, shares her experience in transforming existing staff into M&A experts. 

Things you will learn from this episode:

• Shaping the M&A strategy

• Building an M&A team

• Scaling the M&A Team

• Recruiting competent people

• Managing burnout

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

10:54 Shaping the M&A strategy

12:46 Key elements of the strategy

14:58 Strategy approval

16:10 Challenges on the first acquisition

18:30 Building an M&A team 

22:05 Scaling the M&A Team

25:10 Recruiting competent people

26:44 M&A Aptitude test

32:48 Working with consulting firms during M&A

37:17 Setting the external team up for success

39:08 M&A Team structure

39:48 Managing burnout

43:18 Programmatic M&A

49:09 Start up doing M&A

51:47 Integration execution

53:19 Smart collaboration in the future

55:51 Setting integration up for success

58:20 Craziest thing in M&A

Jake Lin, Head of Corporate Development at Xendit

Navigating cross border M&A is one of the most challenging tasks for deal makers. There are a lot of intricacies involved that are unique to each country, and must be handled delicately. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Jake Lin, Head of Corporate Development at Xendit, shares his best practices when executing cross border M&A, particularly in South East Asia. 

Things you will learn:

• Biggest challenge in Cross Border M&A

• Language barrier during Cross border M&A

• Managing Cultural Differences during negotiations

• Cross border M&A best practices

• Integration approach to cross border M&A

This episode is sponsored by the DealRoom.

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://dealroom.net.

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

05:44 Biggest challenge in Cross Border M&A

08:18 Cross Border M&A without Bankers 

09:04 Working with Local Bankers

09:55 Language barrier during Cross border M&A

12:05 Managing Cultural Differences during negotiations

16:01 Managing the Speed of Cross border M&A

17:20 Cultural Differences almost killing the deal

18:48 Countries easiest to work with

21:06 Cross border M&A best practices

22:32 Strategic tips when dealing with Cross border M&A

23:49 Integration approach to cross border M&A

25:37 Negotiating Payment terms

28:59 Computation for stock payments

30:06 Advice for first-timers

30:29 Craziest thing in M&A

Yoav Zeif, CEO at Stratasys

In today’s competitive global market, organizations need to leverage every tool in their arsenal to stay ahead of the curve. One of the best ways to do this is strategic M&A. With the right approach, M&A can drive significant growth, unlock fresh opportunities, and expedite the achievement of strategic business goals. In this article, Yoav Zeif, CEO at Stratasys, shares his experience on achieving business growth through strategic M&A.

Things you will learn in this episode:

•The Start of their M&A Journey

•Strategic M&A framework

•Evolution of Strategy

•Working with the corporate development team

•How to ensure positive business outcomes during integration

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

07:04 Start of M&A Journey

11:56 M&A strategy framework

18:58 Real-life acquisition scenario

20:20 Evolution of Strategy

23:59 Working with the corporate development team

26:29 Corporate development teams pitching deals

30:22 How to ensure positive business outcomes during integration

31:57 Big lessons learned

39:18 Retaining key people

40:26 Other lessons

42:42 Craziest Thing in M&A

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/

Russ Heddleston, Co-founder & former CEO, DocSend

Every owner loves their business. This makes selling their company even harder than it already is. But aside from the emotional turmoil that founders go through every exit, there are also a lot of intricacies included in the process. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Russ Heddleston, Co-founder & former CEO of DocSend, discusses the challenges of sell-side M&A.

