Episode 96: Inside the Deal with Brian Allen

About this episode

Brian Allen shares insights from his experience leading Certus Solutions and navigating a successful strategic sale.

In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we sit down with Brian Allen, former Managing Director and Chief Executive of Certus Solutions. Over the course of two decades, Brian grew Certus into a leading IBM-focused software and services provider in Australia and New Zealand, specializing in enterprise asset management. This journey culminated in a successful strategic sale to Egis, following a long-planned liquidity event for the company's shareholders. Brian discusses his decade-long relationship with Corum Group, which began during a prior M&A process, and explains why he chose to re-engage professional advisors for the Certus exit. He shares candid insights into managing a complex transaction that included a strategic "hiatus" period, the importance of maintaining competitive tension during negotiations, and his advice for CEOs navigating their first or second sale. This episode offers a masterclass in long-term value creation and the discipline required to execute a high-stakes liquidity event. Takeaways Plan for the long term: Successful exits are often the result of years of preparation to ensure maximum shareholder value. Specialization is key: Deep expertise in a…

People in this episode

Host: Corum Group

Guest: Brian Allen

Topics covered

• M&A
• business strategy
• liquidity events
• enterprise asset management
• negotiation tactics

Keywords

• M&A
• Certus Solutions
• Egis
• IBM
• liquidity event
• negotiation
• business strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Certus Solutions, Egis, Corum Group, IBM

Places: Australia, New Zealand

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