Guest
John is joined by Bilal Rana, Director of Group Corporate Development at HSBC. Bilal began his career at KPMG before moving into investment banking roles at Canaccord Genuity and Lazard, advising companies on transactions before moving to the other side of the deal table at HSBC.
In this episode, Bilal explains why some transactions fail despite a strong strategic rationale, what makes an advisor truly trusted by clients, and why relationships remain a defining factor in M&A.
Listen to Bilal’s insights on:
- How moving in-house changed his view of investment bankers
- Why buyers see deals differently from advisors
- How the best advisors know when to challenge clients
- Why M&A professionals are defined by their last deal
- How personality clashes can kill a deal that makes perfect sense
