325 - The M&A Field Guide for CPOs: Heather Dunn (Chief People Officer, Brex)

Heather Dunn, Chief People Officer at Brex, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about Brex’s rapid acquisition by Capital One and how Heather led through diligence, communication, and integration.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (20:45) Joining Brex During a Company Pivot(21:20) Brex’s 2024 Year of Transformation(23:20) The January 1 Call: Capital One Acquisition Diligence Begins(25:05) Three Weeks to Diligence, Communications and Announcement(26:30) Late Nights, Diligence Requests and the Pressure to Be Accurate(28:00) Supporting Executives Through the Emotional Weight of the Deal(29:00) Communicating on Behalf of the CEO and Building Trust Across Leadership(32:45) Telling the Company About the Capital One Acquisition(33:35) The Two-Part Communication Plan for Employees(35:30) The Emotional Load People Leaders Carry During Acquisitions(36:35) Diligence, Communication, Retention and Advocating for Yourself(39:50) “Don’t Crush the Butterfly” and Protecting What Makes Brex Special(43:15) How CPOs Should Advocate for Themselves During M&A(45:40) Fairness, Expectations and Protecting the Value of the CPO Role(49:15) Relaunching Brex’s EVP and External Story(50:35) The Story Behind “Be The Founder of Your Career”(53:10) The Foundry and Investing in Future Founders Inside Brex(57:48) Heather’s Superpower Nickname: Chief Truth-Teller Officer---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.