

M&A Science
Kison Patel
M&A Science, hosted by Kison Patel (Founder & CEO of DealRoom), is your go-to podcast for mastering the art of mergers and acquisitions. Each week, Kison and his expert guests from leading brands like Xerox, FastLap, and Cisco dig deep into real-world M&A strategies, offering actionable insights to optimize your M&A practice.
Whether you're an experienced practitioner or new to the field, M&A Science provides practical advice on key topics like sourcing, due diligence, integration, divestitures, and more. With over 300 episodes, this podcast is the premier thought leadership resource designed to streamline your deal-making process.
Start listening today and visit mascience.com/podcast to access over 300 episodes. Brought to you by DealRoom, the leading M&A optimization platform used by the best M&A teams around the world
Whether you're an experienced practitioner or new to the field, M&A Science provides practical advice on key topics like sourcing, due diligence, integration, divestitures, and more. With over 300 episodes, this podcast is the premier thought leadership resource designed to streamline your deal-making process.
Start listening today and visit mascience.com/podcast to access over 300 episodes. Brought to you by DealRoom, the leading M&A optimization platform used by the best M&A teams around the world
Episodes
Mentioned books

9 snips
Apr 3, 2023 • 53min
Preserving Startups During Acquisitions
Nadia Gil, Chief of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at Brady, discusses why large companies acquire startups for innovation, challenges in identifying unsuccessful acquisitions, importance of communication during integration, unexpected funding stories, and networking opportunities through golf.

Mar 27, 2023 • 48min
Executing M&A Without Corporate Development
Michael Farlekas is the CEO at E2open Have someone in mind that would be perfect to help build out a new on-demand talent service line at M&A Science? Reach out to Kison at kison@mascience.com EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 02:24 Background 04:58 14 transactions without a dedicated Corp Dev team 08:47 Networking and scoring the deals 14:34 The hunting part 20:45 Restructuring the business for faster integration 22:04 Approach to due diligence 24:10 Key things to look at pre and post-LOI 25:15 Considering the culture and the people aspect 27:34 Integration 30:20 Budgeting Integration cost 32:19 Go-to-Market Integration 34:14 Acquiring away from the core 36:13 Keys to success 37:38 Go-To-Market Framework 39:54 Advice for first-time acquirers 44:33 Craziest thing in M&A

Mar 20, 2023 • 47min
Setting Up Day One for Success
Chris Evans, Former Head of Corporate Development Integration at Amazon, shares insights on setting up Day One for a successful acquisition, addressing the importance of communication and integration planning. Other topics include keeping managers engaged, identifying key faces of the acquiring company, and the significance of open and honest communication during the integration process.

Mar 13, 2023 • 45min
How to Perform Diligence on Sustainability in M&A
Sarah Thuo, Chief Operating Officer of IBM Sustainability Services As the business world shifts towards a more environmentally and socially conscious approach, the significance of sustainability in M&A has become increasingly prominent. In light of this, companies are now considering the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives of their target companies before making any acquisitions. In this article, we explore the importance of sustainability in M&A and how to perform sustainability diligence, with insights from Sarah Thuo, Chief Operating Officer of IBM Sustainability Services. This episode is sponsored by our new publication: How to Stand Up an M&A Function.Topics include the order of hiring, establishing your operating model, developing your organization's integration muscle, and more. Find it on Amazon: shorturl.at/jBCW1

4 snips
Mar 6, 2023 • 50min
Setting Up M&A for Hyper-Growth Companies
Michael Nov, Head of Corporate Development & Chief of Staff to the CTO at OwnBackup M&A is a game-changing tool that can propel a company's growth several years ahead of schedule. However, for hyper-growth companies, M&A can also be a double-edged sword that leads to attrition and detracts from the core business objectives. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Michael Nov, Head of Corporate Development & Chief of Staff to the CTO at OwnBackup, discusses how to set up M&A for hyper-growth companies. This episode is sponsored by the M&A Science Academy. Check out corporate training plans to connect your team with M&A knowledge straight from the best in the industry. They'll also gain access to the entire M&A Science community. For information on group plans, visit https://ma-science.webflow.io/podcast-commercial

Feb 27, 2023 • 52min
GTM Integration
Pat Belotti, VP of Corporate Development Integration at Zendesk. The go-to-market (GTM) integration strategy has a large impact on revenue generation and overall deal success. Integration can be very disruptive to the customers, but if done right, it can enhance the customer experience and acquisition results. In this episode of the M&A Science podcast, Pat Belotti, VP of Corporate Development Integration at Zendesk, delves into the intricacies of GTM integration and offers valuable insights on how to approach it. This episode is sponsored by our new publication: How to Stand Up an M&A Function. Topics include the order of hiring, establishing your operating model, developing your organization's integration muscle, and more. Find it on Amazon: shorturl.at/jBCW1

Feb 20, 2023 • 51min
How Integration Has Changed Over Time
Pat Belotti, VP of Corporate Development Integration at Zendesk M&A integration in tech has changed quite a bit over the last twenty years. Integration has evolved from integration volunteers, to large teams with detailed tracking, to dedicated teams and Agile approaches. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Pat Belotti, VP of Corporate Development Integration at Zendesk, delves into the evolution of integration. This episode is sponsored by our new publication: How to Stand Up an M&A Function. Topics include the order of hiring, establishing your operating model, developing your organization's integration muscle, and more. Find it on Amazon: shorturl.at/jBCW1

Feb 13, 2023 • 41min
Improving IMO For Efficiency
Windy Nicholson, Technology Leader | Mergers and Acquisitions at Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) Acquisitions present unique challenges, but deal lifecycle processes can still be optimized for efficiency. Timeliness is a crucial factor in M&A, and the quicker a deal closes and integration is completed, the faster deal synergies can be achieved. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Windy Nicholson, the Technology Leader for Mergers and Acquisitions at Salesforce, discusses how to improve an IMO for efficiency. This episode is sponsored by our new publication: How to Stand Up an M&A Function.Topics include the order of hiring, establishing your operating model, developing your organization's integration muscle, and more. Find it on Amazon: shorturl.at/jBCW1

Feb 9, 2023 • 35min
How to Manage Deals From Strategy to Closing in M&A Part 2
Andy Wijaya, Senior Director, M&A at KLA (NASDAQ: KLAC) Managing a deal from start to finish requires a strategic approach and the ability to navigate the nuances of each phase. In this 2-part episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Andy Wijaya, Senior Director, M&A at KLA, talks about managing deals from strategy to closing, and dives deep into key stages of acquisition. "This episode is sponsored by the M&A Science Academy. Check out corporate training plans to connect your team with M&A knowledge straight from the best in the industry. They'll also gain access to the entire M&A Science community. For information on group plans, visit https://ma-science.webflow.io/podcast-commercial

Feb 6, 2023 • 33min
How to Manage Deals From Strategy to Closing in M&A Part 1
Andy Wijaya, Senior Director, M&A at KLA (NASDAQ: KLAC) Managing the multi-faceted process of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be a daunting task, especially for those in charge of overseeing the entire process. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Andy Wijaya, Senior Director of M&A at KLA, discusses how to manage deals from strategy to closing. This episode is sponsored by our new publication: How to Stand Up an M&A Function. Topics include the order of hiring, establishing your operating model, developing your organization's integration muscle, and more. Find it on Amazon: shorturl.at/jBCW1


