Republished with permission. Originally published in DealMakers Women 2025, page 76.
Deals, Diapers and Due Diligence: Lifting as You Climb in M&A
Nisha Dharamlall | Managing Director, Niche M&A Advisory
M&A is an intense space. It’s fast-moving, high-pressured, and requires laser-focus on the numbers and timelines. It’s easy to get caught up in the deal, but behind every transaction are real people. Among those people are women who, like me, have navigated boardrooms and spreadsheets, late nights and due diligence schedules, often with one eye on the deal and the other on the school / family calendar.
The phrase, “lift as you climb” has stuck with me throughout my journey. It’s not just a slogan; it’s something I’ve come to live by. My career in M&A hasn’t just been shaped by transactions, deadlines and negotiations. It’s been shaped just as much by early morning school drop offs, late nights, and those quiet moments when I was finishing a report at midnight with a toddler asleep on my lap.
The juggle behind the journey
Early in my career (early 2000s), I remember one deal in particular included a review of complex projections, and the timing could not have been more intense. We were approaching the deadline, and I was pregnant, heading into my third trimester. I felt this overwhelming pressure, some of it internal, most of it definitely external, to prove to my male boss that I was still just as capable and just as committed.
So, there I was, swollen feet, heavily pregnant, in the office on a Saturday morning to update sensitivity scenarios. And I remember thinking, “Why does it feel like starting a family might mean the end of my career? Like I have to choose between being a mother and being taken seriously at work? Between ambition and motherhood?”
The truth is we shouldn’t have to choose. But believing that takes seeing others live it.
Being seen and then seeing
Now, in a more senior role, I get messages from younger women, saying things like, “I didn’t realise you could do this kind of work and still have a family”, and “Wait, you have two sons in their twenties?”
And I always tell them, “Yes, you can, but it takes boundaries, support, and the confidence to ask for help, even when the room isn’t quite ready to hear it.”
I remember blocking off time in my calendar so I could fetch my sons after each of their exams. It often meant rescheduling meetings or turning down non-critical ones and being upfront about why. Later, when one of my senior managers became a mum, she said to me, “Thank you for showing me that it’s okay to lead without pretending I’m not a mum.” That message reminded me that showing up authentically doesn’t weaken the work. It creates the space for others to do the same.
Why this matters
M&A wasn’t designed with women, especially mothers, in mind. While representation is improving, it’s not enough to simply be in the room. We need to show up as our whole selves and create space for others to do the same. That means sharing our stories openly and not leaving the personal parts of our lives at the door.
When we lift as we climb, we start to reshape what leadership looks like. We normalise conversations about family and flexibility, and we prove that it’s entirely possible to thrive in M&A while also being fully present at home.
A few things I try to live by
There are a few things I’ve come to live by over the years. First, be authentic. Don’t hide the juggle. When we’re honest about the hard parts, it gives others permission to do the same. Second, lead with empathy. Just because someone leaves early for a school pickup doesn’t mean they’re any less committed. They might still be the sharpest-minded person on the team. And finally, value the whole person. We’re not just M&A professionals, we’re also mothers, daughters and partners. That full human perspective matters, and it makes us better at what we do.
To the women doing the juggle
This work isn’t easy. Doing it while raising a family takes strength, stamina, and more green tea than I’d like to admit. But it also brings depth, and a kind of resilience that this industry needs more of.
If you’re in the thick of managing client calls and school drop-offs, know that you’re not alone. Your journey matters. And if you’re in a position to look back and reach out to someone else, do it. That’s how we change this industry. Not just by climbing, but by lifting.
Nisha Dharamlall is an accredited M&A transaction services expert with over 24 years of experience. A proud mother and mentor, she is passionate about helping women thrive professionally and personally, and believes the best deals are those that make space for humanity.
Nisha is the founder of Niche M&A Advisory; an exciting M&A Transaction Services company providing due diligences to private equity teams; public, private and investment holding companies.
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