Lessons from 90+ Deals: Questex CEO, Paul Miller on Cultural Fit, Value Creation & Post-Close Audits
M&A Science
, CEO of 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...
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How ZRG’s CEO Built a 17-Deal M&A Engine with Larry Hartmann
M&A Science
, CEO of Larry Hartman, CEO of ZRG Partners dives into aligning strategic M&A with scalable growth. Larry shares how he transformed ZRG into one of the fastest-growing executive search and talent advisory firms through 17 acquisitions in just four years. They break down how to compete with strategic buyers, incentivize founders post-close, maintain deal momentum, and choose the right private equity partner to fuel long-term value. Things You Will Learn How to compete with strategics and win deals through culture and upside Structuring founder incentives: equity, earnouts, employment,...
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4 Ways to Grow a Multi-Site Business While Protecting Core Values with Clare Roberts
M&A Science
OBE, Founder and CEO at In this episode of M&A Science, Clare Roberts shares her journey of founding Kids Planet and growing it into one of the UK’s largest childcare providers with 225 nurseries. She reveals how she balanced organic growth with strategic acquisitions while staying true to her company’s values. Clare discusses the importance of culture in M&A, managing seller relationships, and how to maintain operational quality during rapid expansion. If you’re scaling a business and want to do it without losing sight of what matters most, this is an episode for you. Things...
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Managing Risks and Liabilities in M&A with Tina Kassangana
M&A Science
, Corporate & M&A Lawyer, Associate at Tina Kassangana joins usto explore how legal counsel manages risk throughout the M&A lifecycle. With firsthand insight from a practicing M&A attorney, this conversation dives into the real-world complexities of diligence, purchase agreement structuring, reps and warranties, and navigating disputes post-close. Whether you're a first-time buyer or a seasoned dealmaker, Tina offers sharp, practical guidance that demystifies the legal side of dealmaking. Things you will learn: The three main stages where legal risks arise in M&A—and...
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Buyer-Led M&A: How To with Carson Group's Michael Belloumini
M&A Science
, Senior Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions, Kison sits down with Michael Belluomini to unpack how Carson Group scaled its M&A strategy—shifting from internal partner investments to sourcing proprietary external deals at volume. Michael shares tactical insights into managing concurrent transactions, building a sourcing engine, and executing with precision. Things You’ll Learn: The differences between Buyer-Led and Seller-Led M&A—and when to use each How Carson Group built a scalable sourcing engine across multiple deal channels Strategies for managing...
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How Barry-Wehmiller Built a $3.6B M&A Machine Fueled by Culture with Bob and Kyle Chapman
M&A Science
, President, In this episode of M&A Science, Kison Patel sits down with Bob Chapman and his son Kyle Chapman to explore how Barry-Wehmiller built a $3.6B global business through 140+ acquisitions—by putting people first. Bob, known for pioneering the "Truly Human Leadership" philosophy, and Kyle, who co-founded BW Forsyth Partners, share how culture, transparency, and stewardship shape every deal they do. They dive deep into how Barry-Wehmiller evolved from a broken family business into a global leader in capital equipment and engineering services—and why their approach to M&A...
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How to Build a Global M&A Machine with Local Expertise Part 2
M&A Science
, Head of M&A at In Part 2 of this global M&A masterclass, Sindre Holen pulls back the curtain on Visma’s deal execution strategy, valuation methodology, and post-close philosophy. Visma has quietly become one of the most disciplined and prolific acquirers in Europe and LATAM. How? Through extreme clarity on what they buy, why they buy it, and how they operate post-close. Sindre and Kison dig into the nuance of buying software companies in different geographies, how Visma thinks about valuation (hint: rule of 40—and sometimes 50—matters), and why the company chooses to...
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How to Build a Global M&A Machine with Sindre Talleraas Holen Part 1
M&A Science
, Head of M&A at In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kison sits down with Sindre from Visma, one of Europe’s most active acquirers in the B2B SaaS space. With over 350+ acquisitions under its belt and a stronghold across Europe and Latin America, Visma has cracked the code for scaling globally while maintaining local authenticity. Sindre shares how Visma transformed its M&A function from a two-man team to a global machine spanning 20 M&A professionals—and 16,000 employees acting as an extended sourcing engine. He walks through Visma’s origin story rooted in M&A, how a...
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Transforming M&A: Lessons in Culture, Growth, and Purpose with Ron 'Omani' Carson
M&A Science
Founder and Chairman at | Founder of We sit down with Ron “Omani” Carson, founder of Carson Group, for a wide-ranging conversation about transformation—both professional and personal. From launching a financial services firm out of a college dorm room to building a national platform with over $30 billion in assets under management, Omani shares the gritty beginnings, his early lessons in love affair marketing and systemization, and why his first M&A deal nearly broke him. But the real story unfolds around age 50, when Omani underwent a profound mindset shift—from fear and...
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Private Equity in Healthcare: Legal Challenges and Best Practices for 2025 with Andrew Bab
M&A Science
, Partner & Co-Chair of the Healthcare Group at In this episode of M&A Science, Andrew Bab joins Kison Patel live in New York to dive into the fast-changing legal landscape facing private equity deals in healthcare. From emerging state-level regulations and reverse CFIUS to FDA policy shifts and CVR litigation, Andrew offers a masterclass in legal diligence and deal structuring. They also explore how political scrutiny and increasing regulatory complexity are driving the need for more proactive, buyer-led approaches in healthcare M&A. Things you will learn: How state-level...
info_outlineAvinash Patel, Partner at PJT Partners (NYSE: PJT)
Investment bankers aren't always seen as trusted advisors; some see them as deal-pushers, prioritizing fees over friendships. The skepticism is fair, but many miss the point of what they actually bring to the table.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Avinash Patel, Partner at PJT Partners, offers an insider’s view on what investment bankers really do in M&A, from guiding strategic vision to wielding influence in complex transactions.
Things you will learn:
• Why investment bankers face a reputation challenge
• Building influence and shaping strategy through relationship investment
• Working with public vs. private companies as an investment banker
• Evaluating the right private equity partner
• Finding the right advisory partnership
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This episode is sponsored by S&P Global. S&P Global Market Intelligence has private companies covered. Whether you’re looking for your next investment or M&A target, conducting peer comparisons, assessing counterparty credit risk, or monitoring your supply chain, S&P Capital IQ Pro's extensive private company data can give you the insights you need for a competitive edge. Uncover tangible insights on private companies by visiting spglobal.com/privatecompanydata
This episode is also sponsored by DealRoom AI, the latest innovation from DealRoom designed specifically for M&A professionals. DealRoom AI automates the analysis and extraction of key information from due diligence documents, empowering teams to save up to 80% of their time on document analysis and focus on what really matters—closing the deal.
Ready to streamline your M&A process? Visit dealroom.net today.
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Episode Timestamps
00:00 Intro
08:37 Why investment bankers face a reputation challenge
13:29 The role of investment bankers
17:21 Building influence and shaping strategy through relationship investment
21:36 Tailor advice and introductions for big-company impact
23:31 Example of companies turning strategic advice into growth
30:08 Working with public vs. private companies
32:21 Role play: Scaling through organic growth and strategic acquisitions
44:19 Leveraging investment bankers to identify strategic carve-out opportunities
48:29 Building selective PE relationships for carve-out deals
50:54 Evaluating the right private equity partner - willing to answer
55:47 The importance of buyer-led M&A integration planning
1:06:29 Finding the right advisory partnership
1:08:18 Craziest thing in M&A