Things you will also learn in this episode:

• Considerations in Potentially Selling a Startup

• Challenges of sell-side M&A

• Key Factors for a Successful Exit 

• How to manage diligence in sell-side M&A

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

04:10 Starting DocSend 

06:08 Identifying the Inflection Point to sell

09:01 Selling a Startup

10:46 Considerations in Potentially Selling a Startup

14:28 Best Time for an Exit

16:00 Balancing Stakeholder Interests in an Acquisition

17:50 Relationship Management in an Acquisition

19:46 How Relationships Influence Negotiations

20:41 Relationships with Bankers

23:14 Reaching out to DropBox

26:16 Key Factors for a Successful Exit

28:04 Impact of Market Conditions on M&A

28:45 The Unknowns of Selling a Business

30:53 Post-Acquisition Challenges and Unknowns

32:34 Enhancing Preparation for Post-Close Integration

34:05 Tips for Buyers for Smoother Integration

35:18 Challenges of Sell-side M&A

37:15 Efficiently Managing Diligence

38:46 People involved from pre-LOI to Close

41:36 Post-Acquisition Team Dynamics

43:01 Evaluating Alternatives to Selling

48:28 Fundraising Strategies to Minimize Dilution

49:44 Advice for Acquirers Seeking Successful Acquisitions

51:29 Effective Strategies for Corporate Leaders to Engage with Founders

53:14 Craziest thing in M&A

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/

Jason Mironov, Managing Director at TA Associates

Partnering with PE firms is a great way to exponentially grow a business and reach new heights. However, there are considerations that must be taken into account, before taking PE capital. Fully understanding them will increase chances of success, in the attempt to unlock the full potential of the business.

In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Jason Mironov, Managing Director at TA Associates, discusses the pros and cons of taking PE capital.

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

05:29 The Lack of Operating Experience

07:03 Pros of taking money from a private equity firm

11:01 Other factors to take money from PE firms

12:49 Cons of taking money from private equity

17:16 Focusing on IRR

22:10 Culture of focusing on numbers

26:54 Working with Unhappy CEO

30:06 Board control

35:33 Expectation for the Board Structure

38:30 Dilution for founders

42:53 How to build and preserve wealth

47:20 Approach on partnership

51:03 Handling Inbound Contacts

56:51 Creating value before partnership starts

01:03:15 Working with the founder

01:05:38 Pushing M&A to portcos

01:08:51 Founder Exit

01:16:01 Timeline of investment

01:20:26 Craziest thing in M&A

This episode is sponsored by DealRoom. Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at www.dealroom.net. 

Michael Frankel, Founder and Managing Partner of Trajectory Capital

When times are good, big companies tend to ignore their smaller business units, as they operate smoothly on their own. It is only when the economy gets tough that these little businesses get more attention, and often seen as off-strategy or a distraction. That's when the company's leaders decide it's time to sell them, which is not ideal, as the business is no longer in their prime, making it harder to sell. 

In this episode of M&A Science podcast, Michael Frankel, Founder and Managing Partner of Trajectory Capital, joins us to share his best practices of selling a small business unit.

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

03:35 The decision to sell a business

05:01 Reasons to sell the business

06:43 Steps in selling a small business unit

09:59 Finding buyers

11:53 Avoid using bankers

13:30 Pitching the deal

14:50 Avoiding non-serious buyers

16:42 Important factors other than price

23:01 Real life example

27:54 Valuation gap

30:29 Evaluating the business

34:45 Hardest part of selling a small business unit

37:03 Advice for first time buyers

41:48 Proactively approaching a seller

47:25 Earnouts on small deals

48:44 Craziest Thing in M&A

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/

Swapnil Shinde, CEO at Zeni 

Selling your business is never easy. Aside from the emotional stress that it provides, it can also be detrimental to the business if it's sold to the wrong company. Oftentimes, during the process, it can also serve as a massive distraction to the operations, harming the business in the process. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we will discuss how to create a positive exit experience in M&A with Swapnil Shinde, CEO at Zeni. 

