Rob Brown, CEO of Lincoln International Explore how one of the world’s top M&A advisory firms scales through acquisition. Rob shares his leadership journey, reveals how Lincoln actively manages culture during growth, and explains why integration starts from Day 1. Rob and Kison also dive into cross-border M&A, the rise of buyer-led strategies, and how AI is transforming the deal process.

💡What You’ll Learn

• Why culture is the cornerstone of successful M&A growth

• How Lincoln approaches acquisitions differently in Europe vs. the U.S.

• How to assess cultural fit beyond leadership alignment

• How AI is driving efficiency and insight across Lincoln’s global platform

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Episode Chapters

• [02:30] Rob’s journey from employee #7 to CEO of a global firm

• [05:00] How Lincoln defines and manages culture across global offices

• [07:00] Organic vs. inorganic growth and why culture drives both

• [10:30] Strategic approach to geographic expansion

• [12:00] Case study: Acquiring TCG to scale European tech advisory

• [16:00] Navigating cultural differences in U.S. vs. European deals

• [20:00] Lincoln’s capital structure as a private partnership

• [24:00] How to rigorously evaluate cultural fit in M&A

• [28:30] Day 1 integration tactics and why speed matters

• [31:00] The evolution of buyer-led M&A and Lincoln’s perspective

• [35:00] How sellers can prepare for a successful exit

• [47:30] How Lincoln uses AI (Link) to scale knowledge and efficiency

• [51:30] What’s next: AI-enabled prediction of buyer behavior

• [53:00] Craziest M&A story Rob’s experienced

Questions, comments, concerns? Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.