Tyrus O’Neill Talks M&A, Growth & Trust on The Ryan Gorman Show

Tyrus O’Neill, CEO of Benchmark International, was recently featured on The Ryan Gorman Show as part of the podcast’s CEO Spotlight segment. During the interview, Tyrus discussed mergers and acquisitions, the mid-market economy, and Benchmark International’s naming rights partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Throughout the conversation, Tyrus highlighted that Benchmark International supports privately held, mid-market business owners as they navigate through pivotal moments such as growth planning, succession, and successful exits. These businesses—often mom-and-pop, family-owned, or founder-led—form the backbone of the economy, yet face complex financial, legal, tax, and cultural considerations as they navigate change.

Key Topics Discussed During the CEO Spotlight

During the interview, Tyrus addressed several themes central to our work and market perspective, including:

• How mergers and acquisitions support both business exits and long-term growth
• The importance of trust, legacy, and discretion in privately held transactions
• Trends shaping the mid-market economy, including increased deal activity heading into 2026
• The role of data, technology, and AI in modern M&A advisory
• Why community investment and our partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning matter to Benchmark International
• Supporting Business Owners Through Critical Transactions

Learn How Benchmark Sets the Standard

At the heart of our work is helping business owners navigate some of the most significant financial and personal decisions of their lives—decisions that impact not only the business itself, but also employees, families, and local communities.

“This is their life’s work,” says Tyrus. “We’re helping people exit their business to support their retirement, or on the other side of it, there's oftentimes a situation where one of these businesses is growing very quickly. This is where we help business owners with outside capital work with private equity firms to develop growth plans for expansion. If a business owner is looking to expand their business and get some outside capital, we're going to help them go through the process properly, find the right match, get the right deal, and set themselves up so they can quickly accelerate their business for growth and get it to a level that is much larger and much more secure than it is on its own.”

Headquartered in Tampa, with 15 offices across 3 continents, Benchmark International brings a global perspective while remaining deeply connected to local communities. Tyrus also shared the firm’s data-driven outlook for the market, pointing to strong indicators of increased mergers and acquisitions activity heading into 2026, supported by improving interest-rate conditions and available capital.

The discussion also touched on our thoughtful approach to technology and artificial intelligence, emphasizing innovation as a tool to improve efficiency and insight while maintaining the judgment, trust, and expertise required to guide complex transactions.

We’ve Helped Thousands—Let’s Talk About You

Why Media Matters to Us

For many privately held business owners, access to clear, reliable information about growth and exit options can be limited. Media opportunities like the CEO Spotlight help Benchmark International increase transparency, educate business owners, and foster more informed conversations about mid-market acquisitions.

Being featured on the CEO Spotlight also reflects our commitment to increasing awareness and transparency with the mid-market.

“We have been somewhat of a quiet, under-the-radar company,” says Tyrus. “We’ve grown very aggressively, but not in a very public manner in the past. Now, through our relationship with VSG and the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the work we’re doing in the community, we want people to realize that this is important work—and that we’re proud of it.”

The discussion further addressed Benchmark International’s naming rights partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which reflects shared values of trust, excellence, and long-term community investment. For Benchmark International, the partnership serves as a platform to raise awareness, educate business owners, and support continued growth in the Tampa Bay region.

Where to Listen to The Full Interview

The interview originally aired on WFLA Radio in December and is now available on iHeartRadio. To listen to the podcast, click here.

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