What a Senior Mergers and Acquisitions Integration Manager at Zillow Group wishes they had known before entering the Mergers and Acquisitions industry
Greyson, a senior M&A and Partnership Integration Manager, advises aspiring professionals to prioritize developing a strong accounting foundation, stating it's "a core driver in a lot of deals." Beyond technical skills, they emphasize exploring diverse paths within M&A, encouraging individuals to identify "what skills or what things they like doing" to find a fulfilling career trajectory rather than solely focusing on traditional finance routes.
Financial Analysis, Mergers and Acquisitions, Problem-Solving, Career Exploration, Strategic Planning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
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. The importance of accounting skills in M&A: Greyson emphasizes the crucial role of accounting knowledge in understanding deal dynamics and evaluating companies. He wishes he had paid more attention to accounting in his earlier education.
2. Diverse paths to M&A: Contrary to popular belief, Greyson highlights that there are multiple routes to a career in M&A, beyond investment banking. He showcases his own career path in consulting and integration, demonstrating the variety of options available.
3. Focus on personal interests: Greyson advises students to consider their own skills and interests when choosing a career path. Instead of solely focusing on traditional routes or external pressures, he encourages self-reflection on what one enjoys doing (e.g., problem-solving, crunching numbers) to discover a fulfilling career path in the field.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
Good question. I would say the one thing that is probably not always the most fun, but I wish I had paid more attention in accounting. It is a core driver in a lot of deals.
I worked at a big accounting firm and was exposed to it, but I'm by no means an accountant. I think that helps a lot with understanding deal dynamics and evaluating companies. I wish I had known a little more and not had to learn it on the fly.
There are many different ways to approach the M&A space. There's private equity and investment bankers. In college, most people think, "flashy finance, so I gotta be an investment banker." That's not always the case or the path.
I had to figure out for myself what path looks like to still be involved in a deal process. I really enjoy the problem-solving aspects of working through a deal. That's where consulting and the M&A integration space shine, outside of what you would typically consider the most desirable finance track.
There are many different paths to being involved in a transaction, and it's not always the orthodox way. It's really about what you're interested in. Not everybody is super interested in deals or knows how to get interested in that.
It's more about taking something tangible, like problem-solving, crunching numbers, or the marketing and design aspects of graphic design. Then you can figure out the direction you want to take your career in a different way.
Many people get caught up in the financial aspects of choosing a career or going down an avenue because others told them to. They don't stop to think about what skills or things they like doing, not even in a work setting.
For example, you might like being charismatic and talking to people, even if you don't think anyone likes doing sales. As you zoom out and think about what actually interests you, I think you can always get to your dream role in a different way than the textbook pathway.
Don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen on the first try. Set yourself up for success by putting yourself in different situations to get to the next building block in your career.
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