Private EquityM&A Science
Kim Jones, an HR M&A director with extensive experience at Microsoft and ServiceNow, explains why post-close integration failures stem from a lack of leadership enablement rather than cultural resistance. She details ho…
- Standard integration workstreams generate operational compliance, but genuine value capture requires executive advocacy. Read →
- Acquirers frequently waste retention packages on executive figureheads while missing the technical linchpins who understand the acquired codebase. Read →
- Financial retention packages purchase immediate compliance, not operational commitment. Kim Jones points out that throwing capital at founders planning an exit wastes retention po… Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Praveen Ghanta, founder of HiddenLevers, joins Kison Patel to detail how his company navigated a high-stakes sell-side acquisition by Orion Advisor Solutions. Ghanta explains how a delayed $2 million enterprise contract…
- Vague revenue definitions in a letter of intent allow buyers to shift the valuation baseline during confirmatory diligence, converting top-line headline multiples into retrade too… Read →
- HiddenLevers shipped code at two to three times the speed of legacy teams at Orion Advisor Solutions prior to its acquisition. Read →
- Sell-side bargaining power peaks the moment before signing a letter of intent (LOI), when the seller can run a competitive process with multiple bidders. Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Bill Stone, founder and CEO of SS&C Technologies, discusses how he scaled the company through nearly 100 acquisitions while maintaining meaningful founder ownership and control. He breaks down his balance sheet leverage…
- Bill Stone built SS&C Technologies through nearly 100 acquisitions, including Financial Models Company, GlobeOp, and Blue Prism, while protecting founder equity. Read →
- Bill Stone built SS&C Technologies through nearly 100 acquisitions, executing takeovers of major assets like Financial Models Company, GlobeOp, and Blue Prism while keeping founde… Read →
- Board unanimity means nothing when sponsor headquarters decides otherwise; SS&C's board voted unanimously to go public in 2007, but Carlyle leadership in Washington killed the IPO. Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Kison Patel and Aaron Binstock of Cooley discuss the practical integration of AI into M&A legal work, detailing how the firm leverages AI for efficiency in drafting and due diligence. They explore successful application…
- Cooley openly committed to its AI principles, framing AI adoption not merely as an efficiency play but as a cornerstone of trust and transparency with clients. Read →
- Aaron Binstock of Cooley highlights that AI is shifting junior associate work away from rote document review and into higher-order analytical tasks, demanding more from lawyers wi… Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Jennifer Lipshultz, Senior Director of M&A Integration at ECI Software Solutions, discusses the complexities of cross-border acquisitions, focusing on the often-overlooked back-office and people integration challenges.…
- Cross-border back-office compliance, such as new electronic invoicing requirements in Norway and Sweden, demanded ECI Software Solutions acquire additional software modules and th… Read →
- ECI Software Solutions made a strategic pivot about two years before Jennifer Lipshultz joined, moving from a holding company model to a 'full absorption' M&A approach, centralizi… Read →
- Jennifer Lipshultz, Senior Director of M&A Integration at ECI Software Solutions, prioritizes engaging acquired company leaders first, running "change engagement sessions" because… Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Kison Patel, host of M&A Science, interviews Andrew Morbitzer, VP of corporate development at Life 360, about why M&A deals frequently fail and how pitches often miss what buyers truly need. Morbitzer, with experience o…
- Andrew Morbitzer, VP of corporate development at Life 360, highlights a core M&A friction: investment bankers chase swift closing fees, while corporate buyers are judged on the lo… Read →
- Andrew Morbitzer, VP of corporate development at Life 360, highlights alarming data from Clayton Christensen, indicating that up to 90% of M&A deals underperform or outright fail… Read →
- A significant deal Andrew Morbitzer worked on collapsed when a founder declared, "I don't think I can do this. I just don't trust you," signaling trust as a non-negotiable deal br… Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Sean Rodri, an M&A and corporate development consultant with over 220 acquisitions, shares his practical operating model for scaling high-volume M&A programs. He details how to build the right team, create an effective…
- The moment of close is not the finish line; it's the start of a critical integration period where deals are either secured or lost through neglect. Read →
- Sean Rodri, with a track record of over 220 acquisitions, argues that scaling M&A to 50-60 deals annually requires an operating model built on rigid, upfront strategic alignment,… Read →
Private EquityM&A Science
Kison Patel speaks with Jeremy Segal, EVP of Corporate Development at Progress, about their M&A strategy focused on doubling revenue every five years through inorganic growth. They delve into how Progress successfully o…
- Progress's Jeremy Segal details the public-private software valuation gap. Learn why disciplined acquirers are waiting for private equity to capitulate. Read →
- Progress, led by EVP Jeremy Segal, doubles revenue every five years via inorganic growth, demanding strict M&A financial discipline. Read →
- Progress routinely outbids private equity firms in software M&A by finding unique cost synergies that PE can't replicate. Read →