{"podcast":{"title":"The Tech M&A Podcast","slug":"the-tech-m-a-podcast-688826","podcast_index_feed_id":688826,"rss_url":"https://corumgroup.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://www.corumgroup.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/6/f/7/c/6f7c31589a344969e55e3c100dce7605/TMNA-COVER_FINAL.png","author":"Heidi Owen","episode_count":99,"summary":"The Tech M&A Podcast pulls from the best of the Tech M&A Monthly webcast, hosted by Corum Group, the global leader in technology mergers and acquisitions. The podcast features special reports on sectors, buyers, trends and M&A processes, as well as panel discussions and interviews featuring both recent sellers and major tech buyers like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and others.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-m-a-podcast-688826"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 96: Inside the Deal with Brian Allen","slug":"episode-96-inside-the-deal-with-brian-allen","published_at":"2026-03-24T19:58:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-m-a-podcast-688826/episode-96-inside-the-deal-with-brian-allen","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-m-a-podcast-688826","url":"https://corumgroup.libsyn.com/episode-93-inside-the-deal-with-brian-allen","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/corumgroup/TMNAPODCAST_EP93_Brian_Allen_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=102536","summary":"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 specific ecosystem, such as IBM technologies, can position a firm as a dominant regional player. Maintain leverage: Using a \"hiatus\" or pause in a deal can be a strategic tool to reset expectations and ensure competitive tension. Professional representation matters: Engaging experienced advisors is critical when negotiating with large institutional buyers and global entities. Focus on the \"Why\": Understanding the specific timing for a liquidity event helps align the interests of all shareholders and stakeholders. Timestamps 00:11 – Introducing Brian Allen and the growth of Certus Solutions 01:22…","meta_description":"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 cour…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":682,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-tech-m-a-podcast-688826/episodes/episode-96-inside-the-deal-with-brian-allen/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-m-a-podcast-688826/episode-96-inside-the-deal-with-brian-allen.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}