Why Beacon Created an AI Committee for M&A—and What They’re Testing Next (Part 2) with Harrison Thomas
Harrison Thomas, Chief Growth Officer at Beacon Specialized Living Services, Inc. In Part 2 of our conversation, we go deep into how Beacon is operationalizing M&A. Harrison reveals how they reduced their request list by over 65%, why they require third parties to use their DealRoom, and how integration now begins before the deal is even signed. He also dives into the organization's AI roadmap, their internal CRM transformation, and the surprising challenges of acquiring non-profit organizations. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at building a scalable, tech-forward M&A machine in healthcare, don’t miss this episode. Things you will learn: How to build a centralized M&A system across CRM, diligence, and integration Why Beacon embeds integration planning before close—and the real cost of waiting What it takes to acquire and integrate nonprofit healthcare organizations Episode Chapters [00:02:30] Using third-party compliance audits and chart reviews in diligence [00:06:00] Evolving the deal process from relationship-building to IOI to close [00:12:00] Reducing diligence requests from 474 to 147 using DealRoom [00:14:00] Enforcing platform accountability for both internal teams and sellers [00:16:00] Managing deal fatigue and broker feedback in seller-heavy processes [00:21:00] Beacon’s shift from siloed M&A to One Beacon integration strategy [00:26:00] Running diligence and integration in parallel, starting pre-close [00:29:30] Valuation risks of integration backlog and how Beacon is addressing it [00:35:00] Centralizing the full M&A lifecycle—from CRM to integration—in one platform [0:41:00] How to approach acquiring nonprofit organizations (and why it’s worth it) _______________ 💡Try FirmRoom for Free This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. The World’s Most Intuitive Virtual Data Room With AI Contract Analysis No Per-Page Fees. No B.S. Just Smarter, Faster Deals. Get started with your free trial today at firmroom.com! _______________ Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.
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Why Beacon Created an AI Committee for M&A with Harrison Thomas
Harrison Thomas, Chief Growth Officer at Beacon Specialized Living Services, Inc. In Part 1 of our conversation with Harrison Thomas, Chief Growth Officer at Beacon Specialized Living Services, we dive into how one of the largest providers of specialized behavioral health services is rethinking M&A using AI. Harrison shares why Beacon created a dedicated AI committee focused on improving every stage of the deal lifecycle—from sourcing to integration—and what tools and pilots they’re exploring right now. If you want a first-hand look at how AI is already changing M&A in healthcare services, this episode is for you. Things you will learn: Why creating an AI committee can accelerate innovation in M&A processes. How AI tools are being piloted to improve diligence, sourcing, and integration planning. Practical challenges and lessons learned when adopting AI in a complex, people-centric industry. ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? DealRoom helps corporate development teams take control—streamlining diligence, syncing integration, and eliminating the back-and-forth. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process _______________ Episode Chapters [00:02:00] Why Beacon formed an AI committee specifically for M&A [00:04:30] Early AI experiments and low-risk pilots to test use cases [00:07:00] How AI is enhancing diligence processes and data analysis [00:09:00] Approaching cultural adoption of AI tools across the deal team [00:11:30] Evaluating vendor solutions vs. building AI tools in-house [00:14:00] Tracking ROI on AI adoption in the M&A process [00:16:00] Ethical considerations and privacy concerns when using AI in healthcare M&A [00:19:00] Overcoming skepticism about AI among senior leadership [00:22:00] Key metrics Beacon is using to measure AI-driven efficiency [00:31:00] Lessons learned on aligning AI strategy with overall M&A goals Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.
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Buyer-Led vs. Seller-Led M&A with Matthew Person
Mathew Person, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Quikbase In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Kison Patel interviews Mathew Person, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Quickbase. Mathew brings a unique blend of operator, banker, and corp dev experience, making him a strategic leader in buyer-led M&A. Together, they dive deep into how to proactively structure acquisitions, align internal stakeholders, avoid over-rationalization, and ensure integration success. Things You Will Learn: How to design and align around a box of preference (quant + qual criteria) Tactics for proactively sourcing and assessing cultural fit How to structure your corp dev team for scale and deal velocity ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? DealRoom helps corporate development teams take control—streamlining diligence, syncing integration, and eliminating the back-and-forth. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process _______________ Episode Timestamps [00:01:30] Mathew's unique background: sports operator, banker, corp dev [00:03:30] Quickbase's carveout history and PE backing [00:04:00] What buyer-led M&A means and why it matters [00:05:00] Box of preference: building deal criteria with stakeholders [00:07:30] Market mapping and capability-driven strategy [00:09:30] Scorecards, deal screening, and qualitative diligence [00:15:30] Identifying and quantifying culture fit [00:19:30] Modeling dis-synergies and avoiding over-rationalization [00:23:30] Structuring corp dev teams for stakeholder alignment [00:30:00] Managing negotiations and bid-ask spread with trust [00:33:30] The ROI of being known as a "good home" [00:42:30] Integration success: same team from diligence to execution [00:47:00] Culture as a deal breaker or driver [00:52:30] Why stakeholder consensus is the hardest part of M&A Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.