Things you will learn:

• Reasons for the first exit

• Reacting vs Proactive Exits

• Hardest part of selling a business

• Role of sellers in Integration Planning

• Do’s and Don'ts of Buying a company

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

06:31 Reasons for the first exit

09:19 Venture Exit

12:19 Build to sell

14:03 Reacting vs Proactive Exits

16:28 Using Bankers during Exits

19:09 Hardest part of selling a business

21:30 Managing Diligence

24:28 Lessons Learned on Diligence

28:03 Keeping and building relationships

29:29 Role of sellers in Integration Planning

32:29 Reasons why Integration fails

34:49 Worst exit experience

36:31 Making integration successful

38:25 Do’s and Don'ts of Buying a company

39:41 Identifying Cultural Fit

This episode is sponsored by our products DealRoom and FirmRoom.


Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://www.dealroom.net.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://www.firmroom.com

Chris Von Bogdandy, Global Lead M&A Solutions at Slalom

Revenue synergies are why you’re doing the deal in the first place. But unlike cost synergies that happen instantly, revenue synergies are more difficult to achieve and often go unrealized. One of the biggest problems in M&A is that when a company pursues a deal, different departments have varying perspectives on what's essential. So how do you maintain the deal thesis as a central focus?

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Chris Von Bogdandy, Global Lead M&A Solutions at Slalom, discusses his framework for realizing revenue synergies in M&A.

Things you will learn:

•Importance of Revenue Synergies

•Correlation between M&A strategy and Revenue Synergies

•Understanding Customer Journey 

•Planning for Revenue Synergies Pre-LOI

•Agile M&A

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

06:17 Importance of Revenue Synergies

09:58 Correlation between M&A strategy and Revenue Synergies

16:42 Timeline of Revenue Synergies

18:49 Realistic Revenue Synergies

21:14 Understanding Customer Journey

24:44 Planning for Revenue Synergies Pre-LOI

27:38 Capturing Revenue Synergies Post-LOI

31:04 Executing the Plan

34:21 Cross-Functional Work Streams

36:29 New product introduction process

40:15 Agile M&A

43:31 Disbanding team and workstreams

46:57 Top three principles to success

48:48 Advice for next generation of young leaders in M&A

This episode is sponsored by the M&A Science Academy, DealRoom, and FirmRoom.

To join our growing online community of M&A practitioners, visit https://www.mascience.com/academy.

 
Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at https://www.dealroom.net .

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience to boot. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to https://www.firmroom.com

Casey Nault, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief ESG Officer at Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE: CDE)

ESG in M&A is very real. And while it is a fairly new term, it represents a range of critical issues and priorities that companies have long considered. In many ways, ESG has always been important and is essential for risk management and maintaining company value, even for for-profit organizations. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we will discuss how to focus on ESG in M&A, featuring Casey Nault, SVP, General Counsel, and Chief ESG Officer at Coeur Mining, Inc.

Things you will learn:

•Importance of ESG in M&A

•Balancing ESG and profit

•ESG diligence 

•Red flags during ESG diligence 

•ESG on cross-border deals

____________________________________________________________________________

This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to  www.firmroom.com

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

07:31 M&A in the Mining Industry

09:26 Valuation and Deal Structures in the Mining Industry

13:51 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

15:57 Importance of ESG

20:13 Disaggregating ESG

21:49 Sustainability in today's market

24:04 Balancing ESG and profit

26:52 ESG considerations during M&A

30:58 Evolution of ESG approach

32:41 ESG diligence

33:35 Red flags during ESG diligence

35:31 Deal Stoppers

36:36 Designated person sustainability

37:17 Diligence Execution during M&A

39:19 ESG on cross-border deals

40:55 Negotiations on cross border deals

42:47 Advice for practitioners

43:18 Craziest thing in M&A

Brock Blake, Co-Founder and CEO at Lendio

M&A is a never-ending web of complexities and challenges. While the potential for growth and transformation is promising, the chances of failure are extremely high. To increase chances of success, acquirers must learn how to be adaptable and work with the target company for alignment. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Brock Blake, Co-Founder and CEO of Lendio, shares their approach on how not to bomb your first M&A deal. 

