USA M&A Growth & Deals Forum | The M&A Atlas Awards

May 5, 2022 – Senior Managing Director, Melissa Kibler, and Head of Accordion’s Public Company Readiness Practice, Shauna Watson, were panelists at the USA M&A Growth & Deals Forum.

Shauna Watson spoke alongside Loeb & Loeb LLP’s Mitchell Nussbaum, ICR’s Don Duffy, and Chardan’s George Kaufman on the topic of “SPAC: Sizzle or Fizzle, What’s Ahead?“. The discussion included assessing the SPAC landscape – including deal structure, SEC rule impact, and the pressure to get deals done as competition heats up.

Melissa Kibler joined Global M&A Network’s Shanta Kumari, Mizzen Capital’s Marilyn Adler, Willow Growth Partners’ Deborah Benton, Stout’s Ann Miller, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s Marlee Myers on the topic of “PROGRESS: Wonder Women of Deals Community“. The panel shared ideas on how women can thrive in a competitive investment and deal landscape.

Following her panel, Melissa won the Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award. When asked about how diversity brings value to the deal-making process, she shared:

“There are many studies showing that teams with diverse members make better decisions, be it in the board room, conference room or elsewhere. Having more information naturally leads to better decisions, and diverse teams bring a much broader range of backgrounds, skillsets, expertise, analytical processes and perspectives into play. And women in particular often bring skills in diplomacy, communication and teamwork that are conducive to consensual resolutions.”

Melissa also offered advice on how to achieve success in the financial services industry, “Do excellent work and build relationships with peers. Use professional associations to expand your network and reputation in the market. But don’t assume that is enough – make specific asks for what you need and offer to help others without expecting an immediate return.”