IBG’s John Zayac Receives Top M&A Source Award

IBG Business co-founder John R. Zayac has received the prestigious Darrell Fouts Award for “visionary leadership and contributions” in the M&A profession.

The award was presented October 18 at the M&A Source 2023 fall conference in Charlotte, NC.

The managing partner of IBG’s Colorado office and a principal with the international M&A firm Eaton Square, John Zayac has been an instrumental leader since 1985 in the advancement of the M&A profession. He has taught, served on boards, and helped create goodwill and interfaces among groups in the profession.

Through his long-term role as chairman of the M&A profession’s Business Intermediary Education Foundation, John helped lead the successful effort in gaining Congressional approval of a federal registration exemption for M&A brokers and advisors (HR 2617: “Registration Exemption for Merger and Acquisition Brokers”). John and other industry leaders worked for two decades to educate and persuade Congressional leaders and regulators regarding the importance of this change, which was passed in December 2022.

About the Darrell Fouts Award. The Darrell Fouts Award has been presented annually since 2001 to an M&A professional who has led visionary advances and made exceptional accomplishments to uplift and expand the mergers and acquisitions profession.

In 1992, Darrell Fouts founded the M&A Source as a specialty section of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). His purpose was to enhance the professionalism and success of brokers and advisors engaged in middle market business transactions. Since its founding, the M&A Source has become a leading M&A professional association, providing education, benefits, conferences, support programs, and networking opportunities. In addition, the M&A Source grants to qualified advisors the Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary® (M&AMI®) designation.