loader from loading.io

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

M&A Science

Release Date: 06/23/2025

Integration Starts with Hiring, Not the Deal with Brandon Batt show art Integration Starts with Hiring, Not the Deal with Brandon Batt

M&A Science

– Chief People and Transformation Officer at Quadient 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...

info_outline Strategic M&A Framework: IFS's Acquisition Playbook with Rachel Hindley show art Strategic M&A Framework: IFS's Acquisition Playbook with Rachel Hindley

M&A Science

 , Vice President of Corporate Development, IFS   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...

info_outline Mastering Carve-Out Transactions with Keith Crawford show art Mastering Carve-Out Transactions with Keith Crawford

M&A Science

, Global Head of Corporate Development and M&A at State Street Corporation , 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...

info_outline Integration-Led M&A: Cisco's Approach to Deal Success Part 2 with Johanna Jaakola and Tesia Hostetler show art Integration-Led M&A: Cisco's Approach to Deal Success Part 2 with Johanna Jaakola and Tesia Hostetler

M&A Science

– Integration Lead, Corporate Development Integration Team, Cisco – Leader, Acquisition Integration Practice, Cisco , Integration Lead on Cisco's Corporate Development Integration Team, and , 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...

info_outline Integration-Led Diligence: Cisco's M&A Approach with Johanna Jaakola & Tesia Hostetle show art Integration-Led Diligence: Cisco's M&A Approach with Johanna Jaakola & Tesia Hostetle

M&A Science

– Integration Lead, Corporate Development Integration Team, Cisco – Leader, Acquisition Integration Practice, Cisco , Integration Lead on Cisco's Corporate Development Integration Team, and , 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...

info_outline When Integration Beats Roll-Ups with Tim Hall show art When Integration Beats Roll-Ups with Tim Hall

M&A Science

- Managing Partner and Founder, 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...

info_outline Buyer-Led M&A™ Strategy at Snowflake with Stefan WIlliams show art Buyer-Led M&A™ Strategy at Snowflake with Stefan WIlliams

M&A Science

Vice President of Corporate Development and Snowflake Ventures at Snowflake , Vice President of Corporate Development and Snowflake Ventures at Snowflake, leads the company's acquisition strategy, corporate venture capital, and startup accelerator programs. In this episode, Stefan takes us inside Snowflake's disciplined, culture-first approach to M&A—from building the corporate development function from scratch to executing 20+ acquisitions while maintaining breakneck organic growth. He shares hard-won lessons on integration accountability, why relationships matter more than auctions,...

info_outline Corporate Development Strategy: Notion's M&A Approach with Hilary Shirazi show art Corporate Development Strategy: Notion's M&A Approach with Hilary Shirazi

M&A Science

- Head of Corporate Development at Notion , Head of Corporate Development at Notion, brings over a decade of M&A experience from LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Zendesk to discuss building corporate development strategy at high-growth tech companies. She shares her proven deal thesis methodology, the "Four T's" framework for categorizing acquisitions, and why integration without an IMO might be the better approach for agile teams. Things you will learn: The Deal Thesis Framework – How to crystallize strategy before identifying targets using Hilary's proven document template The Four T's...

info_outline How Corporate Venture Capital 2.0 is Reshaping M&A with Jennifer Miller show art How Corporate Venture Capital 2.0 is Reshaping M&A with Jennifer Miller

M&A Science

- Senior Director of Corporate Development, Oshkosh Corporation , Senior Director of Corporate Development at Oshkosh Corporation, brings over 24 years of M&A experience spanning investment banking, boutique advisory, and corporate development. In this episode, she reveals how Oshkosh evolved their corporate venture capital approach from CVC 1.0's financial focus to CVC 2.0's strategic innovation partnerships. Jennifer shares practical insights on managing 400+ deal flow annually, structuring IP agreements, and balancing minority investments with traditional M&A within a single...

info_outline M&A Integration Reality: Deal Economics vs Human Dynamics with Nicole Markowski show art M&A Integration Reality: Deal Economics vs Human Dynamics with Nicole Markowski

M&A Science

- Former Director of Business Integration and Operations, Wipfli Join Nicole as she shares unvarnished truths from managing 30+ transactions. Nicole reveals how integration-led diligence prevents value destruction, why traditional deal economics often miss critical human factors, and practical strategies for maintaining the human touch while scaling M&A programs from 3 to 16 concurrent deals. Things You'll Learn Why integration leaders must be involved in deal economics discussions to prevent value destruction How to scale M&A operations from 2-3 to 16+ concurrent deals without...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

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.