Devesh Sharma

About Devesh Sharma

Most M&A deals fail not because of the business, but because of the process. For sellers, it\'s leaving money on the table. For buyers, it\'s sifting through endless noise to find a quality asset.At getdealflow.ai, I fix both sides of the equation.As a veteran operator and M&A strategist, I\'ve engineered over 100 acquisitions worth $3B+. I know exactly what multi-billion-dollar conglomerates look for, and I bring that Fortune 500 rigor to the lower middle market ($5M–$10M EBITDA).For Business Owners (Sellers): I identify and eliminate the hidden operational weaknesses that buyers use to discount your valuation. I don\'t just advise — I maximize your enterprise value. Case in point: I recently took a company with a stalled $90M deal and orchestrated a $240M close. You built your business. I make sure you get what it\'s truly worth.For Acquirers (Buyers): We eliminate auctions, noise, and wasted time. Through proprietary, off-market origination, we deliver 30–45 qualified seller introductions every 90 days at a ~12% conversion efficiency — compared to the traditional 1% industry average. You get direct access to serious owners, ready to transact.My 25-year career spans SVP of M&A at Bosch ($90B revenue), SVP of Strategy at CMC ($9B revenue), and a decade as a Private Equity Operating Partner managing $300M in AUM with 30%+ IRRs. Let\'s connect.

Experience

1. Managing Director

   Act Capital Advisors

   Apr 2023 — Present · Dallas, TX, US

   I spend 12 months adding $1M-$2M in EBITDA and targeting synergy buyers—then run a process that protects that value through close.For 25 years as SVP of M&A at Bosch and Commercial Metals, I engineered 100+ acquisitions worth $3B+ by identifying weaknesses in manufacturing and service companies, then using those weaknesses to justify paying 20-40% less.Owner dependency? 20-30% discount. Margin volatility? 15-20% discount. Messy financials? Another 10-15% discount.When my friend David lost $15M because he didn\'t understand these weaknesses were defining his valuation, I switched sides.What I DoI work with $2M+ EBITDA manufacturing and service companies 12 months before they sell to eliminate every weakness buyers discount:Phase 1: Value Engineering (12 months)Add $1M-$2M in EBITDA through margin optimizationBuild management teams eliminating the 20-30% owner dependency discountGet sell-side quality of earnings preventing post-LOI retradesStabilize operations removing volatility and concentration riskPhase 2: Competitive ProcessQuiet auction creating multiple biddersLOI structures with clear working capital definitionsControlled diligence with clean books89% close rate vs. 60-70% industry averageResults→ $90M stalled deal → $275M close after repositioning→ 30-40% higher exits (eliminating discounts, not negotiating harder)→ 89% close rate (clean preparation = predictable outcomes)→ Focus: Manufacturing, distribution, home services, business servicesWho This Is For$2M+ EBITDA manufacturing/service owners who have 12-18 months and refuse to leave $50M-$200M on the table because they didn\'t understand their weaknesses were defining their valuation.The DifferenceMost M&A advisors show up 90 days before close. I show up 12 months early and eliminate the reasons buyers discount you—then create competition so they pay what clean, de-risked businesses command.Let\'s discuss which weaknesses are reducing your valuation.

Education

• MIT Sloan School of Management

  Executive Education, Driving Strategic Innovation

• ESSEC Business School

  Executive Education

• Harvard Business School

  Executive Education, Negotiation and Decision Making

• Lycée Louis-le-Grand

  Bachelor's degree, Math & Physics

• IMD

  Executive Program, Top Management Dilemmas

Skills

• Business Strategy
• Sap
• Due Diligence
• Change Management
• Erp
• Risk Management
• Extensive International Experience
• Business Process Improvement
• Lean Manufacturing
• Corporate Finance
• Operational Excellence
• Leadership
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Value Creation
• Process Improvement
• Portfolio Management
• Mergers
• Start-Ups
• New Business Development
• Process Engineering
• Corporate Development
• Board Experience
• Program Management
• Venture Capital
• Private Equity
• P&L Management
• Business Process
• Management Consulting
• Restructuring
• Business Development
• Management
• Forecasting
• Continuous Improvement
• Managerial Finance
• Budgets
• Finance
• Financial Analysis
• Product Development
• Analysis
• Negotiation