Integration Starts with Hiring, Not the Deal with Brandon Batt

Brandon Batt – Chief People and Transformation Officer at Quadient Brandon Batt joins us to discuss how successful M&A integration starts long before you sign an LOI. Brandon shares how Quadient built M&A capability across the organization through strategic hiring, created a transformation office that breaks down traditional silos, and executed portfolio transformation through dozens of acquisitions and divestitures. Learn why the secret to integration success isn't just about playbooks—it's about building M&A muscle into your team from day one. Things You'll Learn Why hiring for M&A experience across your organization creates the foundation for deal success, even in roles that seem unrelated to corporate development The transformation office model that eliminates the handoff problem  Why cultural "add" beats cultural "fit"  ____________________ Share Your M&A Experience for the Chance at $500 Giftcard M&A moved fast in 2025. But what actually changed? We're collecting real insights from practitioners—not consultants on the sidelines—to understand how corp dev teams, PE firms, and advisors are adapting. Takes 10 min. Get early access to results + chance at $500 gift card. Share your experience: https://hubs.ly/Q03Rr89G0 ____________________ This episode is brought to you by S&P Global. Today's episode of M&A Science is brought to you by S&P Global Market Intelligence. If you're in corp dev or PE, you know the pain — good private company data is hard to come by. Everyone's still chasing clean, reliable, up-to-date data. I started out using CapIQ Pro for public comps, but didn't realize until recently how deep their private company coverage has gotten. Over 58 million private companies, global reach, and actually usable for real deal work.  This isn't surface-level. You get real metrics — ownership, financials, funding rounds, even asset-level insights. So if you're still toggling between a dozen tools trying to piece together the picture, maybe it's time to stop guessing and start sourcing better.  Learn More Here: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/solutions/products/private-company-data?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=MAScienceH225  __________________ Episode Chapters [00:02:30] Building a Transformation Office – How Quadient structured M&A, HR, legal, and sustainability under one umbrella to drive seamless execution [00:05:00] Portfolio Simplification Through M&A – Starting transformation with strategic divestitures before adding new capabilities through acquisitions [00:10:00] The Pre-LOI Integration Planning Model – Why strategic operations teams get involved in due diligence from the beginning, not after the deal is signed [00:16:00] Human Connection as M&A Secret Sauce – Building trust with founders and management teams before discussing price and terms [00:21:00] Hiring for M&A Muscle – Why M&A readiness starts with recruiting people who have transaction experience across key business functions [00:28:00] Evolving M&A Maturity – Getting more formal about talent assessment and playbooks while giving teams autonomy to move fast [00:33:00] Founder-Led Business Challenges – Learning to structure deals and set expectations upfront when acquiring companies led by first-time sellers [00:42:00] Collaboration Without Hierarchy – How "collaborate like crazy" became a cultural principle that breaks down silos in M&A execution [00:47:00] Deal Story: Meeting in London During COVID – Why some deals still require getting on a plane, even during a pandemic [00:51:00] AI in M&A and the Human Element – Balancing technology efficiency with the human intuition that uncovers critical deal insights  __________________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.