Thoma Bravo’s Behind the Deal podcast takes you behind the scenes of one of the largest software investors in the world. You'll hear the strategies and stories behind building Thoma Bravo’s portfolio of innovative, industry-leading software and technology companies. Presented by Orlando Bravo, “Wall Street’s best dealmaker” (Forbes), each episode offers a first-person account from the deal leads and CEOs that forged some of the largest software acquisitions at Thoma Bravo to date, and how th ...
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The Official Podcast of the Intitute for a Greater Europe, a pan-European youth led think tank based in Brussels, Belgium. As well as our regular publications we wish to bring you a roundup of the news from each region the Institute follows.
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How Innovation is Driving the Future of Cybersecurity
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37:55In a special episode of Behind the Deal live from Miami at Thoma Bravo’s Annual Meeting in March 2025, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro welcomes two prominent leaders in the cybersecurity industry: Jill Popelka, CEO of Darktrace, and Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos. Cybersecurity has been a focus of Thoma Bravo's investment strategy since 2008, drive…
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Beyond Leadership: Career Lessons from Chess with Todd Dauchy and Adam Solomon
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13:43In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Todd Dauchy, CEO of SMA Technologies, speaks with Thoma Bravo Partner, Adam Solomon, about how he’s navigated his career with the lessons he learned from chess. He also details his focus on strategic thinking, anticipating future trends in the market, and building strong interpersonal relationships within the comp…
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How SMA Technologies Uses Automation to Accelerate Digital Transformation at Financial Institutions
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29:31Hear the story behind Thoma Bravo’s acquisition of SMA Technologies with Thoma Bravo Partner Adam Solomon and CEO of SMA Technologies, Todd Dauchy. SMA Technologies provides workload automation and orchestration software solutions for banks, credit unions, and other financial services businesses. Adam and Todd discuss how they transformed a “sleepy…
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How Bluesight and Thoma Bravo Turned Vision Into Value - Featured from Best But Never Final
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50:30In this featured episode, we’re excited to share a conversation from Best But Never Final, featuring Thoma Bravo Partner Carl Press and Kevin MacDonald, CEO of Thoma Bravo portfolio company Bluesight. Listen to them share a behind-the-scenes look at scaling a software company from a bootstrap startup to a private equity-backed category leader. They…
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Beyond Trust: Building the Cultural Fabric at EQS Group with Achim Weick and Irina Hemmers
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20:07In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Partner Irina Hemmers and EQS Group Founder and CEO Achim Weick discuss the crucial role of culture in EQS Group's journey. Achim shares his experience founding a company culture centered on trust. Hear how his focus has driven EQS Group's success as a leading European software company and some lessons…
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How EQS Group’s Digital Solutions Create Trusted Companies in Europe and Beyond
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39:31Hear Thoma Bravo Partner Irina Hemmers and Achim Weick, Founder and CEO of EQS Group, dive into the details behind the acquisition of EQS Group. In this episode, they discuss EQS Group's journey of becoming a leading GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) software provider. Achim Weick shares his story of founding the company, why EQS Group chose p…
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Beyond Hurdles: Navigating Career Challenges and Driving Growth with Fran Rosch and Scott Crabill
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11:07Fran Rosch, CEO of Imprivata, joins Managing Partner Scott Crabill on this Beyond the Deal mini-sode to discuss his career journey and leadership philosophy. Rosch shares his belief in open communication, setting ambitious goals, and the importance of continuous learning. He also provides advice on navigating career challenges and emphasizes the si…
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How Imprivata is Redefining Healthcare Security
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39:40In this episode of Behind the Deal, Imprivata CEO Fran Rosch shares how the company is revolutionizing access to critical healthcare systems with its cutting-edge security solutions. As a leader in cybersecurity for hospitals and health systems, Imprivata specializes in Access Management for shared device ecosystems, as well as streamlining and sec…
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How CEO Leagh Turner Fostered Trust and Teamwork to Drive Coupa’s Growth
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15:58In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Holden Spaht sits down with Coupa CEO Leagh Turner to discuss her career journey and the significance of mentorship. They also delve into the future of AI and its implications for businesses. Learn about Coupa’s approach to AI governance, aiming to ensure it is utilized safely and resp…
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How Coupa is Utilizing AI to Revolutionize Business Spend Management
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34:27Coupa has helped businesses better manage direct and indirect spend through its community-generated AI and industry-leading total spend management platform for almost 20 years. Coupa AI is informed by over $7 trillion of spend data across a global network of 10 million+ suppliers and buyers. Coupa aims to empower its customers with the ability to p…
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Beyond Transformation: Growth, Leadership and Innovation at HCSS with A.J. Rohde, George Jaber, and Steve McGough
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18:58In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Senior Partner A.J. Rohde and Principal George Jaber discuss with HCSS President and CEO Steve McGough the company’s strong employee relationships, the true essence of leadership, the core values he took with him from his time at Texas A&M, and how the impact of treating every customer with care and re…
