From Loom to Trello: How Atlassian Scales Through Smart M&A with Sarah Hughes

Mathew Person, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Quikbase In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Kison Patel interviews Mathew Person, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Quickbase. Mathew brings a unique blend of operator, banker, and corp dev experience, making him a strategic leader in buyer-led M&A. Together, they dive deep into how to proactively structure acquisitions, align internal stakeholders, avoid over-rationalization, and ensure integration success. Things You Will Learn: How to design and align around a box of preference (quant + qual criteria) Tactics for proactively sourcing and assessing cultural fit How to structure your corp dev team for scale and deal velocity ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? 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 Timestamps [00:01:30] Mathew's unique background: sports operator, banker, corp dev [00:03:30] Quickbase's carveout history and PE backing [00:04:00] What buyer-led M&A means and why it matters [00:05:00] Box of preference: building deal criteria with stakeholders [00:07:30] Market mapping and capability-driven strategy [00:09:30] Scorecards, deal screening, and qualitative diligence [00:15:30] Identifying and quantifying culture fit [00:19:30] Modeling dis-synergies and avoiding over-rationalization [00:23:30] Structuring corp dev teams for stakeholder alignment [00:30:00] Managing negotiations and bid-ask spread with trust [00:33:30] The ROI of being known as a "good home" [00:42:30] Integration success: same team from diligence to execution [00:47:00] Culture as a deal breaker or driver [00:52:30] Why stakeholder consensus is the hardest part of M&A Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Sarah Hughes, Head of Corporate Development and Product Partnerships, Atlassian Uncover the inside workings of Atlassian’s M&A strategy—from how Sarah’s team sources deals and aligns with product to the importance of relationship-building and a structured, founder-first integration approach. With over seven years of experience leading corporate development at Atlassian, Sarah shares practical lessons on building strategic pipelines, cultivating founder trust, and operationalizing successful integrations across Atlassian's global portfolio Things you will learn: Building long-term relationships with founders, even years before deals happen Aligning product, venture, and partnership decisions under one roof Atlassian’s approach to cultural diligence, integration planning, and transparency post-close _______________ 💡Try FirmRoom for Free This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.  The World’s Most Intuitive Virtual Data Room With AI Contract Analysis No Per-Page Fees. No B.S. Just Smarter, Faster Deals. Get started with your free trial today at firmroom.com! _______________ Episode Chapters 00:02:00 – Sarah’s path into corporate development via Google and Atlassian 00:04:00 – Strategic rationale behind Trello and Loom acquisitions 00:07:00 – Atlassian’s three M&A strategy pillars: roadmap accelerants, vacuums, and break-glass opportunities 00:09:00 – How corp dev aligns with product: push-pull strategy and joint roadmaps 00:12:30 – Centralizing M&A, ventures, and partnerships under one team 00:15:30 – Using AI to accelerate sourcing, market mapping, and diligence 00:19:00 – Loom case study: a 5-year founder relationship turned acquisition 00:25:00 – Creating co-authored vision docs to align on integration and success metrics 00:33:00 – How Atlassian handles cultural diligence and post-close attrition risk 00:36:00 – Atlassian’s integration approach: open playbooks, IMO structure, and post-close planning 00:42:00 – Where AI is driving efficiency across the deal lifecycle 00:48:30 – Sarah’s advice to corp dev leaders on sourcing, alignment, and outside-in perspective Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Dan Pollock, Vice President of Corporate Development/M&A at SAM Companies Dan shares how he built SAM Companies’ M&A function from the ground up—executing over 30 deals and transforming M&A into a strategic growth engine. Backed by Peak Rock Capital, SAM Companies focuses on acquiring founder-led geospatial and infrastructure services businesses. Dan dives deep into how he balances disciplined diligence with relationship-first sourcing, how his team integrates small companies into a larger framework, and why culture and seller alignment matter as much as price. Whether you're building out corp dev from scratch or refining your playbook, this conversation offers tactical insight into how to scale M&A the right way. Things you will learn: How to build an in-house M&A engine with a lean corp dev team How to source proprietary deals through trust and local relationships How to structure earnouts and retention payments to align incentives ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? 