Master Your Merger Podcast

Klint Kendrick
  • 5.0 (2)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Master Your Merger is the podcast where deal strategy and people strategy meet.Hosted by Klint Kendrick, this show explores how HR, corporate development, and private equity leaders unlock value by putting culture, leadership, and talent first.Through candid conversations and real-world case studies, you'll learn what truly drives M&A success — from the inside out.

  1. Measuring What Matters: Turning Workforce Data into Value Creation in M&A | Tom Bradbury

    6D AGO

    Measuring What Matters: Turning Workforce Data into Value Creation in M&A | Tom Bradbury

    Most integration teams can explain synergies, savings, and EBITDA targets on paper. Far fewer can quantify what is actually happening on the people side of the business after close. In this episode of the Master Your Merger Podcast, Klint Kendrick sits down with Tom Bradbury, Founder and CEO of Broad-Gauge, to explore how workforce data can move beyond reporting and become a true driver of integration success and long-term value creation. Tom shares how private equity firms and operating leaders can use decision-ready workforce metrics to uncover hidden risk, reduce attrition, and manage integration debt before it shows up in performance or valuation. Drawing on real client examples, he explains how culture, leadership, engagement, and operational effectiveness can be measured in ways business leaders actually trust and act on. What you will learn in this episodeWhy people are often the largest and least understood investment in a PE portfolioThe difference between reporting workforce data and managing value with itHow attrition, leadership, and operational effectiveness act as early warning signalsHow to quantify culture by focusing on behaviors, not just valuesWhy ENPS is most powerful when paired with segmentation and actionHow workforce measurement helps surface and manage integration debt earlyWhat HR leaders can do today using existing HRIS data to increase credibility with executivesConnect with the guestTom Bradbury LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspbradbury/Email: tom@broad-gauge.io#MasterYourMerger #PeopleFirstMNA #PostMergerIntegration #WorkforceAnalytics #PrivateEquity #HRM&A #IntegrationDebt

    38 min
  2. Change Cheat Code: How Leaders Guide People Through M&A and Disruption | MYM S2 Ep 6

    FEB 13

    Change Cheat Code: How Leaders Guide People Through M&A and Disruption | MYM S2 Ep 6

    Most leaders know change is hard.Very few know why people resist, when to communicate, or how to move teams forward without burning trust. In this episode of the Master Your Merger Podcast, Klint Kendrick is joined by Liz Lance and Suzanne Rudnitzki, co-authors of The Change Cheat Code. Together, they unpack a simple, practical framework for leading people through change: Hear, Fear, Near, and Cheer. This model helps leaders understand what employees actually need at each stage of disruption, whether that change comes from M&A, restructuring, AI adoption, or life itself. Rather than treating change as a rational checklist, Liz and Suzanne show why change is emotional, repeatable, and manageable when leaders meet people where they are. What you will learn in this episode Why people stop listening during announcements and what leaders should say insteadHow the Hear stage requires repetition, clarity, and restraintWhy fear is unavoidable and how to use it productively instead of suppressing itHow Near becomes the moment where learning and adoption finally workWhy training too early actually slows changeHow celebration creates closure, trust, and momentum for what comes nextThe most common leadership mistakes that deepen resistance during M&AHow this framework applies to AI, organizational redesign, and personal changeConnect with the guestsLiz Lance LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlizlance/Suzanne Rudnitzki LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-rudnitzki/Book website: https://thechangecheatcode.com