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How HCSS is a Leader in the Construction Industry's Digital Transformation
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40:33For nearly 40 years, HCSS has been a driving force in construction software, helping companies streamline operations and achieve success. In this episode of Behind the Deal, Thoma Bravo’s A.J. Rohde and George Jaber sit down with HCSS President and CEO Steve McGough to explore the company’s journey—from its beginnings in the late ‘80s to creating H…
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Beyond Qlik’s AI Revolution: A Conversation with Seth Boro and Mike Capone
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18:07In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro and Qlik CEO Mike Capone discuss Qlik’s growth since its 2018 acquisition by Thoma Bravo, including its global expansion from Sweden, how the company stays ahead of AI’s rapid evolution to drive ongoing business transformation and how Mike’s leadership style of “leading from …
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How Qlik is Transforming Companies with AI-Powered Solutions
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32:51Season three of Thoma Bravo's award-winning podcast kicks off with a conversation between Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro & Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik. Together, they explore Qlik's growth from a visual analytics company to an industry leader in data integration, analytics, and AI solutions for businesses. Listen as they explore Qlik’s differe…
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We’re back with season 3 of Thoma Bravo’s Behind the Deal! Our chart-topping and award-winning podcast offers a glimpse into the world of the largest tech-focused buyout firm. This season, hear CEOs from Qlik, HCSS, Coupa, and more share untold stories of some of Thoma Bravo's biggest and most dynamic acquisitions. New episodes drop every Thursday!…
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How AI is Fueling Software's Growth - Live from Miami
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47:01In a special episode of Behind the Deal live from Thoma Bravo’s Annual Meeting in March 2024, Managing Partner Seth Boro welcomes Sumit Dhawan, CEO at Proofpoint, Mike Capone, CEO at Qlik, and Charlie Gottdiener, CEO at Anaplan, to the stage to discuss how their companies are leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. The CEOs share perspecti…
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Beyond the Partnership Between Carl Thoma and Orlando Bravo
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7:42In this special Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Co-Founders and Managing Partners Carl Thoma and Orlando Bravo go beyond their long, storied and industry-shaping partnership to discuss the importance of fostering relationships, focusing on performance and staying humble while building a successful firm. Carl also shares his insights on the v…
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How Carl Thoma and Orlando Bravo Built the Largest Tech Buyout Firm
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37:53On the season finale of Behind the Deal, Co-Founders and Managing Partners Orlando Bravo and Carl Thoma sit down to discuss how they built Thoma Bravo into the world’s largest tech-focused buyout firm. Orlando interviews his mentor, Carl, to get his perspective on the evolution of private equity over his nearly 50-year career in the industry. The C…
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Beyond the SailPoint Partnership with Seth Boro, Mark McClain and Matt Mills
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13:31In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro sits down with SailPoint’s CEO and Founder Mark McClain and President of Worldwide Field Operations Matt Mills to talk about the effects of AI on identity security, being acquired by Thoma Bravo not once but twice, and what it was like to ring the opening bell at the New York…
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Revisiting How Thoma Bravo Took Sailpoint Public and Then Private Again
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30:16SailPoint Co-Founder and CEO Mark McClain speaks with Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro about forging a relationship that led to Thoma Bravo’s first ever IPO of a portfolio company, and then a second acquisition of SailPoint just a few years later. The conversation covers the cutting edge work SailPoint is doing in identity security, as well a…
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Beyond the Bottomline Partnership with Brian Jaffee and Craig Saks
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8:15In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Partner Brian Jaffee sits down with Bottomline CEO Craig Saks to talk about resiliency, the importance of bringing diverse voices into the room, and the surprising things you learn as a South African running an American company (besides just which side of the road to drive on). For more information on …
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How a Take-Private is Empowering Bottomline to Further Revolutionize B2B Payments
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35:17Thoma Bravo Partner Brian Jaffee takes listeners inside the years of waiting and watching that eventually turned into a quick make-or-break opportunity to acquire Bottomline. With thirty years of history, a management shakeup, activist investors and plenty of competition, the Bottomline take-private wasn’t easy but it was worth the work. Brian is j…
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Beyond the Foundation Software Partnership with Carl Press and Mike Ode
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9:59In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Partner Carl Press sits down with Foundation Software President and CEO Mike Ode to talk about mentorship, the importance of asking questions, and how some of the best deals get done at times when you least expect it. For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind the Deal, visit https://www.thomabravo.c…
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How Thoma Bravo Took Foundation Software From a Family-Run Business to Private Equity-Owned
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34:52Thoma Bravo Partner Carl Press takes listeners behind the deal with Foundation Software, a leader in the world of construction subcontracting software. Family-owned and operated for over thirty years, Foundation decided to partner with Thoma Bravo in 2020 after many offers from investor groups, becoming the firm’s first fully remote deal. Carl is j…