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 00:03:00 – Dan’s background: from audit to M&A leadership at SAM 00:05:00 – Building SAM’s M&A muscle from the ground up 00:08:30 – Creating buy-in and accountability for integration success 00:10:00 – Getting the company ready to integrate acquisitions 00:11:00 – Sourcing: proprietary relationships vs. cold outreach 00:13:30 – Case study: renewable energy firm acquisition 00:15:00 – Thinking through revenue vs. cost synergies 00:16:30 – The psychology of earnouts and why they changed their approach 00:18:30 – How to open conversations with founder-led businesses 00:21:00 – Why founder retention is tied to valuation 00:24:00 – Turning relationships into actionable deals over time 00:29:00 – Competing with PE: how SAM positions better long-term fit 00:33:00 – Retention bonuses vs. earnouts: what's working better 00:39:00 – Why diligence and integration must run in parallel 00:41:30 – Managing team fatigue and repeatability with DealRoom 00:45:00 – Letting sellers speak with past acquired founders 00:47:00 – Private equity partnership governance at SAM 00:51:00 – Diligence red flags and small business surprises Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Scott Clawson, CEO of Culligan International Scott Clawson turned Culligan from a legacy water treatment business into a $3.3 billion global platform operating in over 50 countries—powered by a programmatic M&A engine that has executed 300+ acquisitions. In this episode, he sits down with Kison to share exactly how that machine works. From beachside inspiration to building a decentralized deal engine, Scott walks us through his journey scaling Culligan’s strategy with support from capital partners like Advent and BDT MSD. He breaks down how to structure pipeline teams, create incentive systems that align corporate and local interests, and keep integration from becoming a bottleneck. If you want a real-world blueprint for high-volume, globally scaled M&A that doesn’t break the business—this episode delivers. Things you will learn: How to build and scale a decentralized M&A engine across geographies The critical role of strategic focus, pipeline ownership, and integration playbooks Why cultural alignment and seller trust drive long-term M&A success What to look for when choosing a private equity partner—and how they can unlock growth ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? 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 [03:00] – The Culligan turnaround story [06:00] – Finding purpose and shifting strategy [08:30] – How Culligan mapped its global market [11:00] – Role of Advent and consulting partners in early strategy [13:30] – Building the M&A engine: people, pipeline, and playbooks [17:00] – Scaling programmatic M&A across 50+ countries [25:00] – Structuring the M&A org and decentralized execution [29:00] – Building seller trust and sourcing proprietary deals [33:00] – How Culligan stays buyer-led at scale [38:00] – The role of the Head of Corp Dev in a programmatic model [41:00] – Choosing the right PE partner: Advent vs. BDT MSD [48:00] – The risk of overrelying on synergies and underinvesting in capability [51:00] – Advice for CEOs building a repeatable M&A model Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

John Romeo, CEO of the Oliver Wyman Forum and Head of M&A at Oliver Wyman We sit down with John Romeo to explore Oliver Wyman’s disciplined, strategic approach to M&A. Romeo shares how his team sources deals through a bespoke pipeline, aligns incentives with founder-led businesses, and plans integrations that prioritize people and long-term value creation. From cultural diligence to pricing discipline, this episode reveals what it really takes to execute successful deals in a high-touch, people-driven industry. What You’ll Learn: How to build and manage a bespoke M&A pipeline The difference between banker-led and buyer-led deal processes What cultural alignment looks like in professional services deals How to structure integration and retention plans to protect long-term value ______________________ This episode is sponsored by DealRoom! Turn your chaos into control. Tired of chasing updates across spreadsheets and email threads? Discover how DealRoom helps corporate development teams bring order to M&A. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process   ___________ Join Kison at the DealMakers Forum in New York City! This event connects the most active players in M&A and corporate finance. Meet top M&A executives, investors, and deal advisors and discover how senior leaders structure and close high-value deals. Register Today! ________________________ Episode Chapters [00:01:00] – John’s career journey and role at Oliver Wyman [00:04:00] – Purpose of the Oliver Wyman Forum and strategic M&A outlook [00:09:00] – Oliver Wyman’s M&A philosophy: strategy, culture, math [00:15:00] – Sourcing strategy: bespoke vs. banker-led deals [00:20:00] – How they build a deal pipeline and prioritize targets [00:24:00] – Building long-term relationships with potential targets [00:30:00] – Aligning incentives and structuring fair deal terms [00:34:00] – Real-world example: Oliver Wyman’s acquisition of Avascent [00:39:00] – Integration best practices and measuring success [00:44:00] – Retention strategy for people-based businesses [00:47:00] – Applying lessons from private equity to internal M&A [00:50:00] – Creating an M&A culture across the organization Questions, comments, concerns? Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Stew Campbell, Partner at The Chernin Group In Part 2, Stew Campbell returns to share tactical guidance for founders evaluating outside capital. We dive deep into how to run a founder-led investor process, what to watch for in term sheets, and how to build long-term wealth while scaling a founder-led business. Stew breaks down growth equity vs. private equity, investor diligence, and how to choose a partner who accelerates—not limits—your next chapter. This episode is a must-listen for any operator planning a recap, acquisition, or capital raise in the next 1–3 years. Things You’ll Learn: How to run a founder-led competitive investor process What to ask when evaluating potential investors and term sheets How to align capital strategy with long-term wealth goals Ways great investors create real value beyond the check ______________________ This episode is sponsored by DealRoom! Turn your chaos into control. Tired of chasing updates across spreadsheets and email threads? Discover how DealRoom helps corporate development teams bring order to M&A. