Benchmark International

Benchmark International Benchmark International’s global offices provide business owners with creative, value-maximizing solu

To date, Benchmark International has handled engagements in excess of $8.25B across various industries worldwide. With decades of global M&A experience, Benchmark International’s deal teams, working from 14 offices across the world, have assisted thousands of owners with achieving their personal objectives and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses.

🎬 Cue host. Stand by talent. We’re LIVE!What does it take to build, lead, sell, and keep evolving?Thomas Frey, founder o...
09/02/2026

🎬 Cue host. Stand by talent. We’re LIVE!
What does it take to build, lead, sell, and keep evolving?
Thomas Frey, founder of Silexx Financial Systems and former SVP of Software Engineering at Cboe Global Markets, joins Dara Shareef on Closing Remarks to talk M&A, delegation, AI, great people, and one of the biggest questions for any founder: What comes next?
🎙️ Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, subscribe, & share! https://linktr.ee/Closingremarkspodcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=990f2314-98b5-43f1-81c4-84f0a2d0620d


09/01/2026

What can happen when you follow an interest and see where it leads?
For Thomas Frey, founder of Silexx Financial Systems and former SVP of Software Engineering at Cboe Global Markets, an interest in financial markets led him into software engineering and eventually to building a business later acquired by Cboe Global Markets.
Tomorrow on Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef talks with Thomas about the path from building to selling, and the lessons that shaped what came next.
👀 Where did that path take him next? 🎙️ Tune in tomorrow at 6 AM. https://linktr.ee/Closingremarkspodcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=3c64a692-69b6-4f6e-aaeb-a053ba23aff7


08/31/2026

🤝 An exit isn’t just about getting the deal done. What happens after closing matters too.

When Symphony Ventures was sold, Ian Barkin, founder of magentIQ, says the structure gave the founders room to focus on their craft, integrate into the new organization, and continue growing the business without highly restrictive earnouts.

On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef and Ian explore the side of M&A that owners have to consider beyond the transaction itself: what life and work will actually look like on the other side.

🎙️ Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, subscribe, & share! https://hubs.li/Q04vY7TV0

08/29/2026

👞 Sometimes better business starts with a “shoe swap.”
Long before Ian Barkin, founder of magentIQ, was thinking about AI agents, he was thinking about empathy.

Ian shares how an initiative he called the “shoe swap” encouraged business partners to see the world from each other’s perspective. The goal was simple: understand what the other side is trying to achieve before you plan, negotiate, or collaborate.

On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef and Ian discuss why the human perspective still matters, even as technology changes how business gets done.

🎙️ Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, subscribe, & share! https://hubs.li/Q04vwD7G0

08/28/2026

📈 An idea. Roughly 350 professionals. An exit. Four years.

That’s how Ian Barkin, founder of magentIQ, describes the sprint behind Symphony Ventures.

Timing mattered, but so did being able to execute when the market opportunity appeared.

On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef talks with Ian about the journey from a bold entrepreneurial leap to scaling a company and ultimately reaching an exit.

For business owners, it’s a look at what can happen when opportunity, ex*****on, and the right team come together.

🎙️Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, subscribe, & share! https://hubs.li/Q04vHx530

What if getting your business ready for AI also made it easier to sell?Ian Barkin has already lived through one automati...
08/27/2026

What if getting your business ready for AI also made it easier to sell?

Ian Barkin has already lived through one automation revolution. Now, he sees familiar mistakes emerging as companies race toward AI.

In the latest Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Ian Barkin, the founder of magentIQ, to explore what robotic process automation can teach us about AI agents, why “AI first” is an ambition but “AI ready” is a plan, and how the work required to prepare for AI could also prepare a company for an eventual exit.

What does an AI-ready business actually look like? 🎙️ Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, subscribe, & share! https://hubs.li/Q04vwn3f0

The wait is over! 🎬 Mark it…. We’re live.On the latest episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Ian ...
08/26/2026

The wait is over! 🎬 Mark it…. We’re live.

On the latest episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Ian Barkin, founder of magentIQ, to talk AI, automation, entrepreneurship, and exits.

From becoming AI-ready and potentially exit-ready to keeping humans at the center of automation, developing the next generation of leaders, and finding purpose after a sale.

🎙️ Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, subscribe, & share! https://hubs.li/Q04vmQkX0

08/25/2026

🌟 Testimonial Tuesday 🌟

This week, we hear from Ross Edlund of Skillets http://Inc., who shares how Benchmark International’s experienced guidance and representation helped generate strong buyer interest early in the process and position the business for the desired outcome.

08/25/2026

🤖 AI first is an ambition. AI-ready is a plan.

But what does becoming AI-ready actually require?

On tomorrow’s episode, host Dara Shareef talks with Ian Barkin, founder of Magentiq, about why business owners need to understand and document how work actually gets done before layering AI onto it.

That rigor can do more than prepare a company for automation. As explains, becoming AI-ready can, in many cases, also make a business exit-ready.

Tomorrow on Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Ian to explore what that means for business owners, AI adoption, automation, and business value.

🎙️ Tune in tomorrow at 6 AM. https://hubs.li/Q04vb5m70

08/24/2026

How do we make sure the next generation helps shape what comes next?

For Scott Fink, Chairman and CEO of Giant Auto Group–Fink Auto Group and owner of Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel and Subaru of Wesley Chapel, the answer starts with connection.

Scott believes businesses and philanthropic organizations need to reach the next generation early, build bridges, and provide young leaders with opportunities to make an impact in their communities.

Hear Scott discuss the future of Tampa Bay with Dara Shareef on Closing Remarks. 🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Like, Subscribe & Share. https://hubs.li/Q04v0mqK0

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