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Beyond the Raptor Technologies Partnership with Adam Solomon and Gray Hall
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7:34In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo partner Adam Solomon sits down with Raptor CEO Gray Hall to talk about the most rewarding parts of being a CEO, how to craft a leadership style employees (and customers) will want to follow, and the personal side of running a business that keeps kids safe at school. For more information on Thoma Bravo'…
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How Raptor Technologies Transforms School Safety Through Software
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36:40Thoma Bravo Partner Adam Solomon walks listeners through the challenges of landing a transatlantic deal with Raptor Technologies, a cutting-edge school safety software company, at a time when schools were shut down all over the world due to COVID. Adam is joined by Raptor CEO Gray Hall, and together they discuss the importance of alignment on compa…
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Beyond the Nasdaq Partnership with Holden Spaht and Adena Friedman
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7:03In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Nasdaq Chair and CEO Adena Friedman and Thoma Bravo Managing Partner and Nasdaq Board Member Holden Spaht discuss Adena’s thirty-year career at Nasdaq, how changing jobs can develop your management style, and how you can literally look for luck in the world around you. For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind …
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How Nasdaq's Acquisition of Adenza is Disrupting Fintech and Modernizing Markets
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41:41Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Holden Spaht and Nasdaq's Chair and CEO Adena Friedman take listeners behind Nasdaq’s multi-billion dollar acquisition of Adenza, a provider of mission-critical risk management and regulatory software to the financial services industry. Holden shares Thoma Bravo's approach to building Adenza by merging and integrating t…
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Beyond the Dynatrace Partnership with Chip Virnig and John Van Siclen
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8:25In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Partner Chip Virnig and former CEO of Dynatrace John Van Siclen talk about some of the more rewarding challenges they’ve faced, the long steady process of learning patience, the excitement that comes with an IPO, and how to know when it’s time to step away. For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind …
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How a Complex Carveout Led to Dynatrace Disrupting Itself and Then an Entire Industry
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43:35Thoma Bravo Partner Chip Virnig goes behind the deal with Dynatrace: how it started, the complexities of the transaction, and the areas of value creation the Thoma Bravo team focused on throughout the partnership. From the initial carve-out to an IPO that saw Thoma Bravo’s team ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the Dynatrace deal was…
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Beyond the Alma Deal with Ross Devor and Dr. Harry Ritter
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6:55In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Partner Ross Devor and Alma founder and CEO Dr. Harry Ritter discuss the glaring need for quality, affordable mental healthcare, learning to enjoy the journey while building a business, and the pros and cons of being a “renaissance man.” For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind the Deal, visit http…
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How Thoma Bravo Partnered with Alma to Provide Accessible Mental Health Care Solutions Across the U.S.
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46:50Ross Devor, a partner at Thoma Bravo and co-head of the firm's Growth platform, discusses collaborating with Alma's management team to improve their technology roadmap and connect their platform with therapists across all fifty states. Despite a market meltdown, Thoma Bravo saw an exciting opportunity to be a part of behavioral health care’s digita…
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Beyond the Flexera Partnership with Seth Boro and Jim Ryan
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6:56In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro and Flexera President and CEO Jim Ryan discuss stepping into the big role as chief executive, share memories from one of their beloved mentors, and deliberate about what they would’ve done if technology wasn’t their calling. For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind the De…
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How the Flexera Carve-Out Revolutionized IT Management
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37:25Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro gives an inside look at how the firm can hit the ground running after a platform carve-out investment. Thoma Bravo helped build out Flexera back in 2008, exited in 2011, and is now back for more with a controlling stake as of 2020. Flexera is a company that provides customers with the ability to map their IT s…
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Beyond the ConnectWise Transformation with Mike Hoffmann and Jason Magee
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7:42In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Partner Mike Hoffmann and ConnectWise CEO Jason Magee sit down, and go beyond their business partnership. They chat about their top business role models, their first jobs, and what they’re reading. For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind the Deal, visit https://www.thomabravo.com/behindthedeal Lea…
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How Thoma Bravo Partnered with Founder-Led ConnectWise to Transform the MSP Industry
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37:47ConnectWise is an industry-leading robust platform of software built for technology solutions providers (TSPs) to run their entire as-a-service business. Their solutions help managed service providers (MSPs) outsource their help desk, billing, and other IT services to small and medium-sized businesses so that they can focus on their products, not I…
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Beyond the J.D. Power Transformation, with Scott Crabill and David Habiger
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7:10In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Scott Crabill and J.D. Power President and CEO David Habiger’s conversation goes deeper than just their business partnership. The two give insight into their career paths, what failure has taught them, and where they might be today if they weren’t in business together. For more informa…
