Johanna Jaakola – Integration Lead, Corporate Development Integration Team, Cisco

Tesia Hostetler – Leader, Acquisition Integration Practice, Cisco

Johanna Jaakola, Integration Lead on Cisco's Corporate Development Integration Team, and Tesia Hostetler, Leader of Cisco's Acquisition Integration Practice, continue their deep dive into Cisco's integration-led M&A framework. In Part 2, they reveal how integration planning shapes diligence, how value drivers guide surgical execution, and what it takes to coordinate a 180-person M&A community. From day one employee experience to go-to-market complexity and the Splunk mega-deal, this episode delivers practical frameworks for M&A professionals looking to accelerate value creation while protecting what matters most.

Things you will learn:

Learn how Cisco tests integration strategy during diligence and adjusts execution plans based on findings without losing sight of deal thesis
Discover how Cisco structures functional integration leaders, maintains alignment through recurring touchpoints, and tracks everything in a centralized M&A hub
Understand how to validate customer stories, align partner ecosystems, and make surgical decisions about when to integrate sales motions versus protecting existing revenue engines

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Integration-Led M&A: Cisco's Approach to Deal Success Part 2 with Johanna Jaakola and Tesia Hostetler

M&A Science