Most PE investors never look at the engineering organization. That blind spot is costing them.

Dave Mangot, author of DevOps Patterns for Private Equity and founder and CEO at Mangoteque, joins This Is M&A to explain how DORA metrics translate into investor outcomes, why technical debt quietly destroys EBITDA, and what breaks in the first 100 days post-close. A DevOps veteran, he has successfully led digital, SRE, and DevOps transformations at Salesforce, SolarWinds, and Cable and Wireless.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about Dave Mangot and Mangoteque: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/this-is-m-a/

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Meet Dave Mangot of Mangoteque 

#thisismapodcast #mna #privateequity #devops #technicaldebt #softwarevaluation #exitplanning #engineeringalpha

Most privately held business owners believe growing revenue automatically makes their company more valuable. Buyers disagree. And that gap is exactly where deals get discounted.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Mike de Windt, Managing Director of Strategic Advisory at Carleton McKenna & Company, breaks down what actually drives shareholder value in founder-led and family-owned businesses, the hidden levers sophisticated buyers price into every deal, and why applying private equity discipline before you ever think about selling is the highest-leverage move any owner can make.

Mike brings over 30 years of experience across private equity, operating leadership, and strategic advisory. He was the founder and CEO of Gates Group Capital Partners, a Cleveland-based PE firm with over $300 million in capital under management and more than $850 million in aggregate enterprise value across realized investments. He also founded Grand River Industries and served on the corporate development team at NACCO Industries. Today at Carleton McKenna, he works directly with founder-led and family businesses to close the gap between where they are and what buyers will actually pay a premium for.

In this episode, you will learn:

⚡️ Why revenue growth without margin expansion and cash flow conversion can actually reduce your valuation in the eyes of buyers

Learn more about Mike de Windt and Carleton McKenna & Company: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: 

Want to become our next guest? 

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify.

Timestamps

#thisismapodcast #mna #privateequity #exitplanning #lowermiddlemarket #shareholdervalue #ebitda #founderstories #mnadvisory #operationalexcellence

Most companies are failing at AI. 

Not because the technology is broken, but because the organization is not ready for it.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Lisa Davis, Founder and CEO of Davis Core Advisory, breaks down why 95% of enterprises show no ROI on AI adoption, what leaders are getting wrong about digital transformation, and how executives can build the kind of organization that is actually ready for what comes next.

Lisa is a CIO Hall of Fame inductee with over 30 years of leadership across defense, government, healthcare, and technology. She served as EVP and CIO of Blue Shield of California, where she led digital transformation for a $24 billion nonprofit health plan. Prior to that she managed an $8 billion P&L as VP and GM at Intel, and held CIO roles at Georgetown University, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Defense. She currently serves on the boards of Movius and 3Strands Global Foundation and is an Executive in Residence at Progress Partners.

In this episode, you will learn:

🔗 Learn more about Lisa Davis and Davis Core Advisory: 

🔗 Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn:

Want to become our next guest? 

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify.

#thisismapodcast #mna #digitaltransformation #artificialintelligence #leadership #boardroom #cio #womeninstem

Most founders treat selling their business like selling milk at the grocery store.

Pete Moore has spent 20 years watching that mindset cost founders millions.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Pete Moore, Founder and Managing Partner of Integrity Square, breaks down what it actually takes to build a business worth buying: the playbook, the team, the fourth quarter, and the one line every founder needs to hear before they hire an advisor.

Pete has driven M&A in the wellness and active lifestyle space for over two decades. He founded Integrity Square, a boutique advisory and seed investment firm focused on the HALO sector, which stands for Health, Active Lifestyle and Outdoors. He previously closed over $1.5B in deals at Sagent Advisors, co-founded Iron Planet which sold to Ritchie Bros. for $758M, hosts the HALO Talks podcast, runs the HALO Academy, and wrote Time to Win Again: 52 Takeaways from Team Sports to Ensure Your Business Success.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about Pete Moore and Integrity Square: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/this-is-m-a/ 

Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe: https://sharevault.com/this-is-ma/

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Chapter Markers

#thisismapodcast #mna #exitplanning #founders #halosector #wellness #privateequity #middlemarket

Most earnouts are never earned. Most founders do not know why until it is too late.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Salim Dada, Managing Director and CEO of Concord Ventures, breaks down the three deal structure decisions that determine whether a founder walks away with what they expected: cash versus equity, earnouts and seller financing, and leveraged buyouts in today's credit environment.