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process   ___________ Join Kison at the DealMakers Forum in New York City! This event connects the most active players in M&A and corporate finance. Meet top M&A executives, investors, and deal advisors and discover how senior leaders structure and close high-value deals. Register Today! ________________________ Episode Chapters [00:04:00] - What happens when firms break process and push early [00:05:00] - Building long-term relationships before you transact [00:08:30] - IOI vs. LOI: How to solicit and compare offers [00:09:30] - The three most important terms to negotiate [00:12:30] - Founder control, redemption timelines, and board dynamics [00:15:00] - Setting personal wealth goals alongside business strategy [00:19:30] - Case study: How one founder gave back to their community [00:21:30] - Challenging assumptions around recap timing [00:27:00] - How to get the most value from investor advisors [00:34:30] - Bootstrap vs. venture-backed founder mindsets [00:46:30] - Craziest things seen in M&A: Founder stories & deal drama Questions, comments, concerns? Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Stew Campbell, Partner at The Chernin Group In this episode of M&A Science, host Kison Patel sits down with Stew Campbell to explore how growth equity supports founder-led companies beyond just capital. Stew shares lessons from his career helping businesses scale while preserving their culture and mission. They discuss how founders should think about their boards, when to consider a minority recap, what separates elite investors, and how to navigate noisy capital markets with clarity and confidence. Whether you're a founder eyeing your next stage of growth or an operator thinking through the right partner, this episode unpacks how to scale with intention. Things you will learn: What a value-creating board actually looks like—and how to build one How to differentiate growth equity, private equity, and venture capital When to consider a minority recap—and how to structure it Why investor relationships are a long game and how to run your own "unbanked process" __________ Turn Your Chaos into Control:Tired of chasing updates across spreadsheets and email threads? Discover how DealRoom helps corporate development teams bring order to M&A. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process. ____________   Episode Timestamps [00:01:00] – Stew’s background and approach to founder-led growth equity [00:04:30] – The evolving role of boards in high-growth companies [00:07:00] – How a board should operate: collaboration, not control [00:10:30] – Case study: Epic Gardening and M&A-driven growth [00:13:30] – Case study: SmartSign and defensive M&A strategy [00:15:30] – Vetting investors: reputation, value creation, and timelines [00:20:00] – How associates should add value in early-stage investor conversations [00:22:30] – What makes a high-performing board: North Star alignment [00:26:30] – Challenges with multi-investor boards and competing agendas [00:28:00] – The differences between growth equity, venture capital, and private equity [00:33:00] – Structuring a minority recap: how to think about terms, timing, and alignment [00:40:00] – How to run your own competitive process without a banker Questions, comments, concerns? Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Rob Brown, CEO of Lincoln International Explore how one of the world’s top M&A advisory firms scales through acquisition. Rob shares his leadership journey, reveals how Lincoln actively manages culture during growth, and explains why integration starts from Day 1. Rob and Kison also dive into cross-border M&A, the rise of buyer-led strategies, and how AI is transforming the deal process. 💡What You’ll Learn Why culture is the cornerstone of successful M&A growth How Lincoln approaches acquisitions differently in Europe vs. the U.S. How to assess cultural fit beyond leadership alignment How AI is driving efficiency and insight across Lincoln’s global platform __________ Turn Your Chaos into Control:Tired of chasing updates across spreadsheets and email threads? Discover how DealRoom helps corporate development teams bring order to M&A. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process. Episode Chapters [02:30] Rob’s journey from employee #7 to CEO of a global firm [05:00] How Lincoln defines and manages culture across global offices [07:00] Organic vs. inorganic growth and why culture drives both [10:30] Strategic approach to geographic expansion [12:00] Case study: Acquiring TCG to scale European tech advisory [16:00] Navigating cultural differences in U.S. vs. European deals [20:00] Lincoln’s capital structure as a private partnership [24:00] How to rigorously evaluate cultural fit in M&A [28:30] Day 1 integration tactics and why speed matters [31:00] The evolution of buyer-led M&A and Lincoln’s perspective [35:00] How sellers can prepare for a successful exit [47:30] How Lincoln uses AI (Link) to scale knowledge and efficiency [51:30] What’s next: AI-enabled prediction of buyer behavior [53:00] Craziest M&A story Rob’s experienced Questions, comments, concerns? Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.

