Ansarada Stories
Ciesco Associate Director, Aika Kussimova has been with the business for almost a decade. She has worked closely with the founder and CEO of Ciesco, Chris Sahota, in building the company into a leading global M&A specialist in technology, media, healthcare and sustainability.
Aika says while every successful deal is a highlight, seeing the impact deals have post-completion is equally as rewarding. “Numbers are crucial, but understanding people, their motivations and story and building trust is what drives success in M&A."
What's shaping the future of M&A in Australia?
Featured in our 2025 ANZ Women In Dealmaking M&A Outlook Report, Natasha highlights: “There will be further momentum towards renewable energy leading to more activity for energy assets. The fossil fuel bridge will impact capital flows and acquisition finance.
AI is set to transform every stage of the dealmaking process, while ESG considerations become increasingly critical for Australian M&A success
Increasing integration of AI into dealmaking, impacting every stage of the transaction lifecycle, from target identification to due diligence, simple document drafting and post-acquisition integration. However, negotiation and judgement will still be very much required.
The M&A recovery is gaining momentum, but it's not your typical rebound.
What makes this recovery different?
- US$3.7 trillion in dry capital waiting to be deployed by private equity (including US$1 trillion in buyout sector alone)
- More constructive capital markets than 2024
- Cross-border transactions now represent around 70% of Australian deals (vs around 50% historically)
- Large and ageing sponsor portfolios creating urgency
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