BLOG

By Annmarie Ely

As U.S. editor-sector coverage for Mergermarket, Marlene Givant Star covers a variety of topics from mergers and acquisitions to funding. She has more than 30 years of experience in business journalism and has worked for The Associated Press, where she was a news editor-Money & Markets, Boardroom’s Bottom Line/Personal and Crain Communications’ Pensions & Investments and Investment News.

In her current role as an editor at Mergermarket, she directs the U.S. sector reporting freelance team and writes and edits stories about education and business services companies. 0to5 worked with Marlene on a story highlighting our client, SchoolStatus, an education technology company. At the time, SchoolStatus had gone through a series of acquisitions. Marlene spoke with the CEO and wrote a piece on the company’s M&A activity and its future direction after the newly acquired companies were folded into SchoolStatus.

0to5 recently connected with Marlene about her career, recent articles she’s written, and her insights on what makes a business story engaging for readers. Read our Q&A with Marlene below to learn more.

What do you like about covering business news?

It’s very concrete and relevant. You always learn something new and it is surprisingly applicable to daily life.

What types of stories/subjects do you look for when you’re planning coverage?

At Mergermarket, we cover corporate strategy including M&A, capital raises, and other expansion strategies. We also cover news as it breaks.

Do you have any favorite stories from what you’ve covered?

I especially like taking a step back and looking at trends using our data. For example, I recently wrote a story about franchise businesses receiving heightened interest from private equity firms. I also edited our International Women’s Day feature highlighting women in the male-dominated M&A industry.

What should people keep in mind when reaching out? Are there any types of stories or content you’d like to receive more of?
I like to hear about mature companies past the Series B stage, particularly ones focused on education or business services. I am also interested in environmental, social, and governance topics.