GenAI has moved from buzz to real utility — and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is on the edge of its next big shift. In the Season 2 finale of The Dealist podcast, host Catherine Ford talks with Austin Corbett of Accenture and Jon Martin of SS&C Intralinks about the early signals of what’s coming, from the rise of agentic AI and smarter diligence workflows to the long-term potential for a digital twin that mirrors the entire deal process in near-real time.

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Timestamps

0:45 Introductions

In this episode of The Dealist, we're joined once again by Professor Scott Moeller, founder and director of the M&A Research Centre at Bayes Business School, City, University of London, and former global head of corporate development at Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank.

We discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming mergers and acquisitions (M&A) from the classroom to the boardroom — and how dealmakers at every stage of their career can build AI confidence and capability.

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Further reading

AI is transforming corporate development — from how deal teams identify targets to how they manage due diligence and post-merger integration (PMI). In this episode of The Dealist, Alessandro Cozzi, a director at Korn Ferry, and Ronjohn Dadd, senior director of product at SS&C Intralinks, discuss how AI is reshaping this critical business function across the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape.

Together, they explore how corp dev teams are applying AI to source smarter deals, accelerate due diligence and reduce risk — including how platforms like DealCentre AI are helping dealmakers work faster and with greater confidence. The discussion also touches on the evolving role of technology in dealmaking, how organizations can adapt their workflows to maximize the benefits of AI and which skills are essential for corp dev pros.

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Further reading

In this episode of The Dealist podcast, Gustavo Rugani and Savio Andrade of Machado Meyer Advogados share how the Brazil-based firm’s early adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) accelerated its digital transformation. In a country with a highly litigious culture — it’s home to more than 80 million lawsuits — AI and legal tech have become essential tools for sifting through vast amounts of data, automating routine tasks and driving efficiency.

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Further reading

The Dynamics of Due Diligence, a report produced with Mergermarket and The M&A Research Centre (MARC), explores the reasons behind the ever-expanding due diligence period in the past decade and reveals why those deals that have a “medium” duration in terms of timing are the most likely to succeed. Download here: https://www3.intralinks.com/the-dynamics-of-due-diligence-report?&utmcampaign=701pq00000ca6xu&utm_content=podcast-blog

In Season 2, episode 2 of The Dealist, host Catherine Ford explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping deal privacy in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), accelerating due diligence, securing virtual data rooms (VDRs) and detecting breaches in real time while underscoring why human oversight remains critical in high-stakes transactions. Listen to gain practical insights into how AI can strengthen security without compromising the trust and judgment that drive successful deals.

Guests

Key takeaways

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Further reading

The Dynamics of Due Diligence, a report produced with Mergermarket and The M&A Research Centre (MARC) explores the reasons behind the ever-expanding due diligence period in the past decade and reveals why those deals that have a “medium” duration in terms of timing are the most likely to succeed. Download here: https://www3.intralinks.com/the-dynamics-of-due-diligence-report?&utmcampaign=701pq00000ca6xu&utm_content=podcast-blog)

Discover how Intralinks DealCentre AI™ revolutionizes deal management with cutting-edge AI technology and smart solutions here: https://www.intralinks.com/products/dealcentre-ai?utm_source=podcast-platform&utm_medium=partner-referrals

In this season two premiere of The Dealist, host Catherine Ford is joined by Jeff Haxer, a partner at Bain & Company, and Ken Bisconti, co-head of SS&C Intralinks, to cut through the misconceptions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) in mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

The discussion also explores how AI is accelerating due diligence, reshaping virtual data room (VDR) analysis and redefining the balance between human judgment and machine support. “We're starting to see that there's a correlation between frequent M&A transactions and early adoption of AI and shareholder return,” says Haxer, “and we expect that gap to widen over time.”

This episode offers dealmakers practical insights on staying competitive in an era where technology is no longer optional.

Key takeaways:

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Further reading

The Dynamics of Due Diligence, a report produced with Mergermarket and The M&A Research Centre (MARC) explores the reasons behind the ever-expanding due diligence period in the past decade and reveals why those deals that have a “medium” duration in terms of timing are the most likely to succeed. Download here: https://www3.intralinks.com/the-dynamics-of-due-diligence-report?&utmcampaign=701pq00000ca6xu&utm_content=podcast-blog)

Discover how Intralinks DealCentre AI™ revolutionizes deal management with cutting-edge AI technology and smart solutions here: https://www.intralinks.com/products/dealcentre-ai?utm_source=podcast-platform&utm_medium=partner-referrals

In Season 2 of The Dealist, Catherine Ford and senior M&A leaders cut through the hype to reveal how AI is reshaping M&A — from faster due diligence to sharper efficiencies and real competitive advantage. Discover where AI is taking dealmaking next when the first episode premieres September 2, 2025.