    42 min
  3. Simulation in Post-Merger Integration | Alex Amsden + Tom Gaunt

    JAN 27

    Simulation in Post-Merger Integration | Alex Amsden + Tom Gaunt

    In post-merger integration, most teams can run the checklist. The hard part is getting people aligned, working together, and executing the strategy fast enough to capture value. In this episode of the Master Your Merger Podcast, Klint Kendrick talks with Alex Amsden and Tom Gaunt from BTS about how simulations can accelerate integration, reduce misalignment, and turn culture from an abstract idea into practical ways of working. Alex Amsden is Vice President and Head of Growth, Strategy and Culture Transformation for BTS USA. Tom Gaunt is Vice President and Head of Change and Transformation for BTS Europe. Together, they share how BTS uses simulations to help leaders practice the future before they have to live it. What you will learn in this episode Why starting with the human conversation can unlock faster strategy decisionsThree principles that speed integration: practical vision, authorship creates ownership, and culture linked to strategyCommon pitfalls that slow transformation, including assuming buy-in and treating culture as an afterthoughtWhat simulations are and how they differ from training, comms, and traditional workshopsWhen simulations work best, including executive alignment, newco launch, and critical team integrationHow simulations surface hidden assumptions and legacy misalignment from past acquisitionsHow AI and digital twins may change simulation design and speedConnect with the guests Alex Amsden LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-amsden-35732b23Tom Gaunt LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tom-gaunt-12570819Taryn Davino email: taryn.davino@bts.comTom email: tom.gaunt@bts.com #MasterYourMerger #PeopleFirstMNA #PostMergerIntegration #Culture #ChangeManagement #StrategyExecution

    42 min
  4. Payroll Is a Trust Moment in M&A | Melissa Madi on Diligence, Pay Cutovers, and Employee Trust

    JAN 23

    Payroll Is a Trust Moment in M&A | Melissa Madi on Diligence, Pay Cutovers, and Employee Trust

    In M&A, few mistakes damage trust faster than payroll problems. In this episode of the Master Your Merger Podcast, Klint Kendrick talks with Melissa Madi, a seasoned HR and payroll leader who has supported hundreds of transactions over the past decade. Melissa spent more than eight years at AssuredPartners, most recently as Director of Employee M&A, and now serves as Director of Payroll and Benefits at Kustom US. Melissa shares what employees actually need during a transaction, why payroll diligence is often overlooked, and how leaders can show up with calm, clarity, and grace during some of the most stressful moments in a deal. What you will learn in this episode Why communication must be clear, honest, and repeatedHow payroll diligence prevents downstream chaosWhat to plan for when pay cycles and benefits changeWhy backup plans matter more than perfect executionHow to show up with grace when employees are overwhelmedConnect with Melissa Madi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-madi-cpp-shrm-cp-b72807128/

    36 min
  5. Roll-Up Integration Is a Human Sport | Eiron Roffey | MYM S2 Ep 3

    JAN 16

    Roll-Up Integration Is a Human Sport | Eiron Roffey | MYM S2 Ep 3

    Roll-ups do not fail because the spreadsheet is wrong. They fail when seller psychology, team readiness, and platform gaps turn integration into a slow bleed. In this episode of the Master Your Merger Podcast, Klint Kendrick talks with Eiron Roffey, an M&A integration leader based in Canada who has led the integration of more than 80 founder-led businesses across healthcare, technology, and professional services. Eiron shares the founder personas he sees most often, how to build trust without losing integration momentum, and why delaying integration without purpose creates integration debt. What you will learn in this episode: The founder personas Eiron sees most often and what each one needs to trust the buyerHow to lead with empathy while still keeping integration movingWhy fear of the unknown drives resistance more than the change itselfHow to earn trust in stages without breaking the founder’s legacyWhat deal teams should stop saying, and what they should say insteadHow platform readiness, unclear end states, and repeated delays create integration debtWhy ripping off the band-aid once can be easier than dragging change out repeatedlyHow integration leaders can help Corp Dev teams focus on the people behind the value🎧 Subscribe and listen now. #MasterYourMerger #PeopleFirstMNA #Integration #RollUp #MNA #ChangeManagement

    35 min
  6. Leading Global HR in M&A From Diligence to Integration | Naveen Nagpal | Master Your Merger S2 Ep 2

    JAN 9

    Leading Global HR in M&A From Diligence to Integration | Naveen Nagpal | Master Your Merger S2 Ep 2