You will learn:

• How to drive your first deal

• Understanding the cultural aspect of M&A 

• Strategizing acquisitions

• Validating assumptions before acquisition commitment

• Budget allocation for an earnout

____________________________________________________________________________

This episode is sponsored by our products DealRoom and FirmRoom

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at dealroom.net.

FirmRoom is the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to firmroom.com

Episode Bookmarks

00:00 Intro

06:02 Getting into M&A

07:14 First deals and their drivers

10:43 Second Acquisition

14:49 Third Acquisition

18:43 Understanding the cultural aspect

25:17 The new deal approach

29:10 Strategizing acquisitions

32:07 Validating assumptions before acquisition commitment

38:14 Budget allocation for an earnout

41:37 Craziest thing in M&A

Aaron Whiting, Chief of Staff at Crownpeak

Value creation in any acquisition relies heavily on how well the M&A integration goes. By focusing on integration, buyers can increase their chances of success in obtaining and realizing their intended synergies. But how well can it go if the company’s integration lead is a first-timer? 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Learn the basics of M&A integration execution, with Aaron Whiting, Chief of Staff at Crownpeak.

You will learn:

• How to coach a first-time integration leader

• Getting ready for day one

• Kickoff meeting strategies

• Challenges during integration

• Setting alignment for kickoff meetings

____________________________________________________________________________

This episode is sponsored by the M&A Science Academy, DealRoom, and FirmRoom. 

To join our growing online community of M&A practitioners, visit  www.mascience.com/academy. 

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at www.dealroom.net.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to www.firmroom.com

Episode Bookmark

00:00 Intro
05:09 Coaching an integration lead
06:33 Involving the Integration Lead
12:42 Integration on Day one
17:49 Getting ready for Day one
22:31 M&A teams to pull in for integration
25:41 Kickoff meeting strategies
31:12 Maintaining regular cadence for good progress
35:53 Umbrella track
37:47 How to track integration activities
42:38 Challenges during integration
47:55 Mechanical things that could go wrong during integration
52:59 Setting alignment for kickoff meetings
56:26 What success looks like through stories
01:01:50 How to know when the integration is complete
01:03:42 Advice for first timers
01:07:48 Craziest thing in M&A

ChatGPT Voice, powered by OpenAI. 

This past year, AI has revolutionized the way we do things, and ChatGPT has been a big part of that. Created by OpenAI, ChatGPT can understand and use language like a human, making it extremely useful in a lot of different areas. And now, we can actually talk to it. 

In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, we are introducing our first-ever ChatGPT interview. We are going to learn its insights on AI’s impact on the world of M&A. 

You will learn more about:

• AI’s role in deal sourcing

• Streamlining due diligence using AI

• Future of M&A

• Limitations of AI

• ChatGPT’s advice on integrating AI into M&A

____________________________________________________________________________

This episode is sponsored by the M&A Science Academy, DealRoom, and FirmRoom. 

To join our growing online community of M&A practitioners, visit  www.mascience.com/academy. 

Ready to take your M&A to the next level with software made to manage each stage of the deal process? See how DealRoom can facilitate your next deal at www.dealroom.net.

FirmRoom provides 80% cost savings over VDRs that bill by page and delivers a far better user experience. Sign up in under 2 minutes by going to www.firmroom.com

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Intro

03:06 Revolutionizing M&A with AI

03:53 AI’s role in Deal sourcing

08:08 AI’s role in deal valuation process

12:41 Limitations of ChatGPT

14:05 Streamlining due diligence

18:00 AI’s impact on M&A integration

22:10 Case Study: Daimler Chrysler merger

25:15 Case Study: Amazon acquiring Whole Foods

28:14 Future of M&A

30:23 DealRoom

32:40 How to incorporate AI into DealRoom

35:57 Positive business outcomes using DealRoom

37:41 Ethical Considerations Using AI

39:28 Limitations of AI

41:04 Advice on integrating AI into M&A

43:10 Craziest thing in M&A