What Type Of Person Thrives In The M&A Industry According To An M&A Integration Manager At Zillow Group
To thrive in mergers and acquisitions and partnership integration, a quick learner with a "desire to learn a new skill" and strong analytical abilities is needed. The ideal candidate is also charismatic, able to "sell yourself as an expert," and adept at rapidly switching between diverse tasks and perspectives, as the role demands interactions with various company functions.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Analytical Skills, Adaptability, Sales/Persuasion
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Greyson Gardlik
Sr. M&A and Partnership Integration Manager
Zillow Group
University of Arizona
N/A
Business Management & Admin, Entrepreneurship
Real Estate, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Business Strategy
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. A quick learner with a desire to acquire new skills is more likely to thrive in this industry.
2. The ability to sell oneself as an expert and possess strong communication skills is vital for success.
3. Strong analytical skills, the capacity to switch between various topics quickly, and the ability to zoom in and out of details are highly valued attributes in this field.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
People who typically thrive, I would say, have to be open to learning. People who are good at picking things up quickly and also have the desire to learn a new skill or a new industry tend to be more successful in understanding the dynamics of a deal and being able to jump on things quickly.
Another aspect is that my job is always a little salesy, even if it doesn't seem like it directly. Being able to sell yourself as an expert in the field, competent in what you're doing, whether that's to senior leaders, letting them know you know what you're talking about and that you can confidently steer the ship in the right direction, I think that's important.
I would say charismatic people, who are always looking to make a joke or start a conversation, tend to do really well in this type of role.
Largely, people also have to be analytical. They need to be able to zoom way out and think big picture, or really focus in on a specific issue in a relatively quick fashion.
I'll also mention the ability to switch between topics quickly without getting caught up in miscommunicating or forgetting which thing goes where. I'm on calls or working on deals with every function in the company. Being able to go from a legal call to a sales call to an HR call really quickly, and being able to hone in and zoom out when needed, I think is super important. You need the skillset to throttle when and how you analyze situations.
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