BUS 96 — Introduction to Mergers and Acquisitions
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Amy Arora, Flavia Romero
Date(s): Apr 3—May 8
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Thursdays
Class Meeting Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $525
Refund Deadline: Apr 5
Unit(s): 1
Enrollment Limit: 40
Status: Registration opens Feb 24, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Spring
Day: Thursdays
Duration: 6 weeks
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Apr 3—May 8
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $525
Refund Deadline: Apr 5
Instructor(s): Amy Arora, Flavia Romero
Enrollment Limit: 40
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Feb 24, 8:30 am (PT)
In business, mergers and acquisitions drive growth, innovation, and transformation. Companies of all sizes, from nimble startups to established enterprises, leverage M&A to navigate market challenges and seize new opportunities. But why do some deals succeed while others fail? What strategies work best at different stages? This course provides business leaders and professionals with a practical introduction to understanding how M&A works.
Students will learn how to:
- Explore the rationale behind successful deals and identify key levers that drive positive outcomes
- Analyze how M&A strategies differ according to company maturity and apply practical skills to different priorities, such as acquiring new technology or expanding market share
- Examine the impact of M&A on organizational functions like finance, operations, and marketing
- Navigate the language of deals with confidence
AMY ARORA
Director, Mergers and Acquisitions, Google
Amy Arora leads M&A activities for Google’s consumer and AI businesses, where she evaluates acquisitions, investments, and divestitures as key strategic levers for the company. Her career includes leading M&A teams at multiple Fortune 50 companies, including IBM, PayPal, Nike, and eBay, where she has advised and guided on both buy-side and sell-side transactions ranging from tens of millions to multibillion-dollar deals. She has also been a strong advocate of women in business as the executive advisor for Women@Google and formerly as the president of PayPal’s women’s organization. Arora received an MBA from Harvard Business School. FLAVIA ROMERO
Finance Executive
Flavia Romero has over 20 years of experience across treasury, corporate finance, impact investing, M&A, capital markets, and credit risk. As treasurer at Coinbase, she oversaw both fiat and crypto resources, leading teams in cash management, treasury operations, investments, capital strategy and markets, foreign exchange, and insurance. Previously, she held leadership positions at PayPal and eBay. Her career began at Merrill Lynch, where she worked in debt capital markets, and she later moved into M&A at BroadSpan Capital. Romero received a BBA in international finance and marketing from the University of Miami. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.