I am pleased to announce that the recipient of IBA’s Broker of the Year Award for 2023 was Oliver Kotelnikov. Mr. Kotelnikov joined IBA’s mergers & acquisitions intermediary team in 2018. He contributes an unique combination of knowledge, experience, and ability to his representation engagements and our firm. Prior to joining IBA, Mr. Kotelnikov was a successful entrepreneur providing executive leadership to his family’s iconic Seattle business, Piroshky Piroshky. An American Dream Achieved story told in the book, Piroshky With An Accent. He also showed early talent in strategic thinking as a chess prodigy playing tournaments against players like Josh Waitzkin who was featured in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer (https://youtu.be/hOTc4D0uQNk?si=sNcXfz890cKwdOVo). Mr. Kotelnikov serves as the Director of IBA’s Hospitality Industry Transaction Division overseeing facilitation of numerous deals a year in that sector and representing the firm in the Washington Hospitality Association contributing to its leadership and advocacy for the industry. He also as a senior M&A intermediary on the IBA team annually represents clients in a variety of other industries from retail to construction and has developed a reputation as the “Go To” broker for the sale of companies with commercial real estate in the Methow Valley. In 2023, he worked on and successfully completed eight business sale projects including five with commercial real estate. Please join me in congratulating and recognizing Oliver. I consider myself blessed to have him as part of my team and a friend.

In closing, the IBA team is looking for new companies to sell in 2024. The business brokerage marketplace remains robust and our team of eighteen business brokers working out of offices in Bellevue & Spokane, Washington and Portland & Bend, Oregon would welcome the opportunity to provide an overview of our client services if a retirement sale is desired next year. 100% of IBA’s compensation is paid on performance at the completion of a project. All conversations with IBA are held in strict confidence.