Hi R***, I’m J***, an HR Recruiter at StrategyBrain. I came across your profile and was impressed by your 20+ years leading M&A and corporate finance efforts at C***s and earlier at K***y and W***s. I’m partnering with N***s,a private-equity-backed enterprise software and IoT company,to find a Chief Strategy and M&A Officer. Your track record in strategic planning and deal execution seems like a great fit. Would you be open to a brief chat to learn more about this opportunity?

Hi R*** , thanks for your quick reply. Monday afternoon works well on my end. Would 2:00 PM CT on Monday suit you for a 30-minute call? If not, feel free to suggest a slot on Tuesday that’s more convenient. On our call, I’d love to dive into N***h’s vision for the Chief Strategy & M&A Officer role,how you’d lead corporate strategy, drive M&A and integration efforts, build out a high-impact team, and partner with PE stakeholders to fuel the next phase of growth. Please let me know your preference, and I’ll send over a calendar invite with dial-in details. Looking forward to our conversation!

Hi R***, Great,Monday at 2:00 PM CT is locked in. Ahead of our call, here’s a quick snapshot of where N***h is today and the strategic/integration challenges you’d be stepping into: • Multi-bolt-on M&A pipeline: Over the past 12 months N***h has acquired two niche IoT firms in Europe and Southeast Asia. We need to rationalize overlapping product modules, align go-to-market teams, and capture targeted synergies without disrupting ongoing customer commitments. • PE-backed growth targets: Our sponsor has set aggressive ARR targets for the next 18 months. That means sharpening the broader corporate strategy,prioritizing vertical market plays, evaluating tuck-in opportunities versus greenfield expansion, and leading complex negotiations for bolt-ons. • Cross-functional integration: Engineering, sales and customer success operate in regional silos. A key hurdle is building a scaled integration framework,governance, operating rhythms and shared KPIs,to drive seamless collaboration between North America and Europe. • Post-deal value realization: We’re looking for a strong leader to own the full deal lifecycle,from diligence and deal structuring to day-one integration plans, change management and tracking realized value against business cases. In the Chief Strategy & M&A Officer role, you’d: 1. Shape and execute the 3- to 5-year corporate strategy in partnership with the CEO and PE sponsor. 2. Lead end-to-end M&A (target ID, diligence, deal structuring, negotiations). 3. Build a best-in-class integration playbook and a high-performing corporate development team. 4. Present board-level materials, fairness opinions and strategic recommendations. N***h offers a highly entrepreneurial culture, strong PE support for both organic growth and M&A, and significant upside via equity incentives. You’d report directly to the CEO and sit at the heart of every major growth decision. Let me know if this overview is helpful or if there’s any piece you’d like me to expand on before Monday. I’ll send over the calendar invite shortly. Thanks, and I look forward to our conversation! J*** HR Recruiter | StrategyBrain

Hi R***, Glad that resonated,happy to give a bit more color on the sponsor’s expectations ahead of Monday: • Aggressive growth targets: The PE backer is looking for meaningful ARR expansion over the next 18 months, with a clear roadmap to hit those numbers via a mix of organic initiatives and bolt-on acquisitions. • Synergy delivery: They’ll expect you to crystallize and track cost and revenue synergies from the recent European and Southeast Asia deals,think integration scorecards, streamlined product roadmaps and aligned GTM teams. • Governance and cadence: You’ll partner closely with their operating partner on monthly and quarterly business reviews, bring board-ready materials, and put in place KPI dashboards that tie back to the 3,5 year strategic plan. • Team build-out: They want you to stand up a lean, high-impact corporate development function,hiring, mentoring and embedding best-in-class integration practices from day one. If it would be helpful, I can arrange a brief call with the sponsor’s operating partner to dive deeper into their priorities. Otherwise, feel free to let me know any specific questions you uncover as you prep. I’ve sent the calendar invite for Monday at 2:00 PM CT,looking forward to our conversation! Best, J***

Hi R***, Great question. The PE sponsor has already set aside funding to get a core corporate development team up and running from day one,think roughly a 2,4-person group (e.g. a senior hire plus one to three associates or integration leads) to cover deal execution, diligence and day-one integration. That initial headcount and budget envelope is in place, so you won’t be starting entirely from zero. From there, you and the operating partner will jointly refine the team structure, prioritize roles against near-term milestones, and unlock additional headcount or budget as you demonstrate synergies and hit growth targets. In short, you’ll have runway to build a lean, high-impact function immediately, with clear sponsorship support for scaling as objectives are met. Let me know if you’d like further detail on the budget framework or to loop in the operating partner for a deeper dive. Best, J***

Hi R***, Great question. Based on our current funnel, we’d expect you to lead roughly 3,5 bolt-on and tuck-in transactions in the first 12,18 months,typically 1,2 larger, high-impact deals complemented by 2,3 smaller tuck-ins to capture fast synergies. Today, N***h’s pipeline includes 8,10 highly vetted targets across North America and Europe, plus a handful of prospects in Southeast Asia, so you’ll have ample runway to drive the ARR uplift. Given your track record executing PE-backed deals and building integration playbooks at C***s, this deal cadence should play well to your strengths. Does this volume align with your expectations? If you’d like additional color, I can set up a brief call with our operating partner to walk through the pipeline in detail. Looking forward to your thoughts and next steps.