Don’t miss these conversations. Subscribe to The Dealist wherever you get your podcasts.

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Further reading

The Dynamics of Due Diligence, a report produced by SS&C Intralinks in association with Mergermarket and The M&A Research Centre (MARC) that explores the reasons behind the ever-expanding due diligence period in the past decade and reveals why those deals that have a “medium” duration in terms of timing are the most likely to succeed. Download here: https://www3.intralinks.com/the-dynamics-of-due-diligence-report?&utmcampaign=701pq00000ca6xu&utm_content=podcast-blog)

Discover how Intralinks DealCentre™ revolutionizes deal management with cutting-edge AI technology and smart solutions here: https://www.intralinks.com/products/dealcentre-ai?utm_source=podcast-platform&utm_medium=partner-referrals

In the final episode of season one of The Dealist, we go inside the transaction to explore the crucial roles M&A advisors and investment bankers play. From balancing risk and opportunity to guiding founders through one of the biggest decisions of their professional lives, this conversation reveals how these professionals create value throughout the deal process.

Host: Catherine Ford

Guests:

Key discussion highlights

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Further reading

The Dynamics of Due Diligence, a report produced by SS&C Intralinks in association with Mergermarket and The M&A Research Centre (MARC) that explores the reasons behind the ever-expanding due diligence period in the past decade and reveals why those deals that have a “medium” duration in terms of timing are the most likely to succeed. Download here: https://www3.intralinks.com/the-dynamics-of-due-diligence-report?&utmcampaign=701pq00000ca6xu&utm_content=podcast-blog)

Discover how Intralinks DealCentre™ revolutionizes deal management with cutting-edge AI technology and smart solutions here: https://www.intralinks.com/products/dealcentre-ai?utm_source=podcast-platform&utm_medium=partner-referrals

In this insightful episode of The Dealist, we sit down with Peter Emmi, a partner at Reed Smith based in New York City and a legal expert with a deep technical background, including a 17-year career as an engineer, researcher and dealmaker on the legal team at IBM.

Peter discusses the role lawyers play during the due diligence process in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), particularly as it relates to rapidly evolving technologies.

Reflecting on the collaborative nature of successful transactions, he shares a guiding principle: "[M&A] is supposed to be a win-win, and that's the way we try to approach it."

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Further reading

The Dynamics of Due Diligence, a report produced in association with Mergermarket and The M&A Research Centre (MARC) that explores the reasons behind the ever-expanding due diligence period in the past decade and reveals why those deals that have a “medium” duration in terms of timing are the most likely to succeed. Download here: https://www3.intralinks.com/the-dynamics-of-due-diligence-report?&utmcampaign=701pq00000ca6xu&utm_content=podcast-blog)

“The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on M&A Deals—Part I” by Peter Emmi published in The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law (Volume 8, No. 2; March-April 2025): https://www.reedsmith.com/en/perspectives/2025/03/impact-of-artificial-intelligence-ma-deals-part-i.

Discover how Intralinks DealCentre™ revolutionizes deal management with cutting-edge AI technology and smart solutions here: https://www.intralinks.com/products/dealcentre-ai?utm_source=podcast-platform&utm_medium=partner-referrals

Explore our INsights blog for more expert analysis and dealmaking trends. https://intralinks.com/insights

What does it take for a private equity (PE) firm to transform a target from a deal thesis to a high-performing portfolio asset delivering returns for limited partners (LPs)? What advantages do PE firms have over their corporate counterparts?

In this episode of The Dealist, we unpack the playbook fund managers rely on to evaluate opportunities, manage risk and lay the groundwork for a successful exit — all beginning with rigorous due diligence.

Host Catherine Ford sits down with two seasoned industry experts:

Together, they explore how diligence is evolving, how dealmakers are adapting to uncertainty and what strategies top PE firms are using to navigate complex transactions.

Tune in for insights on:

Further reading: The Dynamics of Due Diligence

Explore our INsights blog for more expert analysis and dealmaking trends. https://intralinks.com/insights

Subscribe to The Dealist

Discover how Intralinks DealCentre™ revolutionizes deal management with cutting-edge AI technology and smart solutions here: https://www.intralinks.com/products/dealcentre-ai?utm_source=podcast-platform&utm_medium=partner-referrals