How Experienced Buyers Actually Make M&A Work with Carlos Cesta
M&A Science
M&A isn’t just about closing deals, it’s about making the deal actually work. , M&A advisor and founder of his own boutique advisory practice, spent 30 years on the buy-side at Verizon, Dentsu, Presidio, and NP Digital. He's worked 125+ deals across telecom, advertising, and digital marketing. Now he's flipped to advisory, bringing that buy-side operator mindset to entrepreneurs preparing for exit. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Carlos Cesta, Partner at Makanta Services, breaks down how seasoned buyers really think about M&A. Not as a linear process, but...
info_outline
A Founder's Guide to Lean M&A Strategy with Christian Hassold
M&A Science
, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategic Partnerships at Wpromote x Giant Spoon Christian has been on both sides of M&A as a serial founder and corporate development leader. In this episode, Christian shares his hard-earned lessons about culture as the ultimate deal-breaker in M&A. He breaks down the subtle red flags that founders miss when evaluating acquisition targets, explains why he interviews employees before talking to investors, and shares the fascinating story of acquiring a competitor that was shutting down—where culture assessment made all the...
info_outline
How Integration Debt, Cultural Friction, and Communication Failures Kill M&A Deals with Donara Jaghinyan
M&A Science
– Transformation and Integration Leader , returns for Part 2 of our conversation on what actually breaks integrations after the deal closes. This episode tackles the messy reality of post-merger execution: integration debt that piles up when long-tail items don't get done, change management as a practical framework (not corporate fluff), and the cultural friction that surfaces in cross-border deals. Donara shares firsthand experiences navigating gender-based hierarchy in Middle Eastern TSA negotiations, building trust across geographies, and managing the communication breakdowns that create...
info_outline
Why Integrations Break: TSAs, Carve-Outs, and the Hidden Dependencies That Derail M&A Deals with Donara Jaghinyan
M&A Science
– Transformation and Integration Leader joins us to pull back the curtain on why integrations break—and what it actually takes to make them work. With deep experience across healthcare, SaaS, professional services, and financial services in both public and PE-backed environments, Donara has led diligence, post-close integration, TSA execution, and enterprise system implementations. This episode tackles the hard truths about carve-outs, TSA management, day-one readiness, and the cross-functional dependencies that most teams miss until it's too late. If you've ever wondered why integration...
info_outline
Building Your M&A Reputation: Why Relationships Beat Transactions Every Time with Andrew Cohen
M&A Science
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. ...
info_outline
My Daughter Interviews Me About M&A | Holiday Special Episode with Shyla Patel
M&A Science
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...
info_outline
How to Score Culture Fit in M&A with Sharon Van Zeeland
M&A Science
, Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Rockwell Automation 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...
info_outline
Making M&A Boring (And Why That’s a Good Thing) with Leon Brujis
M&A Science
, Partner and Co-Head of U.S. at 65 Equity Partners 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"...
info_outline
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
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_outlineArash Attar-Rezvani - M&A Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
In part two of this masterclass conversation, Arash Attar-Rezvani gets into the execution challenges that separate successful M&A practitioners from the rest. From deconstructing French labor consultation myths to revealing how AI will reshape legal advisory models, this segment delivers actionable frameworks for advanced deal execution.
Things You'll Learn
- How to structure aggressive workforce reduction plans within French labor laws and turn compliance into deal terms
- The psychology of cross-cultural deal-making and why listening trumps being the loudest voice in the room
- How AI will reshape M&A legal services and why success fees may replace hourly billing
_____________________
đź“… Join Me at the Inside the Deal Session on August 14th! đź“…
See how US Heart & Vascular scaled M&A with DealRoom on August 14th,11am EST
Learn how to consolidate diligence across vendors, the simple system they use to hit deadlines, and how they cut weeks off close timelines, without burning out the team.
Register now at dealroom.net/insidethedeal
Episode Chapters
[00:33:00] French Labor Law Reality – Why employment consultation is easier than American buyers think
[00:36:00] Aggressive Cost Synergy Planning – How to structure 40% workforce reductions within European frameworks
[00:40:00] Cross-Cultural Negotiation Mastery – Reading the room and adapting communication styles for French business culture
[00:47:00] Defining High-Stakes Transactions – Why people's livelihoods matter more than dollar amounts in deal significance
[00:51:30] First-of-Kind Deal Innovation – Creating the Luxembourg/Hong Kong take-private structure when no legal path existed
[00:55:30] AI's Impact on Legal Advisory – How automation will force fee model evolution and reshape junior lawyer training
[01:01:30] Deal Structure Evolution – From SPACs boom-bust to emerging PE club deals and earnout complications
[01:06:30] Partnership Career Strategy – Why obsessing over partnership tracks derails early career development
[01:10:00] Integrity Under Pressure – Handling government interference and corruption while maintaining client relationships
Questions, comments, concerns?
Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.