Walk me through a deal you’ve worked on. (1-2 min)

First, you should provide the context of the deal and company. Explain the target business in an easy-to-understand way, and describe its key segments. Provide a quick overview of the acquirer and its strategic rationale. It’s important to explain upfront why the deal is happening and what the industry backdrop is. For example, is this part of a larger trend of industry consolidation? Is this part of an existing roll-up strategy by the acquirer to dominate a market niche, or are they looking to acquire expertise so they have a beachhead for further expansion into a new market?

It’s important to highlight the background of the target and buyer, such as a company overview, and some general metrics to indicate the size of the deal (eg revenue, EBITDA, margins, enterprise value, multiples). If the deal is private, you can use rough ranges. You’ll also want to highlight the strategic rationale behind the deal, as well as the size of the team you worked with and your role in the process.

If you built the model, then you should provide a brief preview of how the model was structured, such as the revenue segments, how the revenue model was driven, and any important assumptions or conclusions.

Finally, you’ll want to conclude with how your work impacted the closing of the deal. If the deal is still in process, you should give an update on what stage the deal is in and what the outlook is.