    What happens when HR is asked to integrate a global acquisition without complete data? In this episode of the Master Your Merger Podcast, Klint Kendrick speaks with Naveen Nagpal, a global HR M&A strategist with more than 25 years of experience supporting cross-border transactions. Naveen shares lessons from more than 40 global deals and walks through a real example where missing benefits data almost led to a multi-million-dollar mistake. He explains why HR instincts, escalation, and persistence matter, especially when data is incomplete and pressure to move fast is high. Listeners will learn how HR leaders can: Get involved early in diligence to surface people riskChallenge assumptions when data is missing or unclearManage country-by-country integration complexityIdentify culture risk before it shows up as attrition or disengagementTrack the people metrics that signal whether integration is working🎧 Subscribe and listen now.#MasterYourMerger #PeopleFirstMNA #GlobalMNA #IntegrationLeadership #HRMNA

    32 min
  7. Al Ansari on the Seven Pillars of M&A Integration Success | Master Your Merger podcast S2 Ep 1

    JAN 2

    Al Ansari on the Seven Pillars of M&A Integration Success | Master Your Merger podcast S2 Ep 1

    What separates the 10 percent of deals that deliver real value from the 90 percent that don’t? In this Season 2 premiere, Master Your Merger Podcast host Klint Kendrick talks with Al Ansari, founder of M&A Alliance and author of Unraveling the Mystery of M&A Integration and Divestiture Success. With more than 100 deals and $25 billion in value under his belt, Al explains how to: • Apply the seven pillars of integration success • Align deal strategy with execution before close • Connect incentives to integration outcomes • Build a culture that supports synergy and speed 🎧 Subscribe and listen now. #MasterYourMerger #PeopleFirstMNA #IntegrationLeadership #MNA #Strategy

    34 min
  8. AI in HR M&A: From Hype to Practical Deal Value | HR M&A Roundtable

    12/30/2025 · BONUS

    AI in HR M&A: From Hype to Practical Deal Value | HR M&A Roundtable

    AI is reshaping M&A—but technology alone doesn’t create deal value. People, leadership, and integration discipline do. In this HR M&A Roundtable session, host Klint Kendrick, PhD, SPHR convenes senior practitioners to explore how AI is being applied responsibly and effectively across M&A—particularly in HR due diligence, post-merger integration, culture, communication, and retention. This is a practitioner-led conversation for HR, Corporate Development, Private Equity, and Integration leaders who are navigating active deals and want to understand where AI strengthens execution—and where it introduces risk if applied without discipline. Panelists • Kim LeGue – People M&A Leader, eBay • Pierce Plumly – Turnberry Solutions • Beth White – Founder & CEO, MeBeBot Key topics include: • The evolving role of HR in M&A and post-merger integration • Where AI is already improving diligence, culture insight, and communications • Why productivity gains don’t automatically translate into deal value • How to prioritize AI investments using a value-driven framework • Culture, retention, and leadership alignment as value-creation levers • Governance, data quality, and trust in people-first AI adoption Rather than focusing on hype or tools, this session centers on execution—how HR and integration leaders can use AI to improve outcomes without compromising employee trust, culture, or long-term value creation. This conversation is especially relevant for leaders responsible for: • HR and People strategy in M&A • Post-merger integration and transformation • Culture, engagement, and retention during deals • Corporate Development and PE operating models About the HR M&A Roundtable The HR M&A Roundtable is a long-running practitioner community focused on people-first M&A. Sessions bring together experienced deal leaders to share practical insights, emerging trends, and proven integration practices. 👉 Learn more and view upcoming sessions: masteryourmerger.com/events 👉 Explore people-first M&A resources from Master Your Merger: masteryourmerger.com #HRMA #MergersAndAcquisitions #PostMergerIntegration #PeopleFirstMNA #DealExecution #IntegrationLeadership #CorporateDevelopment #PrivateEquity #PeopleStrategy #LeadershipAlignment #CultureAndRetention

    1h 7m
See All (36)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Master Your Merger is the podcast where deal strategy and people strategy meet.Hosted by Klint Kendrick, this show explores how HR, corporate development, and private equity leaders unlock value by putting culture, leadership, and talent first.Through candid conversations and real-world case studies, you'll learn what truly drives M&A success — from the inside out.

Information

  • Creator
    Klint Kendrick
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Klint Kendrick
  • Show Website
    Master Your Merger Podcast
  • Provider
    Mergers & Acquisitions Roundtable LLC