Closing Remarks

Closing Remarks is Benchmark International’s exclusive podcast, where leading CEOs, thought leaders, business experts, and M&A professionals share insights from the front lines of dealmaking. Each episode explores the strategies, stories, and lessons that shape successful transactions and lasting legacies. Whether you’re an entrepreneur preparing for the next chapter or a professional navigating the complexities of the middle market, Closing Remarks offers the perspectives you need to stay ahead in today’s business landscape.

Closing Remarks is a business podcast hosted by by Benchmark International, with 20 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

by Benchmark International hosts Closing Remarks, a business show with 20 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #20

  E20: Q&A on Market Readiness with Dara Shareef & Jordan Wilkins

  Sep 16, 202658 minS1

  Market readiness begins with a basic question. What happens to your business when you are not around? Imagine going on a six-week river cruise in Europe, turning off your cell phone and refraining from checking email. When you return, will the business be running smoothly? Or did your team need to pause important decisions while you were away? In this Q&A episode of Closing Remarks , host Dara Shareef talks with Jordan Wilkins, Managing Director at Benchmark International. They explore the difference between market readiness and exit readiness. What You’ll Learn Why market readiness and exit readiness require many of the same actions even if you have no plan to sell How to tell if your business is too dependent on you and why decision-making needs to extend beyond the owner How delegation, functional ownership, and decision rights can reduce founder dependence How customer and supplier concentration can create additional points of dependence How advisors and market feedback can uncover opportunities you may not see in your business How strategic buyers may see value in your people, products, customers, or capabilities beyond EBITDA How market readiness can give you more options when your priorities and circumstances change With this episode, we’re closing out Season 1 of Closing Remarks. We’ll be back in October with more conversations, insights, and closing remarks. In the meantime, if you’re thinking about what’s next for your business, start a conversation with Benchmark International.

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  Episode #19

  E19: Kal Gullapalli on Risk & Returns

  Sep 9, 202643 minS1

  What would an investor see if they looked at your business today? In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Kal Gullapalli, CEO of Built Different Brands, to talk about his journey from investment banking at Merrill Lynch and helping raise a hedge fund to entrepreneurship and franchise ownership. Today, his experience includes Dave’s Hot Chicken, Marco’s Pizza, PopUp Bagels, Orangetheory Fitness, and European Wax Center. Drawing on his experience as both an investor and an operator, Kal shares how he evaluates opportunities, thinks about risk and returns, diversifies across brands and markets, builds teams with the right culture, and makes decisions that can influence business value. What You’ll Learn Why self-awareness matters in business How Kal thinks about diversification across brands and markets How investors weigh risk, return, and opportunity cost What to look for in brands, management teams, and opportunities How culture and accountability support businesses How multiples and roll-ups can create opportunity Why key operators receive bonuses, equity, and insight into value creation How to build a business beyond the owner Why patient, aligned capital matters

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  Episode #18

  E18: Thomas Frey on Selling a Business

  Sep 2, 202659 minS1

  Selling a business can open the door to more than a new phase. It can change how you think about what you built, who you built it with, and what you want to do next. On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks , Dara Shareef sits down with Thomas Frey, founder of Silexx Financial Systems and former SVP, Software Engineering at Cboe Global Markets. Thomas founded Silexx Financial Systems, a broker-neutral order and execution management system (OEMS), before Benchmark International facilitated its transaction with the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe Global Markets). Together, they reflect on the transaction, the journey that led to it, and the lessons that followed. From building business value and surrounding yourself with great people to embracing AI and finding purpose beyond the transaction, Thomas shares valuable insights for business owners considering a sale and thinking about what comes next. Whether you’re building for growth, exploring a business sale, continuing with an acquiring company, or planning your next chapter, Thomas’s experience offers perspective for every stage of the journey. What You’ll Learn How identifying a specialized market need can create the foundation for business value What business owners can learn from Thomas’s experience exploring an M&A opportunity How experienced M&A experts and the right people can bring valuable perspective to important decisions Why a shared approach may help keep buyers, sellers, and advisors focused on a shared objective How bringing in great people earlier can help owners delegate, develop talent, and grow How AI can change the way businesses scale and why human expertise may become even more valuable Why having a clear understanding of purpose matters when considering a business sale and what comes next

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  Episode #17

  E17: Ian Barkin on AI, Automation, & Exit Readiness

  Aug 26, 20261h 17mS1

  AI can create more, automate more, and move faster. But more doesn’t always mean more valuable. On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Ian Barkin, founder of magentIQ, to discuss building and selling Symphony Ventures, life and purpose after an exit, AI slop, the future of AI and automation, what automation means for the next generation of leaders, and why entrepreneurship is ultimately a team sport. Whether you’re navigating an exit, embracing AI, or thinking about what comes next, this conversation offers lessons for building smarter while keeping the human element at the center. What You’ll Learn How to spot when AI is creating volume and not value Why AI-slop can create more work Where human judgment, context, and connection still matter How magentIQ combines AI agents and human talent What robotic process automation (RPA) can teach us about AI and automation Why “AI first” is an ambition, while “AI ready” is a plan How stronger processes, documented knowledge, and less founder dependency can make a business both AI-ready and exit-ready How the “shoe swap” can help leaders see problems from another perspective What happens to tomorrow’s leaders when AI eliminates the work that once trained them How “building out loud” can bring family, work and purpose closer together

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  Episode #16

  E16: Scott Fink on Success & Relationships

  Aug 19, 202652 minS1

  How do strong business relationships and bold leadership turn a struggling dealership into a nationwide success story? In this episode of Closing Remarks , Dara Shareef talks with Scott Fink, the Chairman and CEO of Giant Auto Group–Fink Auto Group, about the business relationships, leadership, and bold decisions that shaped his success in the automotive industry. Scott shares how he helped transform a struggling Mitsubishi dealership into the number one Mitsubishi dealership in the nation within three years, then went on to build a Hyundai dealership that became the number one Hyundai store in the country, earning the top spot 12 times. Along the way, his automotive portfolio expanded to include Volkswagen, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Chevrolet, and Genesis brands. Throughout the conversation, Scott shares how building strong business relationships, putting relationships before transactions, and choosing to “come out and fight” when competitors pulled back helped drive his success and create lasting opportunities. Whether you’re building a business, considering a sale, or thinking about your team and legacy, this episode features someone who has built, sold, and successfully grown businesses, including a #1 dealership, all while giving back to the community. What You’ll Learn How Scott Fink built some of the nation’s top-performing automotive dealerships by putting relationships ahead of transactions The leadership mindset behind the “leave the foxhole” philosophy and why taking action when others retreat can create opportunities Practical lessons on preparing a business for sale, negotiating deals, selecting advisors, and structuring earnouts Why planning for life after an exit is just as important as building a successful business

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