M&A Science

Latest Episodes:

Buy or Build Considerations Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

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

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Engineering Deals for Success Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

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 practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to mascience.com.

Making GTM Successful Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

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:

- Pragnya's unique role on the business side versus on the corporate development team

- How not to overestimate synergy models

- Customizing the customer journey

To join our network of M&A practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to mascience.com.

Managing Sourcing, Diligence, and Integration Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

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 Strategic Programs at ContinuumCloud. Here's what you'll learn:

- Why you should use pipeline management tools other than Excel

- The importance of having a go to market strategy before closing the deal

- How to gather intelligence aside from industry conferences

This episode is sponsored by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Access the most up-to-date and accurate data on private companies in a single web-based platform so you can get all the resources you need to create a winning pitch.

Staying True to Culture in M&A Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

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 hear about:

- When to involve HR

- How to approach integration to stay true to the target company

- When to walk away from a deal

How to Commit to Integration Start to Finish Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

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 leads operational diligence

This episode is sponsored by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Access the most up-to-date and accurate data on private companies in a single web-based platform so you can get all the resources you need to create a winning pitch.

Transformative M&A Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

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&P Global Market Intelligence. A c cess the most up-to-date and accurate data on private companies in a single web-based platform so you can get all the resources you need to create a winning pitch.

Executing a Divestiture Without a Bank Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

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 practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to mascience.com.

Managing Infrequent Acquisitions Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

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 practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to mascience.com.

Evolving Your M&A Function Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

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 virtual

- The acquisition of Chartio

- How to have a mindset of change

To join our network of M&A practitioners and sign up for our newsletter go to mascience.com.