Independence, OH – May 20, 2025 – The International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), the world’s largest professional trade association for Business Brokers, proudly announced the recipients of its top individual performance awards during the 2025 Annual Conference held in Orlando, Florida.
“This year’s submitted deals represented a cumulative transaction value exceeding $2 billion—an extraordinary achievement,” said Emily Bowler, Executive Director of the IBBA. “The economic and community impact of helping this many businesses successfully change hands is profound. Our award winners should take immense pride in their role supporting entrepreneurship, job preservation, and local economies. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all of them.”
IBBA individual awards are presented annually based on qualified business transactions completed during the previous calendar year. The association is proud to recognize the following exceptional professionals for their achievements in 2024:
Top Individual Deal Maker of the Year
Awarded to the individual who completed the greatest number of qualified business transactions in 2024.
Trent Lee, CBI – First Choice Business Brokers (NV)
Top Individual Global Producer of the Year
Awarded to the individual with the highest total purchase price from all deals combined in 2024.
Brenda Sali, MCBI – Agency Brokerage (FL)
Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) of the Year
Awarded to the CBI who closed the single largest qualified business deal in 2024.
Brent Engelbrekt, CBI – True North Mergers & Acquisitions (MN)
IBBA Outstanding Producer Award
Given to those individuals who closed one or more qualified business deals totaling at least $1 million in total purchase price during the 2024 calendar year. The IBBA is pleased to congratulate:
Dr. Fernando Acosta
Kent Adams
Dale Armor
Ryan Armstrong
Steven Beal
Jim Beno
Guillermo Birmingham
Wayne Blease
Robert Borrelli
John D. Brogan
Gary Brooks
Ed Burkhart
Sam Campanella
Yu Jie Chen
Hollie Choe
James Covian
Joe Di Bartolo
Jason Dougher
Darrell Doust
Carrie Duvall
Jeffrey Elder
Dr. Leilani Felix-Acosta
Franco Ferrari
Patrick Gagliardi
Eric Gagnon
Chris Gordon
Derek Grayer
William Griswold
Chris Hays
Ryan Hemmert
Jeff Hofflander
Denise S. Houghtaling
Dillon Howe
Joshua Jones
Mike Keen
Bill Kelly
Tony Khoury
Kevin Kramer
Jay Kvasnicka
Marc Lazarus
Katrina Loftin
Dominique Maddox
Shayan Manavi
James McNeela
Sylvia Mullen
Charles Mullins III
Jim Nairn
Steven Niehaus
Garrison Niles
William G Patten
Marshall Pollock
Leora Poplawsky
Thomas Poyser
Pete Prados
Jeannie Randolph
Brea Reger
Lisa Riley
Matthew D. Robertson
Aileen Rodriguez
George Rosen
Carmen Saad Hanna
Ana Serrat
Andy Shah
Michael Snider
Charles P. Spickert
Robert Stasiak
Kyoung Sun Karen Suh
Giovanni Tanzi
“JT” Jim Tatem
Rick Teh
Matt Thomas
Shaun Thornton
Matt Valantine
Ulisses Vales
Paul Vokaty
Arthur Warsoff
Mitchell Weinberger
Bill White
Jake Whitta
Stephanie AL Willis
Philip Wolfstein
Wayne Wright
Steve Zimmerman
IBBA Chairman’s Circle Award
Given to those individuals who closed one or more qualified business deals amounting to $3 million and above in total purchase price during the 2024 calendar year. The IBBA is pleased to congratulate:
Emmet Apolinario
Nelson Barros
Greg Bell
Haroon Bhatti
Anthony Blair
Dusty Block
Andrea Bousaid
Randy J. Bring
Jonathan Buehler
Roberta Caputo
Andrew Cavanaugh
Delon Cheung
David H. Choate
Johnathan Choe
Bobbi J. Coffey
Amy Cole
Dana P. Cole
Frank Costa
Teri Craft
Charles Daucourt
Dave DeCamella
Gregory DeSalvo
Don DiSpaltro
Nolan Duck
Kevin Everts
Lester Fernandes
Manny Fernandez
Jennifer Fox
Aaron Fox
Steve Fylypchuk
Robin Gagnon
Eric J. Gall
Erin A. Gilliam
Daryl Gloyns
Dave Godwin
Antoinette Gonzales
Sarah Grossman
Arlene C. Guerrero
Baris Guler
Kathryn Guthrie
Ian Harding
Peter Harrison
David Heinz
Mark Herrmann
Alan Horn
Joe Howell
Take Iga
Mark Irion
Tony Keane
Tim Kleman
Fred Koenig
Gregg Kunz
Brian Labonte
Hercules E Landis
Jean Guy Leclerc
Mike Lenz
Vince Liuzzi
Pam Ludwinski
Ian MacLachlan
Mike May
John McLeod
Fernando Mello,
Greg Michail
Tom R. Milana
Crystal Misenheimer
Tom Morse
Kevin F. Murray
Meili Myles
Shiva Nambiar
Jeff Naylor
Kurt Okraski
Warren Pereira
Christopher Redmond
Phil Reese
Anthony Rigney
Joe Robinson
Shaun Rudgear
Andrew Saikaley
Andy Schwandt
Harry Sidhu
Mani Singh
Debbie Small
Carey Sobel
Chris Springfield
Terri Stallworth
Travis Strack
David J. Sweeten Jr.