Salim has closed more than 100 business sales across technology, aerospace and defense, manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, and retail. He has been doing this since 2001, focuses on transactions between $20M and $100M in enterprise value, and is based in Seattle where aerospace and defense M&A keeps him very busy.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about Salim Dada and Concord Ventures: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Want to become our next guest?

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

#thisismapodcast #mna #exitplanning #founders #dealstructure #earnout #privateequity #middlemarket 

Most founders think selling their business is about getting the highest price.

It is not.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Richard Groberg, Managing Director at MidCap Advisors, breaks down what really happens when you sell your business: the terms that matter more than price, the private equity reality most founders are not prepared for, and the deal landmines that blow up transactions after the LOI is signed.

Richard brings more than 30 years of investment banking and operating experience. He has completed over $2.8 billion in transactions, including more than $400 million in fertility and physician practice management deals. He has served as CFO, COO, and CEO of high-growth companies and has been on both sides of the table as an operator and as an advisor. He joined MidCap Advisors, a boutique New York-based investment bank, after years of running his own advisory practice.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about Richard and MidCap Advisors: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe: https://sharevault.com/this-is-ma/

00:00 Intro

Most CEOs think value equals revenue and EBITDA.

Buyers think differently.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Lindsey Wendler, Managing Director at 414 Capital, breaks down what buyers actually score you on, what you need to have in order before going to market, and what quietly kills deals before they close.

Lindsey advises lower middle market companies on M&A, capital raises, and restructures across industries from roofing and landscaping to staffing and legal services. She is a Certified M&A Advisor and Certified Business Appraiser, Vice Chair of the AM&AA, and incoming President of that organization. She has been on both sides of the table — as an advisor and as a founder who started a business abroad and raised capital in Geneva, Switzerland.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about Lindsey and 414 Capital: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso:

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn:

Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe:

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

The cash runs thin. Debt piles up. The market turns against you. This is distress.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Phil Cassel, Managing Director at Cassel Salpeter & Co., breaks down the early warning signs most founders miss, the playbook for protecting value under pressure, and why moving fast is the single most important thing you can do when things start to go wrong.

Phil started his career at Alvarez & Marsal in the Turnaround and Restructuring Group, worked in private equity at Rialto Capital, and joined his father in building Cassel Salpeter & Co. into a 15-person boutique investment bank based in Miami. He has guided companies through distressed M&A, bankruptcy proceedings, and healthy transactions across healthcare, manufacturing, technology, consumer products, and more.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about Phil and Cassel Salpeter & Co.: 

🔗 Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: 

Want to become our next guest?  

#thisismapodcast #mna #distressedma #restructuring #privateequity #founders #exitplanning #turnaround

James Marciano has built four companies, sold several, invested in a dozen more, and now helps founders exit. He has sat at every seat at the table — founder, angel, LP, banker — and he came out of retirement because he saw that most investment banks only close 35% of their deals.

Last year, Tuck Advisors closed 100% of theirs.

In this episode of This Is M&A, James breaks down what it actually felt like to build in the chaos of the early internet, what founders today are getting wrong with capital, and the tactical moves that matter most when it is time to sell.

In this episode, you will learn:

Learn more about James and Tuck Advisors: 

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: 

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: 

Want to become our next guest? 

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

01:00 - The Man Who Closed 100% Of His Deals Last Year

#thisismapodcast #mna #founders #startups #exitplanning #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

Education is undergoing a fundamental shift driven by policy, capital flows and AI.

Trace Urdan, Managing Director at Tyton Partners, joins This Is M&A to break down what is really happening beneath the surface and how buyers, founders and investors should be thinking about the sector today.

With nearly 20 years of experience covering the global knowledge market across equity research and investment banking, Trace explains how regulation, consolidation and technology are reshaping outcomes in ways most dealmakers overlook.

In this episode, you will learn:

📌 Learn more about Trace:

🎙 Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso:

📢 Follow This Is M&A Podcast:

📩 Want to become our next guest?

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify

00:00 Intro

#thisismapodcast #mna #privateequity #education #edtech #founders #valuation