Jennifer Miller, Senior Director of Corporate Development at Oshkosh Corporation, brings over 24 years of M&A experience spanning investment banking, boutique advisory, and corporate development. In this episode, she reveals how Oshkosh evolved their corporate venture capital approach from CVC 1.0's financial focus to CVC 2.0's strategic innovation partnerships. Jennifer shares practical insights on managing 400+ deal flow annually, structuring IP agreements, and balancing minority investments with traditional M&A within a single corporate development function.
Things You'll Learn
CVC 2.0 Framework: How to evolve from pure financial returns to strategic innovation partnerships that accelerate technology adoption
Deal Flow Management: Systematic approach to evaluate 400+ companies annually using thematic prioritization and rapid technical diligence
IP Structuring: Strategic methods for negotiating exclusivity, co-development agreements, and future acquisition rights without limiting startup growth
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[00:02:30] Corporate Development Evolution – Jennifer's 24-year journey from investment banking to strategic partnerships
[00:05:00] CVC 2.0 Philosophy – Shifting from financial investments to innovation-first partnerships
[00:10:00] Balancing M&A and CVC – Managing traditional acquisitions alongside minority investments in one team
[00:16:00] Proof of Concept Budget – How Oshkosh funds cross-business unit technology pilots
[00:20:30] Deal Flow Sourcing – Processing 400+ companies annually through thematic prioritization
[00:24:00] IP and Acquisition Rights – Structuring exclusivity and information rights without limiting startup exits
[00:31:00] Strategic Value Proposition – What startups gain from corporate investors beyond capital
[00:36:00] Integration Management – Preventing startup overwhelm while ensuring technology adoption
[00:41:30] Startup Positioning Advice – How entrepreneurs should approach strategic versus financial investors
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