Member Spotlight | Nan Jiang

ACG WI Member Since: 2012 ACG WI Involvement: Board Member (since 2018), Programs Committee, ACG Cup Mentor (2017)

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Why did you join ACG?
I joined ACG in 2012 when my career led me to Corporate Development at Rockwell Automation. ACG was introduced to me as a great opportunity for my professional growth through networking with other Corporate Development professionals, PE colleagues and other service providers in the region. This proved to be nothing but true.

How has ACG WI helped you in your career?
The networking value is hard to put into words. Through ACG, I got to know so many great M&A lawyers whom I later had the pleasure to work with, M&A advisory firms that I introduced to my current employer after I left Rockwell, service providers when our CFO needed one, not to mention the Corporate Development peers with whom we would exchange ideas, share challenges, and discuss best practices through ACG’s Corporate platform.

What has your ACG membership meant to you?
To me, it’s a badge for professionalism, career devotion and leadership. Sitting on the board of ACG WI chapter, I was provided many opportunities to shape the future of this organization as well. I found that experience is very fulfilling.

What lessons have you learned during the pandemic that you think you will carry over in the long term? 
Always unmute yourself before you talk on Zoom ... just kidding. I can't believe that I had led a cross functional team and closed a significant acquisition by sitting in the corner of our master bedroom (my husband got the first dibs of the home office.) It was quite an experience.  Luckily, we managed to establish a great relationship with the seller early on despite there were only two onsite meetings. Closing a deal virtually definitely provided opportunity for all of us to rethink the process to improve efficiency for the future, but at the same time, it also proved that human contact and relationship building are so critical for any deals!

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
Learn the dog language and start to talk to my dog, Butternut! Butternut is a 3-year old labradoodle, and my husband and I welcomed him to our family when he was 8 weeks old.  I wish he could teach all of us how to love unconditionally and always be so forgiving!

What is the best book you have read this past year?
Negotiation is a big part of any M&A professionals’ daily life. I always believe that negotiation is nothing but relationship building. Recently, I read the book “Ask  for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything” by Alexandra Carter. This book brilliantly illustrated that point and provided a framework to think or rethink about negotiation.

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Butternut (2018) in Cedarburg, WI. (He is so much bigger now!)