Building Your M&A Reputation: Why Relationships Beat Transactions Every Time with Andrew Cohen

Andy Cohen, Vice President of Corporate Development at F5 Andy has built a career that proves M&A is fundamentally about relationships, not just transactions. With 30 years of experience and 60 deals closed across high-growth tech companies including Citrix, Acquia, and F5, Andy has cultivated the kind of reputation where every CEO he's worked with will take his call tomorrow. In this conversation, he reveals why zero-sum thinking kills deals, how to convince people to sell without convincing them to sell, and why walking away on principle matters more than closing at any cost.  Things you will learn:  Why reputation is your most valuable M&A asset The shift from zero-sum to win-enough thinking Learn Andy's approach to using due diligence as the foundation for integration strategy, cultural fit assessment, and long-term value creation.  _____________ 💡 Tired of spending weeks organizing seller documents and building diligence checklists from scratch? DealRoom helps M&A teams cut manual review time and move faster through diligence. Automatically organize messy data rooms, surface risks earlier, and generate tailored diligence requests in seconds—so your team can focus on analysis, not admin work.  👉 See how AI can streamline your next deal: dealroom.net/ai __________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work. This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better. Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225 _____________ Episode Timestamps [00:02:30] The Empathy Advantage – Why sitting in every seat at the M&A table gives you the perspective to close better deals. [00:04:00] Zero-Sum Thinking Will Kill Your Deals – The mindset shift from "winning" to ensuring everyone gets enough of what they want. [00:07:30] Building Relationships That Actually Drive Deals – How a 30-year network of bankers, VCs, and former CEOs creates proprietary deal flow. [00:10:30] Why Proactive Beats Auctions Every Time – Why almost all of Andy's deals are proactive and how strategic focus enables targeted outreach. [00:14:00] Getting to the Story Behind the Company [00:21:00] How to collaboratively build the acquisition narrative without being pushy or transactional. [00:25:00] Trust Through Reputation and References [00:32:00] Due Diligence Is Integration Planning  [00:42:00] Navigating the hardest negotiations—convincing product teams that buying beats building [00:53:00] Walking Away on Principle – The deal Andy killed because the other side wanted to hurt employee shareholders Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

In this special father-daughter episode, My daughter interviews me on my new book on Buyer-Led M&A™. We break down the framework built from over 400 practitioner interviews—covering why traditional M&A is flawed, how to shift from reactive auction-chasing to proactive deal sourcing, and why integration planning must begin during diligence. Things you will learn: Why integration planning during diligence (not after) determines deal success How the five pillars of buyer-led M&A transform reactive processes into strategic engines  Why proactive deal sourcing beats bank-led auctions every time ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225  __________________ Buyer-Led M&A™: The Framework is Now Available Traditional M&A is broken. Buyers chase auctions. Sellers control the process. It's reactive, inefficient, and exhausting. After 300+ episodes of M&A Science, I've taken insights from the world's top corp dev leaders and distilled them into a practical framework for taking control of your M&A pipeline—how to source deals directly, build relationships earlier, and stop being auction-chasers. If you'd like to build a proactive M&A program that founders actually want to engage with, you can grab your copy. https://dealroom.net/resources/ebooks/buyer-led-m-a-tm-the-framework _________________ Everything You Need to Learn Modern M&A — In One Membership Access proven templates, frameworks, and real operator insights — all designed to help you learn faster, make smarter decisions, and run Buyer-Led M&A with confidence. Sign up now with promo code "FOUNDER" for 50% off at checkout.  https://www.mascience.com/membership __________________ Episode Timestamps [00:00:00] Introduction to Buyer-Led M&A – Kison introduces his new book and the framework for flipping traditional M&A from reactive to proactive deal-making. [00:05:30] The M&A Science Origin Story [00:08:30] The Maturity Curve Problem – Why companies make catastrophic mistakes on their first deal and how the buyer-led framework accelerates learning. [00:12:30] Integration Is Where Value Lives – Understanding that the real work starts after close and why planning integration early prevents people from quitting. [00:19:00] M&A Has a Design Problem, Not an Execution Problem – Why focusing on closing deals instead of making deals successful creates systemic failure. [00:25:00] The Five Pillars of Buyer-Led M&A – Breaking down never M&A on impulse, unified tools, synchronized diligence-integration, scalability, and win-win approaches. [00:37:30] The Three Coats of Conviction – How reactive positioning, integration negligence, and model mirage derail even well-intentioned deals. [00:49:00] What Elite Buyers Do Differently – Early alignment, clear accountability, defined operating models, and building M&A as an organizational muscle. [00:54:00] Proprietary Deal Sourcing Beats Auctions – The house-buying analogy that illustrates why doing the hard work of finding your own deals creates better outcomes. [01:00:30] The Single Most Important Takeaway – Own your assumptions, validate them through rigorous work, and lead the process instead of letting sellers drive it. Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Sharon Van Zeeland, Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Rockwell Automation Sharon brings a unique engineer's perspective to the softest parts of M&A. In this episode, Sharon reveals how Rockwell developed a systematic scoring system for evaluating culture fit during due diligence—complete with numerical rankings across key dimensions like decision-making authority, adaptability, and mission alignment. She also shares unconventional tactics for getting deals across the finish line, from negotiating hunting rights to sponsoring 4th of July parades, and explains why marrying your diligence and integration teams early is the secret to accelerating post-deal value creation. Things You'll Learn How to build a numerical scoring system for culture assessment Why marrying your diligence and integration leaders from day one eliminates knowledge chasms, captures integration costs in your deal model, and helps you reach steady state faster than traditional handoffs Creative negotiation tactics beyond price and terms  ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225  __________________ Buyer-Led M&A™: The Framework is Now Available Traditional M&A is broken. Buyers chase auctions. Sellers control the process. It's reactive, inefficient, and exhausting. After 300+ episodes of M&A Science, I've taken insights from the world's top corp dev leaders and distilled them into a practical framework for taking control of your M&A pipeline—how to source deals directly, build relationships earlier, and stop being auction-chasers. If you'd like to build a proactive M&A program that founders actually want to engage with, you can grab your copy. https://dealroom.net/resources/ebooks/buyer-led-m-a-tm-the-framework _________________ Everything You Need to Learn Modern M&A — In One Membership Access proven templates, frameworks, and real operator insights — all designed to help you learn faster, make smarter decisions, and run Buyer-Led M&A with confidence. Sign up now with promo code "FOUNDER" for 50% off at checkout.  https://www.mascience.com/membership __________________ Episode Chapters [00:02:30] From Engineering to Corp Dev – How Sharon's electrical engineering background shaped her analytical approach to evaluating all deal variables, including the unexpected correlation between employee retention and new product introductions. [00:05:30] Owning the Full Lifecycle – Why Rockwell expanded Sharon's role to include strategy, M&A, integration, and venture investing, creating an enterprise-wide view with quarterly reviews and closed-loop learning. [00:08:30] The Cultural Wake-Up Call – The story of how Rockwell acquired a small software company and nearly derailed a customer's drug development timeline because they missed evaluating decision-making authority during diligence. [00:12:00] Building a Culture Scoring System – How Rockwell uses a 50-item survey to create numerical rankings (0-5 scale) across cultural dimensions, then visualizes gaps and similarities in graphs that are "worth a thousand words." [00:19:00] Integration Playbooks by Company Size – Why Rockwell developed separate playbooks for small, mid-size, and large acquisitions, and how they determine whether to leave companies alone, partially integrate, or fully absorb. [00:27:00] Getting Deals Actionable – Sharon's unconventional negotiation stories: securing hunting land rights for a Texas seller, letting an owner keep his beloved company truck, and guaranteeing 4th of July parade sponsorships. [00:38:30] Marrying Diligence and Integration – The shift from waiting until closing to starting integration planning before LOI, including how Rockwell pairs each integration leader with a corresponding person on the target side. [00:46:00] Continuous Learning Through Retrospectives – How Rockwell conducts retrospectives after every deal phase—not immediately after closing, but six months to a year later when they can truly assess what worked. [00:49:00] AI's Impact on M&A – Sharon's perspective on how AI is changing deal flow and diligence processes, plus a cautionary tale about AI hallucinations incorrectly identifying a public company as private. [00:52:00] Data Beyond Financials – Why corp dev leaders should track employee retention rates, promotion rates, new product introduction velocity, and customer complaints as cultural success indicators. Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Leon Brujis, Partner and Co-Head of U.S. at 65 Equity Partners Leon Brujis shares how his firm is redefining private equity through non-control investments in founder-led businesses. In this conversation, Leon breaks down why the best companies are never for sale, how immigrant adaptability translates to investing success, and why boring, disciplined deal-making consistently outperforms flashy transactions. He also walks through his framework for negotiating term sheets and building relationships that span years before cutting checks north of $200 million. Things You'll Learn Why non-control "partnership capital" allows PE firms to capture the alpha of founder-led companies that outperform by 3x How to structure competitive fundraising processes that balance relationship-building with deal tension—without talking to 60 firms The five-point framework for negotiating term sheets: value, structure, governance, strategy alignment, and exit planning ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225  __________________ Buyer-Led M&A™: The Framework is Now Available Traditional M&A is broken. Buyers chase auctions. Sellers control the process. It's reactive, inefficient, and exhausting. After 300+ episodes of M&A Science, I've taken insights from the world's top corp dev leaders and distilled them into a practical framework for taking control of your M&A pipeline—how to source deals directly, build relationships earlier, and stop being auction-chasers. If you'd like to build a proactive M&A program that founders actually want to engage with, you can grab your copy. https://dealroom.net/resources/ebooks/buyer-led-m-a-tm-the-framework __________________ Everything You Need to Learn Modern M&A — In One Membership Access proven templates, frameworks, and real operator insights — all designed to help you learn faster, make smarter decisions, and run Buyer-Led M&A with confidence. Sign up now with promo code "FOUNDER" for 50% off at checkout.  https://www.mascience.com/membership __________________ Episode Chapters [00:01:00] From Engineering to Wall Street – How Leon's immigrant journey led him from Lehman Brothers to 20+ years in private equity [00:05:30] The Immigrant Advantage – Why cultural adaptability creates flexibility in deal-making and relationship management [00:10:00] The 65 Equity Model – Non-control investments in founder-led businesses generating $20-100M EBITDA [00:16:00] Pull vs. Push Value Creation – Why partnership capital relies on influence, not mandates [00:24:00] Underwriting Relationships First – Spending 1-2 years building conviction before writing $200M+ checks [00:33:00] Crisis of Comfort – Getting comfortable being uncomfortable as the key to growth in business and life [00:43:00] Making M&A Boring – Why consistency and discipline beat motivation and excitement every time [00:48:00] Term Sheet Negotiation Framework – The five buckets that matter: value, structure, governance, strategy, and exit [00:56:30] Running a Competitive Process – How to balance broad outreach with targeted relationship-building [01:01:00] The Craziest Thing in M&A – When deal fever overtakes discipline and creates the next crisis  __________________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.  

Brandon Batt – Chief People and Transformation Officer at Quadient Brandon Batt joins us to discuss how successful M&A integration starts long before you sign an LOI. Brandon shares how Quadient built M&A capability across the organization through strategic hiring, created a transformation office that breaks down traditional silos, and executed portfolio transformation through dozens of acquisitions and divestitures. Learn why the secret to integration success isn't just about playbooks—it's about building M&A muscle into your team from day one. Things You'll Learn Why hiring for M&A experience across your organization creates the foundation for deal success, even in roles that seem unrelated to corporate development The transformation office model that eliminates the handoff problem  Why cultural "add" beats cultural "fit"  ____________________ Share Your M&A Experience for the Chance at $500 Giftcard M&A moved fast in 2025. But what actually changed? We're collecting real insights from practitioners—not consultants on the sidelines—to understand how corp dev teams, PE firms, and advisors are adapting. Takes 10 min. Get early access to results + chance at $500 gift card. Share your experience: https://hubs.ly/Q03Rr89G0 ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225  __________________ Episode Chapters [00:02:30] Building a Transformation Office – How Quadient structured M&A, HR, legal, and sustainability under one umbrella to drive seamless execution [00:05:00] Portfolio Simplification Through M&A – Starting transformation with strategic divestitures before adding new capabilities through acquisitions [00:10:00] The Pre-LOI Integration Planning Model – Why strategic operations teams get involved in due diligence from the beginning, not after the deal is signed [00:16:00] Human Connection as M&A Secret Sauce – Building trust with founders and management teams before discussing price and terms [00:21:00] Hiring for M&A Muscle – Why M&A readiness starts with recruiting people who have transaction experience across key business functions [00:28:00] Evolving M&A Maturity – Getting more formal about talent assessment and playbooks while giving teams autonomy to move fast [00:33:00] Founder-Led Business Challenges – Learning to structure deals and set expectations upfront when acquiring companies led by first-time sellers [00:42:00] Collaboration Without Hierarchy – How "collaborate like crazy" became a cultural principle that breaks down silos in M&A execution [00:47:00] Deal Story: Meeting in London During COVID – Why some deals still require getting on a plane, even during a pandemic [00:51:00] AI in M&A and the Human Element – Balancing technology efficiency with the human intuition that uncovers critical deal insights  __________________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

 Rachel Hindley, Vice President of Corporate Development, IFS  Rachel oversees transformative acquisitions for the global leader in industrial AI and enterprise software. In this episode, Rachel shares how IFS navigates the unique dynamics of having three major private equity backers—EQT, HG, and TA Associates—while executing strategic deals that enhance their portfolio. She breaks down IFS's four acquisition archetypes (product bolt-ons, customer migration, market entry, and new platforms), explains why integration and value creation must be separated, and reveals how the company is adapting its strategy for early-stage AI acquisitions. M&A professionals will learn how to build repeatable frameworks, maintain cultural continuity during integration, and balance stakeholder priorities in complex deal environments. Things you will learn: How to structure M&A around four distinct acquisition archetypes  Why separating systems integration from value creation  How to balance multiple PE stakeholder priorities  ____________________ Share Your M&A Experience for the Chance at $500 Giftcard M&A moved fast in 2025. But what actually changed? We're collecting real insights from practitioners—not consultants on the sidelines—to understand how corp dev teams, PE firms, and advisors are adapting. Takes 10 min. Get early access to results + chance at $500 gift card. Share your experience: https://hubs.ly/Q03Rr89G0 ____________________ Today's episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Grata! Grata is the leading private market dealmaking platform. With its best-in-class AI workflows and investment-grade data, Grata helps investors, advisors, and strategic acquirers effortlessly discover, research, and connect with potential targets — all in one sleek, user-friendly interface. Visit grata.com to learn more.  __________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225  __________________ Episode Chapters [00:02:30] From Tax to Corp Dev – Rachel's unconventional path from PwC tax structuring to leading M&A at a global software company. [00:05:00] Managing Three PE Backers – How IFS leverages deep support from EQT, HG, and TA Associates while navigating different investment horizons and exit expectations. [00:12:30] Four Acquisition Archetypes – Breaking down IFS's strategic framework: product bolt-ons, customer migration, market entry, and new platform deals. [00:18:00] The AI Acquisition Challenge – Why IFS acquired The Loops despite it being smaller and earlier-stage than typical targets, and what it means for their agentic platform. [00:26:00] The Standalone Strategy – How IFS kept Poka as a standalone business to preserve culture and agility while still achieving cross-sell synergies. [00:31:00] In-House Commercial Diligence – Why IFS brings dozens of people into due diligence and keeps most work in-house rather than outsourcing to consultants. [00:37:30] Integration vs. Value Creation – The critical distinction between systems integration and value creation that determines whether deals hit their business case projections. [00:43:00] Cultural Retention Tactics – From MacBooks to Slack, the small decisions that make or break retention of key talent in acquired companies. [00:52:30] Building Trust Before the Deal – Why bilateral deals trump auction processes and how face-to-face relationship building accelerates transaction timelines. [00:59:00] Corporate Venture 2.0 – How fast-moving AI markets are pushing IFS to consider series financing and call options instead of traditional full acquisitions.  __________________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Keith Crawford, Global Head of Corporate Development and M&A at State Street Corporation Keith Crawford, Global Head of Corporate Development and M&A at State Street Corporation, brings over 20 years of expertise executing some of the most intricate custody business carve-outs in financial services. In this episode, Keith breaks down the realities of carve-out transactions—from proactive deal sourcing and dependency mapping to navigating TSAs and post-close integration. He shares hard-won lessons on avoiding common pitfalls like scope creep, third-party contract renegotiations, and employee retention challenges that can derail even the most promising deals. Things You'll Learn Why carve-out transactions demand bespoke approaches: No two deals are alike—discover how to identify the 20% of unknowns that templates can't capture and build flexibility into your diligence process. How to source carve-out opportunities proactively: Learn State Street's strategy for targeting custody business carve-outs, including the "why us" narrative and who to approach (hint: not the business unit leader). The integration secrets that prevent deal failure: From embedding integration experts early in diligence to managing employee retention and TSA timelines, Keith reveals how to align synergy assumptions with operational reality. ____________________ Share Your M&A Experience for the Chance at $500 Giftcard M&A moved fast in 2025. But what actually changed? We're collecting real insights from practitioners—not consultants on the sidelines—to understand how corp dev teams, PE firms, and advisors are adapting. Takes 10 min. Get early access to results + chance at $500 gift card. Share your experience: https://hubs.ly/Q03Rr89G0 ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225 _______________ Episode Chapters: [00:03:30] From Accountant to M&A Leader – Keith's journey from audit to becoming a dealmaking general contractor [00:06:00] The General Contractor Mindset – Why successful M&A requires orchestrating expert teams across tax, operations, IT, and risk [00:06:30] The 80/20 Rule of Carve-Outs – Why templates work for most deals but the 20% whitespace requires bespoke analysis [00:10:00] Third-Party Contract Landmines – How change-of-control provisions can blow up your valuation assumptions [00:16:00] Building Strategic Alignment Early – Embedding integration experts into diligence to bridge deal models with operational reality [00:23:00] Proactive Deal Sourcing Strategy – State Street's approach to targeting custody business carve-outs with a clear "why us" narrative [00:35:00] Leveraging Banker Networks Strategically – How mid-tier investment banks often have better contacts for carve-out opportunities [00:48:00] Culture Preservation in Integration – Lessons from the Charles River acquisition on maintaining employee morale and retention [00:52:30] Major Deal Breakers – The two red flags that cause State Street to walk away from carve-out transactions [00:55:00] The Craziest M&A Moment – A hospital room negotiation that almost derailed a major international carve-out ____________________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Johanna Jaakola – Integration Lead, Corporate Development Integration Team, Cisco Tesia Hostetler – Leader, Acquisition Integration Practice, Cisco Johanna Jaakola, Integration Lead on Cisco's Corporate Development Integration Team, and Tesia Hostetler, Leader of Cisco's Acquisition Integration Practice, continue their deep dive into Cisco's integration-led M&A framework. In Part 2, they reveal how integration planning shapes diligence, how value drivers guide surgical execution, and what it takes to coordinate a 180-person M&A community. From day one employee experience to go-to-market complexity and the Splunk mega-deal, this episode delivers practical frameworks for M&A professionals looking to accelerate value creation while protecting what matters most. Things you will learn: Learn how Cisco tests integration strategy during diligence and adjusts execution plans based on findings without losing sight of deal thesis Discover how Cisco structures functional integration leaders, maintains alignment through recurring touchpoints, and tracks everything in a centralized M&A hub Understand how to validate customer stories, align partner ecosystems, and make surgical decisions about when to integrate sales motions versus protecting existing revenue engines _____________________ M&A Doesn't Have to Be So Painful 💔  Get Optimized with DealRoom DealRoom helps corporate development teams take control—streamlining diligence, syncing integration, and eliminating the back-and-forth.  👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process at DealRoom.net ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225 _______________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Johanna Jaakola – Integration Lead, Corporate Development Integration Team, Cisco Tesia Hostetler – Leader, Acquisition Integration Practice, Cisco Johanna Jaakola, Integration Lead on Cisco's Corporate Development Integration Team, and Tesia Hostetler, Leader of Cisco's Acquisition Integration Practice, share how one of the world's most prolific acquirers structures deals for success. This episode breaks down Cisco's integration-led diligence model, where integration leads orchestrate due diligence from the deal thesis stage, ensuring strategic alignment and execution readiness before ink hits paper. Learn how Cisco's structured approach to integration strategy, two-stage approvals, and tight feedback loops between strategy and execution have transformed their M&A outcomes—with insights from their $28 billion Splunk acquisition. Things You'll Learn Why integration leads should orchestrate diligence  How creating an integration thesis alongside your deal thesis ensures every diligence question tests strategic assumptions and drives execution clarity How Cisco's dual approval process (one to negotiate LOI, another for final purchase agreement) creates natural checkpoints to validate strategy before committing capital ____________________ Only 3 Days Left to Register for the Buyer-Led M&A™ Summit. This is the #1 virtual event built for dealmakers who want to eliminate chaos and take control from sourcing through integration. 