logo
episode-header-image
Sep 10
21m 33s

M&A Is Heating Up. Is Your Dealmaking St...

Boston Consulting Group BCG
About this episode

M&A activity is waking up, but many companies are reluctant to leap into the fray. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and integrations, explains why bold moves now could pay off. Waiting may feel safe, but the cost could be forfeiting once-in-a-decade opportunities. 

Learn More: 

Daniel Friedman: https://on.bcg.com/4mWHyGW 

Mid-2025 M&A Insights: https://on.bcg.com/3V6ENGF 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on M&A: https://on.bcg.com/4ndP9QU 

BCG’s M&A Sentiment Index: https://on.bcg.com/3VEdBzb 

Chapters:

00:00-02:56 Intro/Daniel’s ‘So What’ 

02:57-04:34 What is different now vs. the beginning of the year? 

04:35-06:13 How quickly will the market recover? 

06:14-08:20 What regions and sectors are particularly active? 

08:21-09:01What are risks that could impede recovery? 

09:02-10:26 What is wrong with waiting on the sidelines? 

10:27-12:00 Do downturn deals tend to deliver more value than boom time deals? 

12:01-13:25 What can a company to do ensure that it finds the right deal? 

13:26-17:02 How has M&A changed in a more uncertain world? 

17:03-18:03 How will AI evolve? 

18:04-19:45 What are the winners doing right in this new environment? 

19:46-21:16 The ‘Now What’ 

21:17-21:33 Outro



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Up next
Yesterday
The Button That Broke the Internet (and Built It Too)
The like button is more than a symbol — it’s a case study in how innovation really happens. Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute and co-author of Like: The Button That Changed the World, unpacks the messy, social, and often surprising process behind major breakt ... Show More
20m 2s
Sep 24
Cracking the Code of Customer Contradictions
AI and data help tell us what people do, but not why. Lauren Taylor, global leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, makes sense of the mixed signals that consumers give off. To truly understand what drives people, businesses of course value robust, real-time data. But they a ... Show More
18m 42s
Aug 27
Don't Be a Statistic. Make Transformation Work.
Transformation isn’t a gamble—it’s science. Kristy Ellmer, a leader with BCG Transform, unpacks the research behind what really makes change work: involving employees in the journey, preparing for the “messy middle,” and building emotional and practical support into the process. ... Show More
22m 4s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
BCG Presents: CEO Digest
Listen to BCG's brand new podcast! Join BCG AI conversational agent GENE and editor in chief Paul Michelman as they discuss the ideas that GENE has identified as the BCG insights most relevant for CEOs this month. In May, GENE wants to make sure you are up to speed on the value o ... Show More
15m 52s
Aug 6
BCG Presents: The CEO Radar
While discussions of US tariff policies dominated Q2 earnings calls to an unprecedented degree, another equally important trend is bubbling just under the surface in C-suites and on trading floors: concern that the economic uncertainty caused by tariff turmoil may lead to a downt ... Show More
15m 23s
Feb 2025
Ray Dalio on AI, Job Loss & the Future of the Economy | #EP 148
In this episode, Ray and Peter discuss the changing world order, China vs. the USA, and Ray’s thoughts on the future of the US. Recorded on Feb 3rd, 2025Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Ray Dalio is a renowned investor, hedge fund manager, and p ... Show More
1h 46m
Sep 3
BCG Presents: The So What from BCG
Who Wants to Be a CEO? The role of the CEO is both powerful and punishing. Christine Barton, BCG’s CEO Advisory lead in North America, explores how to make the job more fulfilling. It starts with clarity of purpose, building the right leadership team, and minimizing activities th ... Show More
24m 57s
Jan 2025
Robinhood’s 'comeback' and big plans for 2025 with co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev
Instead of our usual Friday news rundown, we’re bringing you a conversation about what Yahoo Finance dubbed the “comeback stock of the year” - Robinhood. TechCrunch Editor in Chief and General Manager Connie Loizos chatted with Robinhood’s CEO and co-founder, Vlad Tenev, about th ... Show More
40m 49s
Dec 2024
How a Tech Founder Transformed into a CEO Championing M&A Growth
Art Papas, CEO at Bullhorn,   Growth through M&A is about strategy, timing, and bold leadership. The stakes are high, but the rewards are transformative for those who get it right. In this episode, Art Papas, CEO of Bullhorn, shares his journey from tech founder to M&A leader, an ... Show More
1h 7m
Jul 21
Getting Out in Front of the Next CEO AI Memo
Another CEO memo on AI is making waves - this time from Amazon’s Andy Jassy, who outlines the tech giant’s aggressive AI strategy and hints at workforce reductions. While some may see it as ominous, others view it as a rallying cry for change. The AI Knowhow team dives deep into ... Show More
31m 56s
Jan 2025
AI, vaccine distrust, and the future of healthcare: Novartis CEO
Can science prevail against this more turbulent backdrop of the Trump administration? Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi talks at length with Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan. Narasimhan has led the drug giant since 2018, doing deals that have expanded the company’s pipeline i ... Show More
25m 45s
Sep 2024
Rapid Response: 2024 is the most significant time in human history (Encore)
We are biologically wired to focus on the near-term, and that’s often a good thing. But in this moment — with global conflict, fast-evolving tech, and climate change dominating our present — we need to also prioritize long-term impacts. Futurist Ari Wallach joins Rapid Response h ... Show More
30m 51s
Sep 2024
A look at the technology trends that matter most
Innovation and interest in the tech sector remain strong, despite market challenges and dips in investment. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey technology experts Lareina Yee and Roger Roberts share findings from the McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2024 report. T ... Show More
23m 51s