Jon Dhanawade, Private Equity M&A Partner at Mayer Brown    In this episode of M&A Science, Kison Patel sits down with Jon Dhanawade to unpack how private equity firms structure M&A deals—what works, what doesn’t, and how to manage risk every step of the way. Jon brings legal insight from both sides of the table, sharing practical strategies for aligning deal terms with investment objectives, mitigating downside risk, and building strong seller relationships. Whether you’re a corporate buyer or a fund-backed operator, this episode will help sharpen your deal judgment and show you what it takes to get complex deals over the finish line. 💡What You’ll Learn 🔹 How PE firms use rollover equity, seller notes, and earnouts to align incentives 🔹 Legal red flags to watch for in M&A diligence (and how to catch them early) 🔹 How to negotiate LOIs without boxing yourself in 🔹 Common structuring mistakes and how top deal lawyers avoid them _______________ 💡Try FirmRoom for Free This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.  The World’s Most Intuitive Virtual Data Room With AI Contract Analysis No Per-Page Fees. No B.S. Just Smarter, Faster Deals.   Get started with your free trial today at firmroom.com! _______________ Episode Chapters [00:01:00] Intro to Jon’s role at Mayer Brown and teaching at Northwestern [00:03:00] The evolution of PE deal types and market uncertainty [00:05:00] How Jon prepares students to be effective transactional lawyers [00:06:30] Strategic vs. PE buyers: What’s different for lawyers [00:09:00] Rise of private credit and bespoke capital structures [00:12:00] How PE firms approach platform vs. add-on acquisitions [00:16:00] Portfolio enhancement strategies during slow markets [00:17:00] Comparing seller notes, earnouts, and rollover equity [00:29:00] Structuring LOIs to preserve flexibility and manage risk [00:41:00] Designing earnouts tied to transition or integration milestones [00:52:00] Legal red flags in diligence: contracts, consents, liabilities [00:57:00] Biggest deal mistakes and how to avoid them Questions, comments, concerns, compliments? Follow Kison Patel and M&A Science on LinkedIn to connect and stay up to date with the podcast.   

Paul Miller, CEO of Questex Paul Miller joins us to share his extensive experience in M&A, having led more than 90 acquisitions throughout his career. Paul reveals how Questex uses a proactive, buyer-led approach focused on culture, strategic alignment, and integration discipline. The conversation dives into the importance of early relationship-building with potential targets, auditing post-close success, and developing internal M&A capability—even when the team has no prior deal experience. Paul also shares candid advice on international deals, when to walk away, and how to avoid the common trap of "deal fever." 💡Things you will learn: Why cultural fit and people issues often make or break a deal How to proactively source and warm up acquisition targets What to include in your M&A integration playbook and audit process When and why to walk away from a deal—even post-LOI   Turn Your Chaos into Control:Tired of chasing updates across spreadsheets and email threads? Discover how DealRoom helps corporate development teams bring order to M&A. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process. 💡 Episode Chapters Intro and Guest Background – 00:00:00 Biggest Lessons Learned from 90+ Acquisitions – 00:03:00 Proactive Buyer Outreach and Building Relationships Early – 00:04:00 Assessing Culture and People Fit in Target Companies – 00:13:00 How to Approach Founder-Led vs. Institutional Sellers – 00:10:30 Retaining or Replacing the CEO Post-Close – 00:17:00 Customer Diligence and Walking Away Post-LOI – 00:19:30 Developing a Structured, Data-Driven Deal Process – 00:25:00 Integration Playbook and Post-Close Audits – 00:31:00 Empowering the Full Exec Team to Source Deals – 00:37:30 The Importance of Learning by Doing in M&A – 00:32:30 Hardest Deal: Cultural Surprises in a China Acquisition – 00:42:00 Questions, comments, concerns? Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.