Daniel Talbott
Jennefer Taylor
Aaron Thom
Dan Tomlin
Guylaine Ure
Ish Uttam
Steve Van Leeuwen
Valerie Vaughn
Sara Vaziri
Jason Ward
Geoffrey Warrell
Bill West
Craig White
Michael Wildeveld
Brad Williams
Brian York
Lisa Young
Keith Young
Bil Zarch
Dustin Zeher
Steve Zimmerman
IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award
Given to those individuals who closed one or more qualified business deals amounting to $10 million and above in total purchase price during the 2024 calendar year. The IBBA is pleased to congratulate:
Faraaz Ali
Joe Alter
Nicholas Arnheim
Alan D. Austin
Lilia Berezkina
Rupesh Bharad
Timothy Blais
Moe Bousaid
Sean Brelsford
Anthony Caliendo
Roberta Caputo
David Carson
Ryan Cave
Aniss Cherkaoui
Russell Cohen
Matt Coletta
Erin Crawford
Rebecca Davis
Ronald Edmonds
Phil Eleson
Brent Engelbrekt
Nicholas Fares
Albert Fialkovich
Jason Godwin
Molly Hanson
Simon Harrison
Randy Hendershot
Jackie Hirsch
Mike Hundley
Ron Hunter
Jay M Inbar
Joe Khoury
Ron Kleier
Christina Lazuric
Trent Lee
Erica Lewandowski
David Long
Jeff MacAdam
John Marsh
Alan Mehrez
Lisa Meyer
Lawrence Moore
Joe Moorman
Michael Naprawa
Lee Ossin
Houmehr ‘Mike’ Panoussi
James Parker
Adam Petricoff
Michael D. Pfeffer
Simon Polzer
Trevin Rasmussen
Brenda Sali
Manuel Santana
Justin Scotto
Michael Shea
Yatin Thakore
Gene Townley
Claudio Vilas
Steve Wain
Linnea Westlake
Christopher Wozniak
David Yezbak
IBBA Deal Maker Award
Given to those individuals who sold at least 10 qualified businesses during the 2024 calendar year. The IBBA is pleased to congratulate:
Emmet Apolinario
Rupesh Bharad
Haroon Bhatti
Timothy Blais
Sean Brelsford
Randy J. Bring
David Carson
Yu Jie Chen
Russell Cohen
Teri Craft
Rebecca Davis
Dave DeCamella
Lester Fernandes
Aaron Fox
Steve Fylypchuk
Robin Gagnon
Chris Gordon
Peter Harrison
Jackie Hirsch
Take Iga
Jay M Inbar
Trent Lee
Tom R. Milana
Crystal Misenheimer
Joe Moorman
Lee Ossin
Houmehr ‘Mike’ Panoussi
Christopher Redmond
Shaun Rudgear
Manuel Santana
Justin Scotto
Ana Serrat
Michael Shea
Gene Townley
Sara Vaziri
Jason Ward
Brian York
Dustin Zeher
Media Contact
Emily Bowler
Executive Director, IBBA
[email protected]
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