Sharon Van Zeeland

Sharon Van Zeeland, Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Rockwell Automation, brings an engineering twist to M&A culture assessments. She shares how Rockwell uses a 0-5 scoring system to evaluate cultural fit, revealing surprising gaps and similarities that aid integration planning. Sharon discusses creative negotiation tactics like hunting rights and sponsorship deals, emphasizing the importance of merging diligence and integration teams early to facilitate smooth transitions. She also highlights the rising role of AI in due diligence and the need for human oversight.