Sep. 16 at 9:44 AM
$NNDM Dave Stehlin is an M&A CEO. According to the all-time favorite for some, ChatGPT, it says:
Looking at his career, a clear pattern emerges:
Ceterus Networks → Overture Networks: he ran Ceterus and then steered it into a merger with Overture.
Overture Networks: positioned for growth and eventual acquisition (it was later bought by ADVA Optical).
MRV Communications: as CEO, he focused on restructuring, strengthening the optical division, and making MRV more attractive — it was later acquired by ADVA as well.
Startups (Valo, OnePath): both were venture-backed plays in access/optical networking, the type usually built with an exit in mind.
TIA: here he shifted gears, but even at the trade association level, a lot of his work is about building programs and partnerships, which is similar to aligning organizations for strategic positioning.
So, his signature moves seem to be positioning companies for acquisition or merger rather than long-term organic scaling.
