Building Firms That Last: Lessons from the Deal Table | With Marc Cooper

Markets move in cycles. Companies endure — or they don't — based on the decisions leaders make when conditions are uncertain. In this episode of Power & Impact, I sit down with Marc Cooper, CEO of Solomon Partners, to talk about what the current M&A environment is teaching us about durability. Beneath the headlines about slower deal flow and shifting valuations, there's a more important story unfolding: private equity portfolios aging, capital waiting for clarity, and management teams deciding whether to hold, sell, or reinvest for the long term. Marc shares what he's seeing across the market — from renewed activity in larger transactions to the early "green shoots" in the middle market. We discuss the pressure facing funds that expanded during the zero-interest-rate years, the reality of price discovery, and why 2026 may bring a steady return of movement rather than a dramatic surge. After five decades in business, I've learned that lasting firms are built on discipline, perspective, and the willingness to act when the moment calls for it — even when the answers aren't perfectly clear.