How to Build a Global M&A Machine with Sindre Talleraas Holen Part 1

Sindre Talleraas Holen, Head of M&A at Visma

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kison sits down with Sindre from Visma, one of Europe's most active acquirers in the B2B SaaS space. With over 350+ acquisitions under its belt and a stronghold across Europe and Latin America, Visma has cracked the code for scaling globally while maintaining local authenticity.

Sindre shares how Visma transformed its M&A function from a two-man team to a global machine spanning 20 M&A professionals—and 16,000 employees acting as an extended sourcing engine. He walks through Visma's origin story rooted in M&A, how a bold cold email launched his own career, and the foundational philosophies behind Visma's buyer-led approach to deal execution.

Think You'll Learn:

• The surprising power of a cold email—and how it helped launch Visma's M&A team

• Why Visma prioritizes local presence and cultural nuance in M&A sourcing and negotiation

• How internal alignment and operational champions drive deal success

• The three golden rules for successful M&A at Visma
  
  

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Episode Timestamps:

[00:00:00] – Introduction to the Guest & Visma's M&A History
[00:03:30] – The €100M Sale That Funded Visma's Acquisition Journey
[00:05:00] – Sindre's Bold Cold Email That Launched His M&A Career
[00:09:00] – The Three Pillars of Visma's M&A Approach
[00:10:00] – Aligning Deals with Equity Story & Internal Champions
[00:12:00] – Why M&A Is Always Local: Cultural & Regional Nuances
[00:16:00] – Building a Global M&A Team Embedded in Each Region
[00:17:30] – Trust and Cultural Dynamics in Deal-Making
[00:20:00] – Evolving from Seller-Led to Buyer-Led M&A Strategy
[00:21:30] – Proactive Deal Sourcing and Filtering Inbound Leads
[00:27:00] – Building Trust with Local Sellers & Country-by-Country Differences
[00:29:30] – Rapid Acquisitions vs. Long-Term Relationship Deals
[00:31:00] – Case Example: 13-Year Dialogue Before Acquisition
[00:35:00] – Country-Specific Negotiation Dynamics & Deal Structures
[00:38:00] – Advice for First-Time International Buyer