Corporate Development & M&A
Buying companies for an operator rather than advising on the transaction. The modelling overlaps with banking; the judgement does not, because you live with the result.
1,000+ candidates coached into top-tier firms
What We Cover
Common Corp Dev / M&A Interview Questions
Why would we buy this company rather than build the capability ourselves?
Walk me through how you would value a target to us specifically.
What synergies would you underwrite, and which would you refuse to?
This deal is dilutive for two years. How do you defend it?
What would make you walk away in diligence?
How do you decide between cash, stock and debt to fund it?
Tell me about an acquisition in our sector and whether it worked.
These are real questions asked in corp dev / m&a interviews. Our coaching covers how to structure and deliver winning answers.
What Top Firms Look For
Commercial judgement about the business, not just the model
Ability to separate synergies you would underwrite from ones you would hope for
Comfort presenting to executives who are not finance people
Cross-functional credibility, since diligence runs through every function
Patience — corporate deal cycles are long and most opportunities die
Genuine interest in the industry rather than in transactions generally
A Day in the Life: Corp Dev / M&A
Corporate development is quieter than banking most of the time and busier than banking occasionally. Between deals the work is pipeline: market maps, relationship building with targets, and modelling scenarios nobody has asked for yet. On a live deal you coordinate diligence across finance, legal, product, engineering and HR, and you are the one who has to hold a view when they disagree. Hours are better than banking; the responsibility is more personal, because you are still there in two years when the integration is judged.
How to Break Into Corp Dev / M&A
Investment banking analysts are the most common hires, usually after two to three years
Big Four transaction services and strategy consulting are the next most common routes
Internal moves from FP&A, strategy or a commercial role happen more often than people expect
Smaller companies hire earlier and give far more scope per person
Know the acquirer’s actual strategy before the interview — a generic M&A answer fails here in a way it does not in banking
Frequently Asked Questions
How is corporate development different from investment banking?
A banker advises on a transaction and moves to the next one. In corporate development you are the buyer: you pick the targets, you defend the price internally, and you are still employed when the integration either works or does not. The modelling overlaps heavily. The judgement does not, because in banking a deal closing is success and in corp dev a deal closing is the start of the part you get measured on.
Do I need banking experience?
It is the most common background and it helps, but it is not required. Strategy consultants, Big Four transaction services professionals and internal candidates from FP&A, strategy or commercial roles all move into corp dev regularly. What is genuinely required is the technical baseline — valuation, accretion/dilution, an operating model — plus enough industry knowledge to have a view on which targets are worth having.
What is the pay and hours trade-off?
Corporate development typically pays less than banking at the same level, with a smaller bonus and often equity instead. Hours are substantially better outside live deals and can approach banking hours during them. Most people who make the move cite scope and ownership rather than lifestyle: you decide what to buy rather than pitching what someone else might.
Your Coach: Surojit Chakraverti
Citigroup · Rothschild · Morgan Stanley · Bank of America · Hedge Fund CIO
Surojit is a hedge fund CIO (Third Wave Capital, previously Redline) and former investment banker who worked at Citigroup, Rothschild, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America — with his core deal experience in M&A at Citi and Rothschild. He has personally coached over 1,000 candidates into roles at Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, KKR, Google, McKinsey, and dozens of other top-tier firms.
Every corp dev / m&a coaching session is tailored to your specific targets, timeline, and experience level. No generic advice, just the insider knowledge that separates offers from rejections.
Ready to Ace Your Corp Dev / M&A Interview?
Get 1:1 coaching from professionals who have been through the process and sat on the other side of the table. No generic advice, just what actually works.
Book Your SessionCoached by Surojit Chakraverti, Citigroup, Rothschild, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, EY
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