How to get into Corp Dev?

There are many different ways you can break into Corp Dev, but probably the most well-tread path is doing a stint in investment banking where you cover the industry that you eventually want to exit into.

In my experience, some people come from an FP&A background, others IB, others equity research, and others just from the Finance/Accounting group within the same company. IB is quite clearly the best base, and depending on the firm, the CorpDev team will do a lot of work bankers do, especially modeling, profiles, etc. You can definitely lateral from something a bit unrelated, but I would recommend you a) network a bit with some CorpDev people to get a feel for how you fit in and then b) be able to speak intelligently about your skillset, and have a very concise way of explaining why it would be an asset to the team. Hope that helps.

You can consider taking up roles in very niche sectors (such as Commodities, Healthcare and Maritime) and work towards an internal transfer. Certain companies/industries put a high value on sector knowledge over technical knowledge. I have a colleague who transferred into our department with minimal investment knowledge but could value add through other means. You can also consider joining a company that encourages internal developments and job rotations

All good suggestions above. Another possible route is to join a F500 rotational program, one that may bring you through the strategy/corp. dev group or just one that has a high level of visibility across the company (GE's program comes to mind). Those can be great jumping off points and they can provide you with a chance to see if there another area of corporate you might enjoy even more.