Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui
Presented by Deel From a Secondhand Desk to a $120M Exit: Mark Samlal's Story
Guest Mark Samlal Co-founder, PayGroup — now at Deel, Deel 
Show Host Pauline Fetaui Director, Australian Computing Society (ACS) “It is a completely different level of accountability, because it is your own baby.”
Mark Samlal grew up as one of the only Indian families in a small Perth township, went on to co-found a payroll company from a secondhand desk in Singapore with his wife Samantha, and eventually listed it on the ASX as PayGroup. In 2022 Deel acquired the business in an all-cash deal worth $120M, a 143% premium to market.
In this conversation with host Pauline Fetaui, Mark talks about the racism he faced growing up, the "4 or out the door" sales mentality that shaped his early career, what it actually feels like to run a public company, and why he has stayed on at Deel almost four years after the acquisition. He also opens up about the guilt of building a business while raising three daughters, and the pull he is feeling to reconnect with his roots in Fiji and India.
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