Buyer-Led M&A™ Masterclass | From Strategy to NDA: Building a Buyer-Led™ M&A Pipeline

Join us for a tactical deep dive with Rajesh Sharma, Director of M&A and Strategy at Itochu, as he shares how top corp dev teams go from strategy alignment to building a proactive, high-fit deal pipeline. This session breaks down what it takes to shape a clear M&A roadmap, prioritize the right targets, and kick off conversations that lead to real deals—not just polite “catch-ups.”

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a large team, this masterclass will equip you with frameworks and first-hand lessons to move faster, qualify smarter, and build trust before an NDA is even signed.

What You’ll Learn

• How to align M&A strategy with business unit priorities—even without a dedicated strategy team
• Real-world tactics for building and scoring your pipeline
• What to say in the first outreach (and what to avoid)
• How to run first meetings that build trust and identification of fit
• Early-stage red flags to watch for before you commit to diligence