Corporate Development
M&A and strategic investments inside a tech company. Corp Dev sources, evaluates, and executes deals that move the company's portfolio forward: acqui-hires, tuck-ins, and major acquisitions.
What you do.
- (01)
Map the M&A market — build target lists aligned to corporate strategy.
- (02)
Source deals via bankers, founders, VCs, and internal champions.
- (03)
Lead diligence: financial, commercial, technical, organizational.
- (04)
Build valuation models (DCF, comps, accretion/dilution).
- (05)
Negotiate term sheets and definitive agreements; quarterback closing.
- (06)
Lead post-merger integration with BizOps and the acquiring BU.
Key skills.
What they look for.
- (01)
Banking, PE, or VC background is the most common path in.
- (02)
Strong modeling and valuation chops.
- (03)
Strategic curiosity — you'll write internal memos as much as you'll model.
- (04)
Comfort managing senior stakeholders (CFO, CEO, board).
Distinctions.
The same title can mean different things depending on the product, the company, and the stage. Here’s how to pick it apart.
Corp Dev vs. IB
Corp Dev vs. Corp Strategy
Corp Dev vs. Corporate VC
Often confused with.
Roles that sit close to this one — useful to know whether you want the title or the adjacent version.
Prep
Haas classes worth taking.
- (01)Mergers & Acquisitions
- (02)Valuation
- (03)Corporate Finance
- (04)Competitive & Corporate Strategy
Resources.
Open the full file.
File / Corp Dev · 3 chapters. Long-form chapters sourced from HTC's internal guides — the kind of reading that pays off on callbacks.