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From Loom to Trello: How Atlassian Scales Through Smart M&A with Sarah Hughes
Sarah Hughes, Head of Corporate Development and Product Partnerships, Atlassian Uncover the inside workings of Atlassian’s M&A strategy—from how Sarah’s team sources deals and aligns with product to the importance of relationship-building and a structured, founder-first integration approach. With over seven years of experience leading corporate development at Atlassian, Sarah shares practical lessons on building strategic pipelines, cultivating founder trust, and operationalizing successful integrations across Atlassian's global portfolio Things you will learn: Building long-term relationships with founders, even years before deals happen Aligning product, venture, and partnership decisions under one roof Atlassian’s approach to cultural diligence, integration planning, and transparency post-close _______________ 💡Try FirmRoom for Free This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom. The World’s Most Intuitive Virtual Data Room With AI Contract Analysis No Per-Page Fees. No B.S. Just Smarter, Faster Deals. Get started with your free trial today at firmroom.com! _______________ Episode Chapters 00:02:00 – Sarah’s path into corporate development via Google and Atlassian 00:04:00 – Strategic rationale behind Trello and Loom acquisitions 00:07:00 – Atlassian’s three M&A strategy pillars: roadmap accelerants, vacuums, and break-glass opportunities 00:09:00 – How corp dev aligns with product: push-pull strategy and joint roadmaps 00:12:30 – Centralizing M&A, ventures, and partnerships under one team 00:15:30 – Using AI to accelerate sourcing, market mapping, and diligence 00:19:00 – Loom case study: a 5-year founder relationship turned acquisition 00:25:00 – Creating co-authored vision docs to align on integration and success metrics 00:33:00 – How Atlassian handles cultural diligence and post-close attrition risk 00:36:00 – Atlassian’s integration approach: open playbooks, IMO structure, and post-close planning 00:42:00 – Where AI is driving efficiency across the deal lifecycle 00:48:30 – Sarah’s advice to corp dev leaders on sourcing, alignment, and outside-in perspective Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.
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Building Trust in Acquisitions with Dan Pollock
Dan Pollock, Vice President of Corporate Development/M&A at SAM Companies Dan shares how he built SAM Companies’ M&A function from the ground up—executing over 30 deals and transforming M&A into a strategic growth engine. Backed by Peak Rock Capital, SAM Companies focuses on acquiring founder-led geospatial and infrastructure services businesses. Dan dives deep into how he balances disciplined diligence with relationship-first sourcing, how his team integrates small companies into a larger framework, and why culture and seller alignment matter as much as price. Whether you're building out corp dev from scratch or refining your playbook, this conversation offers tactical insight into how to scale M&A the right way. Things you will learn: How to build an in-house M&A engine with a lean corp dev team How to source proprietary deals through trust and local relationships How to structure earnouts and retention payments to align incentives ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? DealRoom helps corporate development teams take control—streamlining diligence, syncing integration, and eliminating the back-and-forth. 👉 Learn how you can run a repeatable, buyer-led process _______________ Episode Chapters 00:03:00 – Dan’s background: from audit to M&A leadership at SAM 00:05:00 – Building SAM’s M&A muscle from the ground up 00:08:30 – Creating buy-in and accountability for integration success 00:10:00 – Getting the company ready to integrate acquisitions 00:11:00 – Sourcing: proprietary relationships vs. cold outreach 00:13:30 – Case study: renewable energy firm acquisition 00:15:00 – Thinking through revenue vs. cost synergies 00:16:30 – The psychology of earnouts and why they changed their approach 00:18:30 – How to open conversations with founder-led businesses 00:21:00 – Why founder retention is tied to valuation 00:24:00 – Turning relationships into actionable deals over time 00:29:00 – Competing with PE: how SAM positions better long-term fit 00:33:00 – Retention bonuses vs. earnouts: what's working better 00:39:00 – Why diligence and integration must run in parallel 00:41:30 – Managing team fatigue and repeatability with DealRoom 00:45:00 – Letting sellers speak with past acquired founders 00:47:00 – Private equity partnership governance at SAM 00:51:00 – Diligence red flags and small business surprises Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.
M&A Science, hosted by Kison Patel (Founder & CEO of DealRoom), is your go-to podcast for mastering the art of mergers and acquisitions. Each week, Kison and his expert guests from leading brands like Xerox, FastLap, and Cisco dig deep into real-world M&A strategies, offering actionable insights to optimize your M&A practice.
Whether you're an experienced practitioner or new to the field, M&A Science provides practical advice on key topics like sourcing, due diligence, integration, divestitures, and more. With over 300 episodes, this podcast is the premier thought leadership resource designed to streamline your deal-making process.
Start listening today and visit mascience.com/podcast to access over 300 episodes. Brought to you by DealRoom, the leading M&A optimization platform used by the best M&A teams around the world
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