This Is M&A Podcast

Can you scale from zero to $1.2B in under 2 years?

Alan Gessel is a serial founder, investor, and the current CEO of Graystone Corporate. His resume spans C-suite roles at global firms like Aramark and Sodexo, and his leadership has taken teams from five to 4,500 employees. With over 30 years across buy-side, sell-side, and capital raises, Alan blends operator instinct with strategic depth.

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There is a seismic shift in M&A, and most founders are not ready for it. AI is not just transforming products, it is rewriting valuation models, exit timing and competitive strategy.

In this episode, Bob Cronin, Managing Director at Telegraph Hill Advisors, breaks down how AI is reshaping SaaS and software deals, why AI native companies are earning extreme multiples, and what CEOs need to do before the window closes.

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00:00  Intro

What makes a company attractive to buyers?

It is not revenue alone.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Jordi Pujol, CFA, Managing Director at Objective, Investment Banking & Valuation, explains the financial and operational fundamentals that influence valuation, deal interest, and buyer confidence.

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Taxes may not kill your deal outright, but they can quietly destroy its value. Christine “Chrissy” Green, Member and Tax Attorney at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, reveals how middle-market dealmakers can use tax strategy as a competitive edge.

Chrissy works across buy-side and sell-side M&A in the middle market. She covers federal, state and international tax. She also led firm efforts on the Corporate Transparency Act.

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If you wait for perfect timing, you will pay for it. In this market, time either adds zeros or kills deals.

Ben Boissevain is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ascento Capital Invest. A boutique investment bank laser-focused on tech M&A. He specializes in sell-side mandates for high-growth companies in the $20M to $220M range. Regular on Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News.

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Why are the biggest food brands selling off assets? They know something most founders don't.

Ross Colbert joins This Is M&A to discuss the new food & beverage M&A landscape and why revenue multiples are outdated, while EBITDA discipline and distribution are the key drivers of real value.

Ross Colbert is a Managing Director at Carter Morse & Goodrich with over three decades of experience in the global beverage industry. He has worked on over 100 transactions and brings battlefield insights from KPMG, Capstone Partners, and advising high-growth founders.

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Most founders think selling their business takes three months.

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2:42 - Emotional readiness for the 8-12 month grind

Why do most M&A deals crumble after the ink dries? Diane Weinheimer reveals the hidden traps. Diane Weinheimer, CEO and founder of AviatrXX, is a change management expert with over 30 years of experience steering post-merger integrations for giants like Nike, CBRE, Visa, and Chevron. Also, the author of Invisible Forces at Work, decoding workplace conflict.

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Dealmaking without the B.S.

Welcome to This is M&A — the podcast that takes you inside the real world of mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and strategic growth. Each episode dives into the high-stakes decisions behind the deals that shape industries — what works, what doesn’t, and what leaders wish they’d known sooner.

Hosted by Steven Monterroso, CEO of ShareVault, This is M&A brings honest conversations with dealmakers, founders, investors, and advisors who live and breathe transactions. Whether you’re raising capital, preparing for an exit, or leading corporate development, you’ll gain insider insights to help you move smarter and faster.

Subscribe now and join the community of professionals redefining what it means to get deals done.

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