📅 October 30, 2025 🕚 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM ET 💻 Free & Virtual Network with leaders who've built scalable, repeatable strategies that keep deals on track - Register now. ____________________ M&A Doesn't Have to Be So Painful 💔🥀  Get Optimized with DealRoom DealRoom helps corporate development teams take control—streamlining diligence, syncing integration, and eliminating the back-and-forth.  👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process ____________________ Episode Chapters [00:02:00] Cisco's Integration Leadership Team [00:06:00] Role Clarity – Integration Lead vs. Integration Practice Leader [00:10:00] How Cisco evolved from integration showing up late to embedding integration thinking at the earliest deal thesis conversations. [00:15:00] Testing Assumptions Through Diligence [00:22:00] How Cisco reorganized corporate development to eliminate silos between deal strategy and integration execution, creating tighter feedback loops. [00:29:00] Two-Stage Approvals – Protecting Value with Structured Gates [00:33:00] Integration Leads Diligence – The Air Traffic Controller Model   Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Tim Hall - Managing Partner and Founder, Brenton Point Capital Tim brings 29 years of private equity experience to this conversation about what actually works in buy-and-build strategies. After launching Brenton Point in 2024 following a 20-year run at CI Capital Partners, where he completed 200+ acquisitions across 12 platforms, Tim breaks down the independent sponsor model and why integration—not just aggregation—is the real value driver. He walks through building platforms from scratch, the executive-first strategy for fragmented markets, and how standardized integration playbooks turn acquired companies into cohesive, high-performing businesses. Things You'll Learn Why independent sponsors can outperform traditional PE funds through concentrated investments, longer hold periods, and direct alignment with management teams earning 15% equity upside versus the typical 10% The difference between roll-ups and consolidation and why integration excellence separates winning platforms from aggregated disasters How to build platforms from scratch ____________________ The Buyer-Led M&A™ Summit is back.The virtual event built for dealmakers who want to eliminate chaos and take control from sourcing through integration. 📅 October 30, 2025 🕚 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM ET 💻 Free & Virtual Learn from leaders who've built scalable, repeatable strategies that keep deals on track - Register now. ____________________ Today's episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Grata! Grata is the leading private market dealmaking platform. With its best-in-class AI workflows and investment-grade data, Grata helps investors, advisors, and strategic acquirers effortlessly discover, research, and connect with potential targets — all in one sleek, user-friendly interface. Visit grata.com to learn more.  __________________ Episode Chapters [00:02:00] The GE Capital Training Ground – How Tim's early experience with expert networks shaped his approach to surrounding deals with industry advisors who invest alongside him [00:04:30] Starting companies with zero revenue by hiring CEOs first, then building deal pipelines in fragmented industries like funeral services [00:06:00] Why deal-by-deal capital raising enables longer hold periods, eliminates fund-driven decisions, and captures more value creation in the back half [00:11:30] Finding and Aligning Operators – Sourcing executives through recruiting firms willing to co-invest, and structuring 15% management equity pools for maximum alignment [00:22:00] Using buy-side search firms to validate thesis and create deal flow before platform acquisition, touching 2,000+ companies to close 200 deals [00:27:00] Why acquiring is easy but integrating is hard, and how culture assessment, facility tours, and team retention determine success [00:49:00] Hub, Spoke, and Route Strategy – Three acquisition types for platform building: regional hubs with management depth, spoke deals for synergies, and route buys for pure customer acquisition [00:52:00] The 150-Point Integration Playbook  [00:58:30] One-Page Strategic Plans – Keeping teams aligned on priorities from monthly goals to five-year vision with a single dense but powerful reference document [01:04:00] The Herd Mentality Warning – How quickly industries go from undiscovered to overcrowded, and why being the 30th platform in a space means you're already too late Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.