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How J.D. Power Uses Data to Drive the Auto Industry Forward
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39:50J.D. Power has nearly 80% name recognition for its awards, but its data business is the real hidden gem. In this episode, Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Scott Crabill sits down with J.D. Power’s CEO David Habiger to discuss how the company is bringing together the fragmented auto industry, and how Thoma Bravo has partnered with J.D. Power on acquisit…
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Beyond the Syntellis Carve Out, with A.J. Rohde and Flint Brenton
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6:18In this Beyond the Deal mini-sode, Thoma Bravo Senior Partner A.J. Rohde and Syntellis CEO Flint Brenton’s conversation continues outside the bounds of their partnership. The two discuss tough customer calls, their favorite software sectors, and who they’re rooting for this season in the NBA. For more information on Thoma Bravo's Behind the Deal, v…
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For even more inside looks at some of the firm’s biggest deals, Thoma Bravo’s Behind the Deal returns for Season 2. This season, Thoma Bravo partners will sit down with portfolio company CEOs from acquisitions like J.D. Power, ConnectWise, and Syntellis to give a behind the scenes look at some of the carve outs, acquisitions and mergers that have h…
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How Syntellis Grew from a Software Carveout to a Successful Standalone Company
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37:43In the Season Two premiere, a behind-the-scenes journey with Thoma Bravo Senior Partner A.J. Rohde to discuss our deal to acquire and carve out Syntellis, a performance management software business, from its parent company, Kaufman Hall Software. By partnering with Madison Dearborn, Thoma Bravo crafted a strategic business plan to carve out Syntell…
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How Orlando Bravo Helped Build the World’s Largest Software Buyout Firm
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36:34In the Season One finale of Thoma Bravo’s Behind The Deal, Thoma Bravo Partner Andrew Almeida connects with Thoma Bravo Founder and Managing Partner Orlando Bravo who shares his stories of success and trial and error in building Thoma Bravo. In the interview, Andrew helps listeners get to know Orlando beyond the dealmaking, as he shares inspiring s…
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How AppOmni Seized the SaaS Security Market Opportunity
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29:50AppOmni is a leader in securing SaaS applications. In this episode, Thoma Bravo Partner Tre Sayle talks with AppOmni Co-founder and CEO Brendan O’Connor about how AppOmni has tripled in size in the year since their partnership with the Thoma Bravo Growth team began. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.auda…
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How a Merger Helped Veriforce Grow to Five Times Its Size
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27:55Veriforce is a global provider of contract management software for industrial markets. In this episode, Thoma Bravo Partner Hudson Smith speaks with Veriforce CEO Colby Lane about how Veriforce expanded to almost five times its original size in under five years by an acquisition process that brought Veriforce together with PEC Safety. To learn more…
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How Circle CVI - a Niche Category Leader in Healthcare - Has Grown with Private Equity
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32:05Circle CVI is the global leader in cardiac imaging solutions used by some of the world’s leading hospitals and physicians. In this episode, Thoma Bravo Partner Carl Press speaks with Co-Founder and CEO Greg Ogrodnick about how Thoma Bravo backed Circle CVI, a category leader in a small but very growing category of healthcare, and how their one year…
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How Quorum Overcame Adversity Through Private Equity
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35:29Quorum’s suite of software solutions for the oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors is designed to cover each area of their business - from planning, operations, accounting, measurement, transportation, and logistics. Thoma Bravo Partner Tara Gadgil speaks with former Quorum CEO Gene Austin about their partnership and how they weathered the storm o…
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How Leadership Transformed the Culture of Conga
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28:06Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Holden Spaht tells the story of how CEO Noel Goggin turned Conga into a market leader for commercial operations transformation by focusing on company culture and customers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit …
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How Majesco Brings the Speed of Private Equity to Transform the Insurance Business
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37:22Majesco is a leader in providing technology and software solutions for the life, property, and casualty insurance business. In this episode, Thoma Bravo Senior Partner AJ Rohde speaks with Majesco CEO Adam Elster about how the company partnered with Thoma Bravo to use the speed of private equity to expedite the digitization of the insurance industr…
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How Apryse Achieves Fast Growth and High Margins
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30:52Apryse is a leading provider of document processing technology for developers and enterprises. On this episode of Thoma Bravo’s Behind The Deal, Apryse CEO Cassidy Smirnow and Thoma Bravo Operating Partner Kristin Weston reflect on how Cassidy has led the company through a total rebrand and has achieved accelerated growth with high margins as a res…
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How SailPoint Keeps Business Identities Safe
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29:24SailPoint Co-Founder and CEO Mark McClain speaks with Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro about how they forged a relationship that led to Thoma Bravo’s first ever IPO of a portfolio company, and eventually acquiring SailPoint twice over the course of a decade. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacy…
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